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Aparthotel vs serviced apartment is a common question, and a boardinghouse sits close to both. All three describe a furnished place to stay for longer than a weekend. The labels overlap, and in Germany none of them is a protected term, so two listings with the same name can offer very different things.
Below you find how the three differ on kitchen, service and length of stay, and which one suits a week, a month or a relocation.
The Short Answer
Pick by what you need inside the apartment, not by the name on the listing:
- Aparthotel: hotel-style service with a kitchen or kitchenette in the unit. It usually suits short and medium stays where a front desk or frequent cleaning matters.
- Serviced apartment: a self-contained apartment with a kitchen and lighter service. It usually suits several weeks, families and groups.
- Boardinghouse: a furnished unit with a kitchenette and limited service in a managed building. It usually suits long work stays on a tighter budget.
Providers mix these labels freely, so treat the table further down as typical patterns and confirm the details in each listing.
What the Industry Says the Words Mean
German law defines none of the three terms, so the industry has tried to close the gap. A working group led by Anett Gregorius of Apartmentservice published the Charta der Apartmentkonzepte, which about 50 organisations, including the hotel association IHA, have formally accepted. It describes serviced apartments as commercial accommodation with two operating models: the serviced apartment house and the aparthotel. They differ in unit size, service level and common areas. One rule is fixed: a serviced apartment always has a kitchen, and that is the main difference from a hotel room.
The Charta does not define the boardinghouse. For that, an older source helps. In a 2015 interview with Serviced Apartment News, Gregorius described a boarding house as limited service: weekly cleaning and laundry, limited reception hours, key boxes, and mostly long stays. She described an aparthotel as the higher service level, often with a 24-hour reception, restaurant, bar, meeting rooms and fitness, and shorter to medium stays. Read that as a pattern from 2015, not as a current rule.
Aparthotel vs Serviced Apartment vs Boardinghouse Compared
| Feature | Aparthotel | Serviced Apartment | Boardinghouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical stay | One night to a few weeks | Weeks to months | Weeks to months |
| Kitchen | Kitchenette, sometimes a full kitchen | Always a kitchen (Charta) | Usually a kitchenette |
| Service | Frequent cleaning, front desk, sometimes breakfast | Weekly cleaning, often no desk | Weekly cleaning, limited desk hours |
| Common areas | Possible: restaurant, gym, meeting rooms | Rare | Rare |
| Space | Room or apartment | Often a separate living area | Room or studio |
| Best for | Short work trips, city breaks | Longer stays, families | Long work stays, tight budgets |
These are typical patterns. A boardinghouse can look like a serviced apartment, and the reverse. A hotel room, by comparison, has no equipped kitchen. To compare real options, browse the accommodation categories and read the kitchen and cleaning details on each listing.
How Long Do People Stay?
Market figures for 2025, reported by Tageskarte in April 2026, show the average stay in German serviced apartments falling to seven nights. Leisure guests made up 56 percent for the first time. The average daily rate was 89.50 euros, down from 92 euros the year before, and occupancy was 81 percent.
An average of seven nights hides a wide range. If you need a month or more, ask for the monthly price and what it includes, because nightly rates often drop on longer stays.
Which One Fits Your Stay?
- 3 to 10 nights, work or city trip: an aparthotel if you want cleaning and a desk, or a serviced apartment if you want a proper kitchen.
- 2 to 8 weeks on a project: a serviced apartment with a full kitchen and a work desk.
- 3 months or more: a boardinghouse or a serviced apartment on a monthly rate. Sort out registration before you book.
- Family or group: a serviced apartment with a separate bedroom and living area.
- Company booking: any of the three, as long as the operator issues invoices. See the corporate stays page.
What to Check Before You Book
- Find the kitchen in the photos or floor plan. Hob, oven and fridge size differ a lot.
- Read how often the unit is cleaned and whether linen and towels are changed.
- Check the minimum stay and the monthly price, not only the nightly rate.
- See what the price includes: utilities, Wi-Fi, parking, breakfast.
- Ask about the deposit, the final cleaning fee and any city tax.
- Read the cancellation terms. Ours are on the cancellation and rebooking policy page.
- Ask about registration and a company invoice if you need either.
Registration Rules Apply to All Three
All three count as commercial accommodation, so Section 29 of the Federal Registration Act applies. Foreign guests sign a registration form (Meldeschein) on arrival and show a valid passport or ID. If you have no registered home in Germany and stay longer than three months, you register with the local office within two weeks.
If you need to register your address (Anmeldung), ask the host in writing before you book, because not every operator can offer it. Our boardinghouse guide covers the rules in more detail.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing by the label, because none of the three terms is protected
- Assuming an aparthotel has a full kitchen, when some have only a kitchenette
- Comparing nightly rates instead of the total for your dates
- Booking a long stay without asking for the monthly price
- Skipping the registration question on stays of three months or more
Questions and answers
What is the difference between an aparthotel and a serviced apartment?
An aparthotel works like a hotel made of apartments: more service, often a front desk, and shorter stays. A serviced apartment is a self-contained apartment with a kitchen and lighter service, usually booked for longer. The overlap is large, so check each listing.
Is a boardinghouse the same as a serviced apartment?
Often they are close. A boardinghouse tends to be simpler, with a kitchenette, weekly cleaning and limited reception hours. The industry Charta says a serviced apartment always has a kitchen, while German law defines neither term.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on the city, the season and your length of stay. For several weeks, a unit with a kitchen can cost less overall than hotel nights plus restaurant meals, but compare the total for your dates.
Does an aparthotel have a kitchen?
Often a kitchenette, sometimes a full kitchen. Check the listing before you book.
What is the minimum stay?
It depends on the operator. Aparthotels often accept bookings from one night, while serviced apartments and boardinghouses may ask for a week or more.
Which is best for a relocation?
A serviced apartment or a boardinghouse, because you get a kitchen, regular cleaning and a monthly rate. Ask about registration before you book.
Do I need to register my address?
Foreign guests sign a Meldeschein on arrival. If you have no registered home in Germany and stay more than three months, you register within two weeks.
Can a company book one for its employees?
Yes. Companies book for project teams and relocations, usually with an invoice.