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.

A Space in the City, Christmas Party!

End Of Year PARRRTTTAAYYY!!

The staff at A Space in the City had a very enjoyable End of Year do recently at The Marriott Hotel in Cardiff!

After all donning our glad rags and making ourselves look pretty, we all met at the Hotel for 7pm and enjoyed a complimentary glass of bucks fizz whilst waiting for our table.

Julie and Richard Godfrey with Swansea Portfolio manager Laura Dommet enjoying some champers!

We were then led into the function room and our table, which was decked out in full Christmas regalia and had several bottles of wine ready and waiting! Yipee!

The Space in the City Table

We then enjoyed a fabulous 4 course meal, consisting of Leek and Potato soup, mushroom tartlet, and turkey, beef or salmon for mains. We then finally scoffed our way through a trio of desserts. phew!

Reservations girls, Angharad Price and Stacey Laye enjoy a glass (or two) of wine!

There then followed more drinking, and lots of silly posing for photos....

Guest Services coordinator Richard Griffiths, Operations manager Matthew Hayward and Managing Director Richard Godfrey.

Lettings manager Kathryn Hancock and Head of Reservations Beccy Newton.

Until we finally all gathered the courage to grace the dance floor with our Space in the City special moves. (Headed by Kath of course).

And then we REALLY started throwing some shapes.....

A wonderful time was had by all, many drinks drank, faces stuffed and dance moves danced. Only another year to wait until the next one!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL AT A SPACE IN THE CITY.



Whats on in Swansea in December?

Merry Christmas from all at A Space in the City! 

As A Space in the City is based in Cardiff AND Swansea,  you may have noticed we've been a bit naughty by neglecting our blogs about Wales's second biggest city. So we thought we'd devote some screen time to that sprawling city by the sea, and what it's getting up with it's fine self for Christmas.

Waterfront Winterland

The grounds of the National Waterfront Museum will be transformed once again into a children's paradise, with the return of Waterfront Winterland (open from 18th November to the 8th January).  The Miles Hire Giant Wheel is clearly the star of the show, but you can also enjoy the family funfair and taste delicious foods.
The Admiral Rink also returns along with the Rocky's Children's Rink.

Aladdin, The Pantomine!

Get ready to be transported to old Peking as this years pantomime spectacular is bigger and better than ever! Starring Jimmy Osmond, Kevin Johns and Zoe George. The cast will share the stage with a very special and unusual co-star as the Genie of the Lamp comes to life in amazing 3D! Wearing 3D glasses at certain points throughout the show the audience can rub the magic lamp as it appears in front of their noses, summon the magical Genie from his lamp and join Aladdin on a superb magic carpet ride!

 Christmas by Candlelight

Happening on the 21st December, and established as one of the highlights of the musical calendar; this is a firm family favourite. Enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie as an appetizer to a feast of seasonal favourites served up by Alwyn Humphreys with Ros Evans, the Chamber Orchestra of Wales Chorale and accompanying musicians. Tickets are always in great demand so book early to make sure that your Christmas festivities get off to a perfect start.

Swansea Christmas Market

The Christmas Market makes a welcome return to Oxford Street and Princess Way with a variety of trade and craft products on offer, including some wonderful Christmas themed German stalls.  This is a free event and runs from the 25th November to the 18th December.

Why not try a 2 night luxury break in this exciting city to enjoy its brilliant Christmas attractions? Take a wander around the Christmas market, enjoy the waterfront wonderland and top it all off with a visit to see Aladdin! We still have some luxury Serviced Apartments available in Swansea over the Christmas period, check out our website for more details.

WIN WIN WIN!!!

You lucky guests and customers of A Space in the City get the chance to participate in another brilliant competition!!

Any Rugby Fans out there? Because we're giving away a pair of tickets to the Wales vs Australia Rugby Match, here in Cardiff's very own Millennium Stadium on the 3rd of December! And because we're VERY generous we're even throwing in a fantastic 1 nights stay in a modern, luxury apartment in our Brand new Quayside development in Cardiff Bay's Mermaid Quay!

Email WINNER to rugby@aspaceinthecity.co.uk to be entered in the draw to win a pair of tickets and 1 free nights accomodation before Wednesday 30th of November.

COME ON WALES!!

Feedback for A Space in the City...

Here in A Space in the City world, we pride ourselves on being the best. And how do we know we're the best? Because of the fantastic reviews we receive week after week from our satisfied customers!

So if you find yourself weighing up the pros and cons between a boring old hotel in Cardiff or a stylish, modern serviced apartment, look no further than here for some feedback straight from the horses mouth!

"We've stayed in Century Wharf before and once again we were not disappointed. The apartment we stayed in was immaculate and the kitchen had every thing one would expect and want. We had a gorgeous terrace overlooking the river and as it was the sunniest week, we eat outside. The children loved the pool and the proximity to Techniquest, even better.

Our future stays will definitely be with A Space in the City."

Stayed in April 2011 travelling with family.

"The location was great, right in Cardiff Bay, which is either a very short taxi ride or 20-30 minute walk into Cardiff city centre. We'd taken things like washing up liquid, kitchen roll, tea bags - but needn't have bothered! We were pleasantly surprised with what was supplied, a real home from home. Furnishings and fittings were of a high quality inc freeview, TV and DVD in the lounge."

Stayed in February 2011, travelled with friends.

"I can honestly say, we were all amazed at what we had rented considering we were all going to try and get into one family room in a hotel and pay £500.00 for this. The spacious apartment allowed us all to have our own space, bedrooms and plug sockets! Some of us could go to bed early and leave others chatting in the kitchen without being heard.

We will never book a hotel room in Cardiff again."

Stayed in August 2011, travelled with friends.

We've also conducted an interview with a long term guest of ours who stays regularly in our Century Wharf Apartments. Clive Fleming travels to Cardiff for work around twice a month and has stayed with us since January 2009!

1) What do you think is the benefit of using Serviced Apartments over hotels?
When you stay away every week, as I do, hotel rooms can be monotonous and constraining - you end up feeling imprisoned, whereas with the various rooms in the flats it is much more like a normal existence.


2) Why do you choose A Space in the city over our competitors week after week?
I suppose it is partly familiarity and knowing that you maintain a good standard overall.

3) What is your favourite place to eat in Cardiff?
The Italian Restaurant in the Red Dragon centre - but I don't eat out much so I am not an expert. I bring my food with me because eating out also gets monotonous when on your own.

4) What's the one travel item you can't live without?
My laptop and your broadband.

5)If you could do anything on a sunny afternoon in Cardiff, What would you do?
Wander around the bay area, have an ice-cream by the Norwegian church and then perhaps a beer where all the bars and restaurants are.

Now for the standard silly questions!

6) What's your favourite cheese and why?
Cambozola because it is creamy like Brie/Camembert but has some 'bleu' bite to it as well.

7) As a pet, would you rather have a giant hamster or a tiny rhino?
Tiny Rhino - a giant hamster would be scary!

8) If you were given £1000 right now, how would you spend it?
A long weekend in one of the great European Cities.

Thanks Clive! This just proves we keep providing the service and the high standards that keep our customers coming back again and again. Why would you ever think of staying in a boring hotel again!?