Apartments are the growing alternative to hotels in the United States. They provide more space, cheaper rates and a wide range of alternatives. Guests will find many advantages to renting apartments instead of staying in large, impersonal hotels. One of the main attractions is the degree of personal freedom that is enjoyed. While every guest enjoys the cosseting attentions of a good hotel, most acknowledge the existence of a "satisfaction barrier" which is breached after a few days. Apartment dwellers, by way of contrast, are free agents. Not only are they spared the sometimes inhibiting formality of dining room dress rules, they are also able to utilize the kitchen facility to cook inexpensively for themselves. Apartment rentals offer unparallel privacy, larger quarters, a greater selection of locations and more flexibility in planning. The cost of a week's stay in a one-bed roomed in the US will generally average out to be 30% cheaper than hotel accommodation in a standard double room.

After you have chosen a selection of apartments that you'd like to enquire about simply contact our reservations department. (You'll find a local number in our “Contact Us Section” or to the right of this screen) The reservation process is very simple and we are always on hand to guide your through or answer any queries you may have. You may also enquire about property availability online. We usually answer all email enquiries within in 1 working day.

We accept Visa / MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club charge cards. You can also pay for your apartment accommodation using bank drafts drawn on Irish or UK Banks. Please note that cheques will only be accepted 14 day prior to check-in and are subject to normal clearing and security procedures. Please note the credit card used to secure and pay for the booking will be required at time of Check-in at the reserved property. It is most important to note that the same card is brought to the US as in it's absence you will not be given access to the booked apartment and may be asked to pay again. A small charge of 2.49% is levied on all Credit Card payments and 3.4% for Amex and Diners Club card transactions. Payments can also be made by EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) directly to our Euro bank account. Please enquire with guest accounting for more details.

For multiple parties travelling a lead guest should be nominated. He/she will then be responsible for discharging all balances due UrbanStay.com If this is not possible and more than one credit card is being used an administration charge will apply per addtional card charged.

All reservations at UrbanStay.com properties must be supported by a valid credit card number, this is a standard security measure used by most hotels and short-term housing companies worldwide. Your account can still be settled by using any of the methods outlined above. Please note the credit card used to secure and pay for the booking will be required at time of Check-in at the property. It is most important to note that the same card is brought to the US as in it's absence you will not be given access to the booked apartment and may be asked to pay again. Failure to produce this same credit card may result in long delays while information is crosschecked with the apartment owners/managers and UrbanStay.com. We do not accept any responsibility for delays or subsequent losses suffered as a result of this.

If you need to make a change to your reservation arrival or departure dates simply call the number to the right of this screen, Changes made to your reservation within 30 days of your arrival are subject to availability and are subjest to a small processing fee.

Our cancellation policy varies depending on the particular city and property booked. Our reservation staff can outline specific cancellation policies. It is always a good idea to take out travel insurance to protect against unforeseen cancellations.

In most short stay cases a security deposit is not charged however a booking deposit is charged to secure the reservation at time of booking. In some cases an additional refundable security deposit may be required to protect against damages etc. Please enquire with our reservations department for further details. For bookings of over 30 nights a security deposit is required. Check with our reservations department for full details.

Studios
– Studios come complete with one double or queen-sized bed (Sleeps 2)

One bedroom
– One double or queen-sized bed in main bedroom and one double sofa bed in living room.

Two bedroom
– One double or queen-sized bed in main bedroom, One double or queen-sized bed in second bedroom and one double sofa bed in living room. In some cases two bedroom apartments will feature twin beds in the second bedroom. Please check with our reservations team for more information.

Three bedroom
– Check with our reservatiosn team for more details as these vary form location to location.

Tax is not included in the nightly rates. Our reservations team will be happy to advise you of the current rates. For bookings of US properties the tax rates vary from state to state. For bookings of European properties Vat is payable (depending on the length of stay) In New York for example, tax is payable at a rate of 13.63% on bookings of less than 6 months. Room tax is also applicable at a rate of €2 per room per night. Please check with us for the latest rates in all States. Tax will be charged at the prevailing rate at time of check-in and not when the reservation is originally accepted.
 

Incidentals
Bills such as local telephone calls, internet and gym usage vary from apartment to apartment. While many of these services are free for guests, a few locations charge a small fee. International calls will be charged at hotel rates.

Housekeeping
The apartment will be cleaned to the highest standard before your arrival. The Housekeeping department will service the apartment weekly after this, if you need more frequent cleaning services, these are available locally and a charge is payable.

Extra Beds
In some locations, an extra bed can be provided. A one-off charge for delivery and removal will be made. Our reservations staff will be happy to provide full details of charges as they vary from location to location

Car Parking
If you do hire a car during your stay it is important that you notify us prior to your arrival to the United States. In most cases car parking can be provided. However, in large Urban areas, such as New York, car parking is generally not available at the apartment building but may be available locally subject to an extra charge. Properties that provide free car parking or locations where on-street parking is available are listed on UrbanStay.com accordingly. If we list a property as "Parking available - by arrangement" it usually means that a fee for parking will be payable.   Tax Tax is not included in the nightly rates. Our reservations team will be happy to advise you of the current rates. For bookings of US properties the tax rates vary from state to state. For bookings of European properties Vat is payable (depending on the length of stay) In New York for example, tax is payable at a rate of 13.63% on bookings of less than 6 months. Room tax is also applicable at a rate of €2 per room per night. Please check with us for the latest rates in all States. Tax will be charged at the prevailing rate at time of check-in and not when the reservation is originally accepted.  Insurance Levy. A nightly insurance levy of €8.67 per guest applies to all short stay bookings of less than 14 nights. This is not to be confused with travel insurance which we highly recommend to all guests. Travel insurance is widely available, we recommend the AA. Guests need to organise this themselves.

