A Space in the City, Bowling Challenge!

The A Space in the City team recently enjoyed a staff outing to the local bowling alley to stretch our legs, show off some bowling skills (we didn't all have the barriers up, honest) and strut around in our snazzy bowling foot wear.

Social secretary Stacey Laye organised the event which saw girls vs boys go head to head for the highest (and lowest!) bowling score crown.

The going was tough and there were more than a few worried looks when the boys couldn't stop their bowling attempts rolling into the gutter (us sensible girls obviously opted for the safer barrier option.)

We had several different prizes once the bowling was all completed, Highest Score went to Operations Manager Matthew Hayward with 126 and lowest Score went to Peter Bardoly from Housekeeping with 74. They both received specially engraved trophies as awards. We also had an award for the best celebration which went to Lettings Manager Kathryn Hancock and best pose which went to Head of Reservations Beccy Newton. Finally we awarded best Bowling attire to Reservations' Stacey Laye. Each winner got to choose between a number of different awards including wine and sweets.

After some tense bowling action, we all headed over to the arcade games. Managing Director Richard Godfrey took on Head of Reservations Beccy Newton for a bit of competitive Air Hockey fun. Whilst Operations Manager Matthew Hayward and Reservations' Angharad Price went head to head on the 'Bunny hopping' machine. Angharad being the clear winner with her one legged bunny hopping technique!

Eventually everybody finished laughing at Matthew and Angharad, and we all made our way over to Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Cardiff Bay's Mermaid Quay for some well deserved apres bowling munchies. The burgers were all fantastic and we even discovered some of the worlds thinnest chips!

After an enjoyable evening of laughs, alco-pops, bunny hopping and thin chips, all staff cant wait for the next A Space in the City outing!

Looking for Serviced Apartments Cardiff? Try These Tips!

Check this out! Looking for Serviced Apartments Cardiff? Try These Tips!

Getting to know our Swansea Portfolio Manager, Laura Dommet!

Well as its the month of February, the blogger team thought they would show some love towards our Swansea team for a change, and give you a few (more) reasons why everyone should visit the historical Welsh city by the sea.

   Did you know?

   Swansea museum is Wales’ oldest public museums and the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea is one of Wales’s newest museums!

Or how about?

Swansea has 32 miles of stunning coast with over 50 named beaches and coves. That ‘s a beach for every day of the year!

And even!

Swansea was named the cleanest city in Wales! and is even considered the second cleanest city in the whole of the UK.

Its also interview time again in A Space in the City land, and this month's lucky participant is Laura Dommet, Swansea Portfolio Manager. Here she answers some questions about her time working for A Space in the City and even shares some of her (very crucial) sandwich and superhero opinions!

 So Laura,   How long have you worked for A Space in the City?

Well, I started 3^rd Aug 2009, so it’s been 2 ½ years.

Very specific! What background have you got in the hospitality industry?

I have worked in the hospitality industry since the age of 16 and have worked in many different departments and hotels around the UK . I started as a chamber maid, whilst also working overtime in the Banqueting and Restaurant departments. I was then promoted to Housekeeping supervisor, but got the ‘bug’ to expand my knowledge of the hospitality industry and went to work front of house on Reception. I soon decided to work as a relief receptionist / reservations for a company where I travelled all around the UK working for many different hotel chains.

I then decided to settle myself in Telford Golf and Country Club (West Midlands) as Reception Manager, which was where I realised I missed home-sweet-home in Swansea! I moved back to work as Night Duty Manager for a hotel covering the odd day shifts (when I wasn’t catching up on sleep!). And then finally after returning to work from maternity leave I applied for my current role with A Space in the City and have not looked back since!

Okay, lots of experience! What is your favourite thing about working for A Space in the City?

I enjoy every part of my job and the whole team are great to work with. Plus we get great staff outings on the MD ;-) 

Great! So during the time you have worked for A Space in the City, what’s been your favourite moment?

That is such a hard question to answer... from watching guests enjoy their stay to having fun and laughs at staff outings, no day is a dull day!

 Do you have a favourite apartment and why?

I have two... a 1 bed in The Meridian Tower and a 2 bed in Aurora because they are very modern, spacious apartments both with great views. One overlooks the Marina with all the boats and the other has a spectacular view over Swansea Bay.

Thanks Laura, but now for the silly ones!

What do you prefer beans on toast or cheese on toast and why?

Cheese on toast... because I don’t like the toast going soggy with beans on top!

Good answer! So who’s your favourite, Ant or Dec? And why?

That’s tough... urrmmm.. Dec? Only because most people say Ant.

Very important question, What’s your ideal sandwich?

In this order.... Mayo (instead of butter), cheese, salad,  Bernard Matthews Turkey Ham,  sweet chilli sauce with ready salted crisps!! Yummy!!

That sounds...erm...interesting! If you were invisible for the day what would you do?

