Serviced Apartment Software: The Complete Guide

Serviced apartment software is a complete property management software made just for extended-stay and aparthotel businesses. It takes care of everything from flexible reservations and recurring invoicing to guest communication and multi-channel distribution. This serviced apartment management software is different from other hotel software because it knows that a 60-night business booking works differently than a weekend recreational visit.

The serviced apartment industry increased quickly from 2020 to 2026. This was because more people were working from home, digital nomads were looking for community-oriented places to stay, and companies were moving employees and needed flexible housing options. Business travelers on long-term projects, families moving, and professionals on medical or educational stays increasingly anticipate the comfort of home and the ease of hotel services. This change makes specialized software for managing serviced apartments necessary instead of just nice to have.

Three main things that operators that put money into the correct technological stack care about are:

• Higher occupancy over 30+ night stays by filling gaps between long bookings and managing length-of-stay mix
• More direct bookings to reduce dependency on OTAs and their commission structures
• Leaner operations with smaller teams, enabled by automation and self-service guest journeys

Top reasons serviced apartment operators choose Prostay

Prostay is a serviced apartment software that claims to be an all-in-one platform for serviced apartments and aparthotels. It has features that are similar to those of large PMS companies, but it is easier to use and more customizable. Instead than forcing operators to follow strict rules that are meant for regular hotels, Prostay adapts to how serviced apartment businesses really work, with nightly guests and month-long corporate contracts living under the same roof.

• Cloud-native since day one – You can get to all of your portfolio from anywhere, even if you don't have servers on site. With automatic upgrades, your staff will always have access to the newest features. Whether you manage five units in one city or fifty in several countries, high uptime requirements keep distributed properties connected.
• Designed for both long-stay and short-stay logic – You can set prices for nightly, weekly, and monthly stays all in one reservation. Deposits, payment plans, and bills change automatically based on how long the stay is, so you don't have to do any extra workarounds that come up with systems that are solely meant for hotel-style turnover.
• Integrated payment processing – Supports major credit card companies and digital wallets, and for long stays, it can automatically set up payment plans. Clear communication with guests regarding billing cycles and proper permission channels can help lower the risk of chargebacks.
• Centralized control for multi-property brands – Head-office dashboards let you keep an eye on all of your investments. Role-based access lets the general manager see everything without letting front-desk staff see important financial information. Owners stay up to date with consolidated reporting from all across the world.
• Built-in automation and AI for operations – Prostay cuts down on human work by automating guest communications based on reservation events and assigning tasks that change dependent on how long the guest stays. AI ideas help with upselling things like early check-ins and changing rates based on how many people are looking for them.
• Seamless integrations with your existing tools – Open APIs let you connect to door locks, accounting software, dynamic pricing platforms, and marketing CRMs. Your IT stack works together instead of making data silos.

Long-stay or short-stay, streamline your serviced apartment operations

Running a building where a pleasure guest stays for two nights and a corporate renter moves into the next unit for 90 nights is very complicated. Standard hotel systems see every departure as a full turnover, whereas residential tools don't even look at the hospitality layer. People that run serviced apartments require property management systems that can work with both ends of the spectrum.

Prostay as a serviced apartment software takes care of this operational reality:

• Flexible reservation handling – Split, merge, extend, or shorten bookings without losing billing history. Move a guest mid-stay to a different unit type and the system recalculates charges automatically.
• Visual planning boards – Timeline views show both daily and monthly perspectives, helping revenue managers identify awkward 1-night voids between long stays and fill gaps proactively.
• Adaptive housekeeping rules – Weekly cleans for extended stays versus full turnovers for short term guests happen automatically based on reservation length. No more manual scheduling or missed cleans.
• Maintenance coordination – Task management assigns preventive maintenance during natural gaps, reducing disruption to long stays while keeping units in top condition.
• Automated workflow triggers – Pre-arrival emails, mid-stay satisfaction surveys, and renewal reminders at 21, 14, and 7 days before departure run without staff intervention, cutting down routine work significantly.

All of these features work together to save time on daily tasks. A 40-unit complex might get back 10 to 15 hours a week that it used to spend on manual scheduling, following up with guests, and making billing changes.

