Weekly and monthly stays in Izmir: what should you look for?
· 11 min read
If you are coming to Izmir for a few weeks or months rather than a few nights, choosing where to stay is less like picking a hotel room and more like setting up a temporary home. Internet speed, how well equipped the kitchen is, how often cleaning is done and how you will do your laundry may seem minor on a short stay, but over weeks and months they shape your everyday life. In this guide we go through the questions people ask most often about weekly and monthly stays in Izmir, the differences between an aparthotel and a rented flat, and what to check before you book.
Who needs a weekly or monthly stay in Izmir?
Long stays are not just for one type of traveller. These are the situations that come up most often:
- Project workers: Teams who come to the city to work on construction sites, factory installations, inspections or consultancy projects may stay anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. For those working in industrial areas such as the Aegean Free Zone in Gaziemir or the Kemalpaşa Organised Industrial Zone, a location with easy access to the main roads shortens the daily commute.
- Remote workers and digital nomads: For anyone who works from a laptop, Izmir’s climate and pace of life are a real draw. Fast, stable internet is non-negotiable for this group.
- People coming for medical treatment: Families staying in the city for their own or a relative’s treatment and check-ups look for a quiet place within easy reach of the hospital. If the hospital is in Buca, it is worth looking for accommodation nearby.
- People between homes: Those who have moved out before their new home is ready, are waiting for renovation work to finish, or have just been posted to Izmir and are still house-hunting all need a temporary base for a few weeks.
- Students’ families: Parents who come for enrolment, exam weeks or to help their child settle into a new city often stay longer than a few days. Those who want to be close to campus can look at options near Dokuz Eylül University Tınaztepe Campus (DEÜ).
What these groups have in common is that they want the comfort of a hotel without giving up the routine of home. Most of them choose where to stay by striking a balance between the two.
Aparthotel or rented flat: which makes more sense?
For a stay of a few weeks, renting a flat may look sensible at first, but once you factor in all the extra costs and admin involved, an aparthotel often turns out to be the more practical choice. The comparison below shows general trends; always confirm the terms for each listing and each property.
| Topic | Aparthotel | Rented flat |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy agreement | You book for the dates of your stay; no long-term tenancy agreement is needed. | You sign a tenancy agreement. Landlords usually prefer long-term tenants, so finding a flat for a short period can be difficult. |
| Deposit | Practice varies from property to property; simply ask before you book. | A deposit is usually required, and if you rent through an estate agent there is an agency fee as well. |
| Furniture | The apartment is furnished and ready to use; bed linen, towels and the basics are usually provided. | Many rental flats are unfurnished. Furnished ones are not always easy to find, and kitchenware and white goods can be a headache of their own. |
| Bills and utility accounts | Electricity, water and internet are usually included in your stay; for monthly stays, still confirm exactly what is included. | Opening, transferring and closing the electricity, water, gas and internet accounts is down to the tenant. Getting internet installed can take time, and plans with a minimum contract term may not suit a short stay. |
| Building service charge | You do not have to deal with a separate service charge. | The building’s monthly service charge (aidat) is usually paid by the tenant, on top of the rent. |
| Cleaning | Cleaning is provided according to the property’s own schedule. | The cleaning, and the cleaning products, are entirely up to you. |
| Flexibility | Your stay is set by your booking dates; requests to extend depend on availability. | Leaving before the contract ends can mean extra costs, depending on its terms. |
| Time to move in | Once your booking is confirmed, you can arrive with your suitcase and settle straight in. | You need to set aside time to find a flat, view it, sign the contract and get everything set up. |
In short, if you are moving to Izmir for good or plan to live in the same home for a long time, renting a flat is the natural choice. For a temporary stay of anything from a few weeks to a few months, an aparthotel lets you start living there straight away, without the hassle of setting up a home.
Which amenities should you check for a long stay?
Check the internet, kitchen, cleaning, laundry, parking, security and location before you book. Details you might overlook for a few nights become part of every day on a long stay, so make sure you have clear answers on the following:
- Internet speed and connection type: “Wi-Fi available” is not enough information on its own. Ask whether the connection is fibre and roughly how fast it is; if you will be making video calls or uploading large files, the upload speed matters too. Running a quick speed test once you have settled into your room is a good habit.