I would wind my friend Dai Eaton up something rotten! I have never known someone to be so scared of ‘ghostly’ things but yet love it at the same time! I would most defiantly follow him around, move things about and all other kinds of funny things! (Laughs out loud!) 

Oookaaayy...Who would you rather be, Spiderman, Superman or Batman? And why?

Spiderman.. I watched it with my nephew the other day and he was bouncing around my living room! Looked fun... plus I could fly him around Swansea with my special web stuff!

Well and thats the end of our mini interview, thanks very much Laura for taking part and chattering on to the blogging team!



Cardiff is clearly the place to be!

Cardiff was recently voted in a Times survery as the Best City in the United Kingdom for Nightlife and Entertainment!


Now if thats not something to celebrate, we dont know what is!? (and being from Cardiff we are obviously in the know!)

So if you fancy joining in the year round fun we enjoy from living in Cardiff, why not try a short (or long!) break in one of our fantastic luxury Serviced Apartments! Rates start around £75 for a 1 bedroom apartment per night based on a 2 night stay.



You could even enter this competition:

Win a pair of tickets to see the remarkable Diversity perform at Motorpoint Arena Cardiff (31/03/2012) as well as 2 night's accommodation at the new Quayside Apartments in Cardiff Bay (30/03/2012 - 31/03/2012)

 

A Space in the city have teamed up with gigsandtours.com and
VisitCardiff to offer this fabulous prize.

They are giving away 2 tickets to see 2009 winner's of Britain's Got Talent Diversity perform at Motorpoint Arena Cardiff on Saturday 31st March 2012.

As well as this, A Space in the City are offering 2 nights accommodation at Quayside Apartments in cosmopolitan Cardiff Bay on Friday 30th and Saturday 31st March, giving you plenty of time to make the most of your stay in Cardiff.

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, just go to http://www.visitcardiff.com/competitions and answer a simple question. The competition closes midnight Monday 19th March 2012 and the winner will be drawn on Tuesday 20th March 2012 and will be contacted by phone and email.

Come and explore the most exciting city in the UK!

Good luck!

A Space in the City serviced apartments, a much better option than hotels.

So are serviced apartments better than hotels?! We think so! here's a few reasons why:

Many people who travel a lot and for long periods of time find the whole experience a drain. Pretty much most people want comfortable places to rest their head whenever they are in a different city. This is a main factor for people working away as after a long day in the office, the only thing most people want to do is return to a homely environment and relax.

Another reason that often bothers people when travelling is hotel costs. But many people don’t realise that there is another option from a hotel. Serviced apartments are another accommodation idea that you can try whenever you travel. These apartments are often more comfortable than hotels and bring more benefits than you can imagine.

The benefits of using Serviced Apartments whilst travelling...

1. Cost

Serviced apartments can be much cheaper than booking a room at a hotel. You can plan to share one apartment with friends or co-workers thus sharing your budget. You also can save costs on eating out in costly restaurants or cafe's which would definitely mount up over a long period of time. Eating out can become boring and samey too, so it’s often a nice, different touch to be able to prepare your own food. Our serviced apartments at A Space in the City also ensure you save on parking costs and internet fees (they are included in the rate) which are often costly add-ons to hotel stays. These savings and the extra comfort will surely be a big bonus when staying away.

2. Convenience

Our serviced apartments are just like and even better any hotel that you can find. The upside to these larger spaces is that you can enjoy a time away from your home while living in one. Most of our apartments are in residential developments so it shows that people actually live in these apartments all year round. You'll be able to find the comforts of a home while you are far from it. Even if you have to go to different business meetings every day, you can always go home to a comfortable and relaxing apartment.

3. Great Location

Our apartments are all situated within the centre or bay areas of the city. These provide the convenience of not having to waiting for taxi's and are in walking distance to most of Cardiff and Swansea's main attractions. You would never have to worry about being late or rushing because of the perfect location of our apartments.

4. Bills included

Although it may feel like a traditional rental, A Space in the City's serviced apartments have got everything covered! The rate we give you per night is the total amount you'll pay, this covers all bills, parking, free Wi-Fi and even one weekly clean by our in-house housekeeping team. Let us deal with all the hassle! This means you really can come home at the end of a hard day and relax in our beautiful, stress free apartments!

5. More Space

An apartment has more space (2-4 times more than a hotel bedroom) so guests can store more of their personal belongings and reduce trips back-and forth. This is especially helpful for business travellers who return home at the end of the week. No need to cart your belongings around!  Should a guest need more, we have a container at Big Yellow!

These are some of the big bonuses that serviced apartments provide for the frequent (and infrequent!) traveller. Our guests no longer worry about cramped hotel rooms and the hassle of having to find a restaurant to eat out. All of our guests feel able to relax and feel at home with our wonderful serviced apartments that are readily available for anyone who wishes to visit the Cardiff or Swansea area. For more info, give our reservations team a call on 029 2166 0303 to find out availability and rates for the perfect trip to these two wonderful Welsh cities.