Flexible direct booking experiences for serviced apartments

Serviced apartments depend a lot on direct corporate, relocation, and B2B reservations that don't go through OTA channels. That's why the serviced apartment software you choose needs to be able to handle this. A good booking engine is important because business clients want quotes to contracts to go smoothly, and leisure guests are more and more likely to go directly to operator websites after seeing properties on aggregator sites.

The Prostay Booking Engine is fully branded with custom colors, logos, and property photos and is built right into the hotel's website. Instead of being sent to a third-party interface, guests see a consistent brand.

• Arbitrary length-of-stay support – Display nightly, weekly, and monthly quotations with clear visualization of discounts for longer stays. A guest comparing a 7-night rate versus a 30-night rate sees the value immediately.
• Corporate and B2B flows – Promo codes, negotiated rate plans, and dedicated landing pages for key accounts streamline bookings for relocation agents and corporate travel managers.
• Conversion-optimized UX – Mobile-first design, reduced checkout steps, saved guest details for repeat stays, and multi-language/multi-currency support remove friction from the booking process.
• New guests find you directly – SEO-friendly booking pages help capture organic traffic from travelers searching for extended-stay options in your market.

What is the real benefit? Lower OTA commission. A 50-unit aparthotel that moves 15–20% of its reservations from OTAs to direct channels can get back thousands of dollars in commission costs every month. Those savings go straight to the bottom line or are used to make the client experience better.

Making long stays easy: billing, invoicing, and guest journeys

Long stays in serviced apartments cause billing problems that short stays in hotels don't have to deal with. These problems include half months, company-funded arrangements, mid-stay extensions, processing deposits across multi-month contracts, and making sure taxes are paid in all jurisdictions. When a business client asks their project team to stay for three more weeks, making changes to the invoice by hand takes hours and leads to mistakes.

Prostay takes care of various serviced apartment operations with special billing features:

• Monthly and custom-period invoicing – Generate recurring invoices aligned with calendar months or custom billing cycles. Split billing between guest and employer with separate invoice recipients.
• Automated payment reminders – Schedule reminders before due dates and follow-ups after missed payments, improving rent collection without awkward manual outreach.
• Add-on billing flexibility – Bill utilities, parking, coworking desk access, and amenity packages on recurring or one-off basis within the same folio. No separate invoicing systems required.
• Pro-rata calculations – Early arrivals and late departures trigger automatic recalculation. Date changes mid-contract adjust charges without manual spreadsheet work.
• Guest self-service portal – Guests accept contracts online, complete digital check in with ID verification, and access invoices and receipts anytime through a branded guest portal. This reduces front-desk workload while giving corporate guests the documentation they need for expense reporting.

These tools transform billing from an operational headache into a streamlined process that scales with your portfolio.

Tech that adapts to your serviced apartment brand

Brand identity sets serviced apartment hotels apart. others are design-led, others are like student living, some are high-end corporate housing, and some are digital nomad hubs with coworking spaces. Generic software makes operators use workflows that don't fit their brand, which makes it less unique.

The modular design of Prostay helps operators put together the system that works best for their brand:

• Core modules – Property management system, channel manager, and Booking Engine form the foundation. Add Prostay Nexus for guest messaging and Tableview for point-of-sale as operational needs evolve.
• Custom fields and tags – Track guest preferences, unit attributes (pet-friendly, accessible, premium view), and brand-specific data points that standard systems ignore.
• Brand-specific workflows – Configure check in processes, housekeeping protocols, and communication sequences that match your service standards rather than generic hospitality templates.
• Open API integrations – Connect to door locks, intercoms, accounting packages, marketing CRMs, payment gateways, and smart energy management systems. Your centralized platform becomes the hub for your entire technology ecosystem.
• White-label guest communications – Emails, SMS, and WhatsApp messages go out under your brand and domain, reinforcing identity at every touchpoint rather than advertising your software vendor.

This adaptability means the system grows with your brand rather than constraining it.

Operate more efficiently with automation and self-service

From 2023 to 2026, staffing pressure rose in the hotel industry, and serviced flats often had very few people on site. Properties that used to have front desk staff available 24/7 now only have staff available throughout the day or are managed from afar. Technology fills the space.