Lifts
In most cases the apartment buildings have elevator services, particularly in the higher buildings.

Kitchens
Yes, almost all of the properties have full cooking facilities, come complete with crockery, kitchen utensils and modern appliances. Click here for a sample of what you can expect to find at your UrbanStay apartment.

Bed linens and towels
All of our apartments come with plenty of bed linens and towels. If you require more during your stay enquire locally and they will of course be provided.

Hairdryers Are Not Provided
As electrical appliances can be used in bathroom situations we regret that we do not provide hairdryers for safety and legal reasons. Travel hairdryers are widely available in department stores and are inexpensive to purchase.

Generally, all of the apartments featured on Urbanstay.com have a minimum stay of 3 nights. Some buildings have a minimum stay of 7 nights and in some cities it can be as much as 30 nights or more. Locations, which require a stay to be longer than 3 nights, are clearly marked as such. If you do not see a minimum stay requirement for a specific property listed, it is safe to assume that the building will allow stays of 3 nights or more.

The United States uses the 120volt 60-hertz system. Obviously, sockets and plugs are completely different from those found at home. If travelling to the US, it is wise to bring a travel adapter, which can be obtained locally or from department stores before you depart. Travel adapters are useful for cell phone chargers, shavers and hairdryers. You should not need to bring too many electrical devises as items such as clock radios and irons are already provided in your UrbanStay apartment. Hairdryers, however are not provided.

Of course, all UrbanStay.com properties come equipped with a welcome pack which contains a map and a general guide of restaurants / pubs / clubs and theatres etc. In some UrbanStay locations, free concierge services are provided. Check with our reservations staff for more details.

Prior to arrival you will be given your welcome letter, which will detail your apartment address, and contact details of the local offices that can provide 24 hour help should it be required. Your apartment will also have details of who to call in case problems or emergencies arise.

Yes, in some locations cats and small dogs are allowed. Not all of our apartments are suitable however. In almost all cases a one-time pet sanitization fee of $500 is chargeable. This is a non-refundable fee that is used to pay for specialist anti-allergenic steam cleaning of the apartment floors, furnishing and drapes etc, after you have moved out. Please call our guest relations department for more details.

If you need to extend your stay it will be necessary to contact us as soon as possible prior to your arrival so that we can arrange to have your booking extended. While in one of our apartments, if an extension is required, please contact our reservation department on 1800 577 8518, this call is free if dialled from within the United States. It is not always possible to extend your stay at short notice but obviously, we will do everything we can to assist.

Visa Information

Most people travelling from Europe and who are European citizens do not require a visa to visit the Unites States under the Visa Waiver Programme.

Please visit the U.S State Government Travel Website, or your local U.S Embassy for up to date information.

Machine-readable passports

From October 26th 2004 onwards all visitors travelling to the U.S require machine readable passports under the Visa Waiver Programme. Please visit the U.S State Government Travel Website, or your local U.S Embassy for up to date information.

Important information

Please ensure that you and any party travelling with you to the US hold a valid entry visa or qualify under the Visa Waiver Programme before booking accommodation through UrbanStay.com. Refunds will not be given if entry to the United States is refused or delayed.

Prior to your arrival at the apartment you will have been issued with a "Welcome Letter." This will detail the exact address of the building, your apartment floor and door number along with your apartment direct dial telephone number. We will also provide you with contact information for the local office on the ground handling your accommodations. Most of our buildings have doormen / concierge services. It's best to head straight to the building where you will be expected and welcomed. The doorman will be please to hand you your keys and help with any queries you may have about the local area. In buildings without front desk staff please consult your welcome letter for full check-in details.

Yes, almost all of our apartments come equipped with direct dial telephones. In most cases local calls are free and in all cases calls made to locations other than the same area code of the apartment are charged at hotel rates. Please note that International calls made from the apartment can work out to be very expensive and will be charged to your account along with a €10 handling fee. For best value we recommend buying a calling card. The calling card market is very competitive so cards featuring low international rates are widely available. We do not charge a fee for using calling cards from the apartment and they are readily available from local shops and vendors

Yes, in most of our apartments access to the Internet is provided. Many of our apartments have broadband connections, particularly in urban areas. Better still, UrbanStay do not charge extra fees for Internet access. We believe in free access for everyone. In a small number of buildings that are not part of the UrbanStay network charges may apply. These rates will be clearly identifiable in the apartment. When using dial-up connections be sure to connect to local area code numbers.
 

Yes, because you have booked a corporate style apartment we naturally include items such as bed linens and towels.

Yes, we are happy to provide gift certificates in denominations of your choice. Please call our reservations team on the number to the right of this screen now to find out more.

All rental charges will appear in € (euros) For your convenience, we can also quote apartment rental prices in 9 other currencies, including US Dollars, UK Pounds Sterling, Canadian and Australian Dollars to name but a few. We set our rates of exchange according to the Bank Of New York’s (mid market rates) at 06:59GMT each morning. This rate of exchange will prevail on our systems until 06:59 on the following morning. Rates of exchange are provided for guidance purposes only.

We are happy to recommend third party providers who specialise in the rental of cribs, high chairs, strollers and general baby and infant furniture supplies. Upon arrangement, these companies will deliver and collect all items directly to and from your apartment. You chose the items that best suit you. They will even provide bedding and blankets for cribs. All items are professionally sanitised and are competitively priced. Check with our operations department for more details.

• We are experiencing some technical issues with our “Website Specials System” and hope to have these resolved as quickly as possible. Please call our reservations sales office for information on our current offers.

We have noticed an increase in the amount of copy and pictures being taken from this site and being used in other companies websites. We would ask those involved (you know who you are) to desist.