When staying and trying to visit top sights in Spain we decided to stay in private apartments or aparthotels (where available), the convenience of it with kids is crucial for a happy trip in Spain.
I always looked for the aparthotel option but was only able to find a good one in Valencia. Valencia Flats was a great option for us. The location was central, only several blocks from the historic district, with tons of supermarkets, restaurants, and cafés all within a couple of blocks from us.
And it had a garage. I know, traveling in Valencia with a car is totally pointless, but we rented one for a two week stint that took us to many different parts of the country. So having a place to park it, even if the fee was 14 Euros per day, was important.
Related Read: How’s it like Taking a Paella Cooking Class in Valencia?
Reasons Why Staying at an Aparthotel Are Better Than Hotels
1. Separate rooms – even if we have a one-bedroom flat, we have the benefits of a living area where the kids can hang out while we rest or catch up on work in another room. Or if the kids are tired they can go to bed earlier and we can sit up chatting in another room not disturbing them.
2. Breakfast and other meals – nothing beats making breakfast in your pj’s while the kids mellow out in front of the TV before going out for the rest of the day.
Plus, my kids get ‘hungry’ at the most random hours of the day and night. Going out to a restaurant every time they are ‘starving to death’ will bankrupt any jet setter. So having a kitchen to grab them some goodies is a true blessing.
3. Downtime – this goes well with the separate areas, but it’s great to be able to come during the day to relax and have our own space.
4. Laundry – this is such an important, yet-no-one-really-wants-to-talk-about, convenience. You don’t have to pay for each item being washed, sometimes the washing costs more than the item.
5. Reception area – unlike privately owned vacation rentals, aparthotels are extremely similar to hotels in this regard. The receptionist is there for anything you need. There are tons of ideas of what to do delivered to you in person, rather than scattered brochures in the apartment. Plus, whenever you have any issue, someone will be there immediately.
Our Stay at ValenciaFlats
The experience always starts with the first person you meet. In our case it was the receptionist. She was so extremely helpful. Made sure that everything I needed was delivered right away.
With kids there are certain things that are important to have and she delivered everything over and over.
The laundry service was in a separate area of the building, instead of just pointing me to it, she took me there and helped me do my first load. These little acts make a huge difference!
Sneak Peak of Our Apartment
Our apartment was a very unique style, it was like a big slice of pizza. When you first entered the place this is the crust part. It’s the widest part of the flat and was the living room, dining room, kitchen and, when the couch is converted, another sleeping area.
From there you head over to the bedroom, it’s open but has a wall separating us from the living room and my son’s couch.
Continue onward, in the narrowest part, is the bathroom.
From the living room all the way to the bathroom was a standing-only balcony.
I loved this layout. We had our privacy yet always together with the kids.
The building we were staying in had six floors with over 35 units. All the apartments are the same size, big enough for a family of four if you have young kids, but best for families with one child. However, what our apartment had that 28 others didn’t was a dishwasher.
Even though I have to cook for my boys and for the family as a whole once in a while during our travels, I draw the line of washing dishes. This is simply one of those things I can’t stand doing. Needless to say, this was a family fun saver!
Video Fun
Information About Valencia Flats
- It was founded in 2006 by three friends.
- Valencia Flats offers 300 apartments that are rented for short stays distributed in eight buildings (aparthotels) around the city.
- They also offer three hotels for those who prefer regular hotel rooms.
Address: Calle De Espinosa 13, Valencia – España
Phone: (34) 963 239 550