Self-service flows make it less necessary to rely on staff availability:

• Online check in and check out – Digital registration cards, automated access codes or key instructions, and express departure processes happen without staff intervention.
• Prostay Nexus automated messaging – Templates for pre-arrival, in-stay, and post-stay communication trigger automatically across email, SMS, and WhatsApp. Guests receive timely information without manual sending.
• Length-based automation rules – Configure rules like “if reservation is 30+ nights then assign weekly housekeeping, require deposit, and send renewal reminder at day 21.” Different guest segments receive appropriate treatment automatically.
• AI-powered communication tools – Suggested replies to common guest questions (Wi-Fi passwords, parking instructions, local recommendations) speed response times. Anomaly detection flags unusual patterns like unexpectedly low occupancy 30 days out.
• Automated task prioritization – Housekeeping and maintenance tasks route to the right team members based on urgency, unit location, and staff availability.

A 40-unit complex with these features usually saves 15–20 hours of manual work per week. This lets the team focus on making guests happy and growing the business instead of doing administrative activities.

Maximize revenue and portfolio performance

Serviced apartment hotels have different ways of making money than regular hotels. The length of stay mix, corporate contract pricing, seasonal patterns, and local events all affect how much money you make. A building full of 90-day contracts at lower rates could not make as much money as one that has a mix of 30-day corporate stays and weekend leisure bookings at higher rates.

Prostay gives you serviced apartment software that helps you get the most money from these factors:

• Flexible rate management – Set BAR (best available rate), long-stay discounts, corporate negotiated rates, and restrictions (minimum/maximum length of stay) tuned for extended-stay patterns.
• Dynamic pricing integration – Connect to revenue management tools like PriceLabs or Wheelhouse that optimize nightly and monthly rates based on market demand, with channel-specific markups protecting margins on OTA bookings.
• Performance insights dashboards – Track occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, and average length of stay by building, unit type, and guest segment. Multi-property portfolios see consolidated views alongside property-level detail.
• Corporate account management – Create account profiles with negotiated rate tracking, production reporting, and custom invoicing rules per client. Identify which corporate relationships drive volume and which need renegotiation.
• Revenue stream expansion – Monetize parking, coworking desks, storage units, and premium amenities as new revenue streams. Track ancillary income alongside room revenue for complete performance visibility.

Example: An aparthotel in the city center sees a drop in business demand during the week in the summer, but an increase in leisure demand on the weekends. Rate rules automatically change so that leisure guests pay more while still keeping corporate minimums. This maximizes the building's revenue without the need for continual manual changes.

What are serviced apartments hotels?

Serviced apartments hotels are completely equipped places to stay that can be rented for one night or several months. They combine the space and functionality of apartments (such kitchens, living areas, and utilities) with hotel-style services. They are somewhere between regular hotels and regular rental homes.

Serviced apartment hotels are much bigger than hotels, have full kitchens for self-catering, and feel more like home, making them great for long stays. They don't require a long-term lease like residential rentals do, and they include services like cleaning and changing linens. They also let you vary your stay length.

Some of the most important facilities that serviced apartment hotels should have in 2026–2028 are:

• High-speed Wi-Fi and dedicated work desk
• Fully equipped kitchen with cookware and appliances
• Weekly housekeeping and linen changes
• In-unit or building laundry facilities
• Smart TV with streaming capability
• Gym, coworking space, or lounge access in larger properties

Primary guest segments include:

• Corporate travelers on extended projects (consulting engagements, construction oversight, training programs)
• Relocating families needing temporary housing during home purchases or renovations
• Medical stays near hospitals for treatment or recovery
• Digital nomads seeking community-oriented accommodations with work-friendly features
• Students in transitional accommodation between semesters or during internships

Demand has gone up a lot in big areas like London, Dubai, Singapore, and New York. This is because more people are moving and working from home.

What unique features does a serviced apartment need in a PMS?

Standard hotel property management system solutions don't work well for long stays because they were made for nightly turnover, not 60-day contracts with monthly billing and changes in the middle of the stay. Serviced apartment hotels need a system that can handle hospitality service delivery and the financial problems that come with longer stays.

Some important requirements are:

• Advanced length-of-stay handling – Nightly and monthly pricing in one system with automatic discounts based on stay duration. Flexible deposit structures that differ between 3-night and 3-month bookings.
• Recurring billing and invoicing – Company-pay arrangements with split folios, scheduled invoices on custom cycles, and tax-compliant documents for different countries. A corporate client booking rooms across multiple jurisdictions needs proper documentation without manual customization.
• Inventory flexibility – Sell whole apartments, individual rooms in shared units, coworking desks, storage lockers, and parking spaces through the same platform. Some operators configure a 4-bedroom apartment to sell as separate 2-bedrooms during slow periods.
• Building systems integration – Connect access control, intercoms, smart meters, and parcel management where relevant. Guests expect keyless entry and automated utility management in modern serviced apartments.
• Guest lifecycle tools for longer stays – Mid-stay satisfaction surveys, renewal offers triggered at appropriate intervals, and move-in/move-out inspections with documentation. The guest journey for a 90-day stay differs fundamentally from a weekend booking.

These requirements show why Prostay's features meet real operational needs instead than just being nice to have.

How Prostay compares for serviced apartments and aparthotels

Prostay is a lesser-known global PMS brand that stands out because it focuses on simplicity and modular deployment instead of adding too many features. Operators put together only the modules they require instead of licensing a whole system and discarding 60% of its features.

Some important differences are:

• Multi-property-type support – Manage serviced apartments, aparthotels, hostels, and mixed-use buildings in one account. A portfolio containing traditional hotel rooms, extended-stay apartments, and coworking space operates from a single centralized platform.
• Realistic onboarding timelines – Implementation typically runs 2-6 weeks depending on property size and complexity. Data migration from existing systems and staff training follow structured processes rather than “here’s your login, good luck” approaches.
• Modern usability – Browser-based interface optimized for both front-desk and back-office workflows. Minimal clicks to complete common tasks reduces training time and daily frustration.
• Regional support – In-region time zones for support requests, implementation specialists who understand local market dynamics, and ongoing success consultations focused on occupancy and direct booking growth.
• Modular pricing – Start with PMS, channel manager, and Booking Engine. Add Nexus messaging or Tableview POS when ready. No credit card required for initial demos; pricing plans scale with portfolio size.

Cloud-native vs cloud-based for serviced apartment management

The difference between "cloud-native" and "cloud-based" is more important than marketing language makes it sound. Cloud-based frequently indicates that an existing server-based system was migrated to hosted infrastructure. This works, but it has legacy limits and makes product development slower.

Prostay and other cloud-native solutions were designed to work in the cloud from the start. They can also run on-premise thanks to cutting-edge technology like cross-platform apps:

• Microservices architecture – Individual components (reservations, billing, guest communication) operate independently. Updates to one module don’t break others, enabling faster feature releases.
• API-first design – Every function accessible via API means integrations with door locks, accounting systems, and dynamic pricing tools work reliably rather than through fragile workarounds.
• Elastic scaling – Handle booking surges during peak seasons without performance degradation. A 200-unit portfolio processes check ins as smoothly as a 20-unit property.
• Continuous deployment – New features and security updates roll out automatically without scheduled downtime or manual update processes.

Reliability and security standards include:

• Expected response times under one second for common operations
• Regional hosting options for data residency requirements
• Encryption in transit and at rest for all sensitive data
• PCI-DSS compliant payment flows
• Role-based permissions and comprehensive audit logs
• Automated backups with documented recovery procedures

These technical foundations lead to practical benefits for operators, such as speedier workflows, fewer problems with integration, and the peace of mind that the system will grow with the portfolio.

Other property types that can use Prostay

The Prostay serviced apartment software works with hospitality portfolios that usually have more than one type of housing. Operators don't usually maintain the same assets; instead, they build up multiple structures that serve different markets over time.

The following categories of property are supported:

• Student accommodations – Semester-based pricing, group bookings, and shared-unit configurations for academic housing
• Corporate housing blocks – Dedicated buildings for single corporate clients with custom billing and reporting
• Co-living spaces – Shared amenity management, community event tracking, and flexible room assignments
• Hybrid hotels/aparthotels – Traditional hotel rooms alongside apartment units in the same building, managed through one system
• Extended-stay hostels – Bed-level inventory combined with private room options for budget-conscious long stays

Prostay lets you manage all of your inventory types, like beds, rooms, flats, offices, and parking, from one place. Rate and package flexibility lets you provide semester-based student prices, packages that include elder living, or corporate discounts based on a project.

PMS for reservations and operations, Nexus for guest communication, channel manager for distribution, and Tableview for on-site purchases are all the same tools for all sorts of properties.

How serviced apartment software like Prostay improves guest experience

There is a direct link between guest happiness and operational efficiency. When things run smoothly, service is always good, which leads to better evaluations on OTAs and more direct bookings. Guests remember the stay when everything went smoothly much more than the one with the best lobby.

Prostay makes the guest experience better by:

• Real-time communication – Prostay Nexus sends out individualized updates automatically during the visitor journey. Guests get pre-arrival instructions, in-stay check-ins, and follow-ups when they leave at the right times without any work on your part.
• Self-service convenience – Digital check-in, mobile access codes, clear information on Wi-Fi credentials and housekeeping schedules, and area suggestions cut down on the "where do I find..." questions that annoy both guests and staff.
• Consistency across stays – Standardized standards for housekeeping and maintenance mean that customers get the same level of service whether they rent the penthouse or a studio. Long stays with fewer problems and increased dependability lead to repeat business.
• Preference memory – For recurring visits, guest profiles keep track of their preferences for room type, floor, parking, and pets. A business guest who comes back finds their preferred unit layout ready without having to describe their needs again.
• Fast issue resolution – Unified inbox combines messages from several sources. Staff rapidly answer maintenance requests or questions, fixing problems before they turn into complaints in reviews.

These changes that make things better for guests come from the same operational elements that make staff work faster. Everyone has a better time with better tools.

Choosing the right serviced apartment software

Before you look at platforms, write down all the steps you do from the first inquiry to the last move-out. Find out where manual workarounds slow things down, where guest communication breaks down, and where billing complexity leads to mistakes. The greatest software for your business will help you with the problems you have.

Evaluation criteria should include:

• Support for long stays (30+ nights) with appropriate billing, deposits, and guest journey automation
• Payment automation including recurring charges, split billing, and credit card storage
• Integration capability with your existing tools (accounting, door locks, dynamic pricing)
• Reporting depth for occupancy, revenue, and segment analysis across your portfolio
• Usability for both front-desk and back-office workflows with minimal training required
• Implementation timeline realistic for your team’s capacity

Practical steps before committing:

• Request case studies or references from similar-sized serviced apartment portfolios
• Ask specific questions about your most complex scenarios (company-pay billing, mid-stay unit changes, multi-property reporting)
• Run a pilot or sandbox on one property before full rollout
• Define success metrics upfront: hours saved weekly, billing error reduction, direct booking percentage increase

Stay away from vendors who say everything will function properly without knowing what your business needs. The good partner will ask you questions about your firm before suggesting solutions.

Get started with Prostay for your serviced apartments

Hotels that run serviced apartments, aparthotels, and mixed portfolios should use software made for the unique needs of long-term stays instead of hotel technologies that have been modified. Prostay makes it easy to get from evaluation to implementation.

The process works in three steps:

1. Request a demo – Walk through the platform with a Prostay specialist who understands serviced apartment operations
2. Review tailored configuration – Receive a configuration proposal and pricing plan matched to your portfolio size and module requirements
3. Plan implementation – Establish data migration, integration setup, and staff training timelines with clear milestones

Operators can start with PMS + Channel Manager + Booking Engine as the base for Prostay's modular plans. As your business grows, you may add Nexus for automatic guest messaging or Tableview for on-site POS.

Bring examples of real-life situations to your demo to make it more realistic. A 60-night corporate contract with business invoicing, a multi-unit building with both weekly and monthly stays, or a portfolio that covers several cities—seeing how Prostay solves your real problems is better than generic feature tours.

Are you ready to make your serviced apartment business run more smoothly and more efficiently? Ask for a demo to see how the appropriate platform may provide you a competitive edge by making your daily tasks easier.