- Kitchen: A “kitchen” can mean very different things from one property to the next. Find out in advance whether there is a fridge and a kettle, what kitchenware is provided and what you can use to prepare meals. Our article 5 reasons to choose a hotel room with a kitchen looks at how much difference a kitchen makes on a long stay.
- Cleaning frequency: Ask how often cleaning is done and how bed linen and towels are changed. If you work from your room, it also matters that cleaning times can fit around your working day.
- Laundry: On a long stay, laundry is unavoidable. Find out whether the apartment has a washing machine; if not, whether there is a laundry room or laundry service on site; and whether an iron is available.
- Parking: If you are arriving in your own car or using a hire car, find out whether parking is covered or open-air, whether there is a charge and whether a space is always available. These details make a direct difference to your daily comfort.
- Security and reception: CCTV, controlled entry and a reception desk you can reach at any hour are an important source of reassurance for anyone coming back late, staying alone or travelling as a family.
- Location: Over a long stay, the distance to the place you go every day matters at least as much as the price. Look at the surrounding area and the transport options on a map before you book.
How should you budget for a weekly or monthly stay?
To budget properly for a long stay, look at your total cost of living, not just the price of the accommodation. We do not quote figures in this article, as prices usually vary with the dates and length of your stay; for weekly and monthly stays, the most reliable way to see the price is to choose your dates on the website. These steps will help you plan your budget:
- Check the price for your own dates. Choose your check-in and check-out dates, and base your budget on the price the property shows for those dates rather than on rough estimates.
- List what is included. Note whether things like internet, cleaning, bed linen and towels, parking and drinking water are included in your stay. Everything that is included is a cost you will not have to pay separately.
- Write down the extra costs of renting a flat too. If you are comparing options, add the deposit, any agency fee, the cost of setting up utilities, furniture and kitchen shopping, the building service charge and cleaning products to the same list.
- Think about food costs separately. Eating out for every meal is the fastest-growing item in a long-stay budget. Preparing some of your meals yourself in an apartment with a kitchen keeps this cost under control.
- Factor in transport. A location close to where you need to be every day saves both travel time and travel costs.
- Be flexible with your dates. If you can, try different check-in dates; availability and prices can vary depending on the period you choose.
How do you set up a weekly routine on a long stay?
If you are staying in the same place for several weeks, a simple routine soon turns the apartment into a home. Here are some habits that work:
- Get to know the area on your first day: Find the nearest supermarket, pharmacy, bakery and local market. Neighbourhood markets are common in Izmir and a good place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Do one big shop a week: Buy the basics at the start of the week and top up on fresh food as you need it. The fridge in a kitchenette may be smaller than the one you have at home, so do not overstock.
- Plan around cleaning: If you are working from your room, agree a suitable time with reception so that cleaning does not clash with your meetings.
- Set a regular laundry day: Washing once or twice a week, rather than letting it pile up, keeps things tidy when wardrobe space is limited.
- Set up a work corner: Choose a fixed spot for your computer, chargers and documents. Tidying it away at the end of the day helps keep work and rest separate.
- Test your route: In the first few days, travel to and from your daily destination at different times to see how long the journey takes. If you will be using public transport, check the latest service information from ESHOT (buses), İZBAN (commuter rail) and Izmir Metro.
- Keep the weekends for the city: The area around Kemeraltı Bazaar, Konak Clock Tower and the Kordon seafront promenade is a good place to start, as are Buca Pond (Buca Göleti) and the 19th-century Levantine mansions in Buca itself. For more ideas, see our article on things to do in Buca.
Royal Palace Boutique Hotel for weekly and monthly stays in Buca
With its serviced apartments in Buca, Royal Palace Boutique Hotel covers the key points of the checklist above for daily, weekly and monthly stays:
- Apartments: There are 16 apartments, with a choice of studios and one-bedroom suites (1+1). Each has a kitchenette with kitchenware and a seating area with a corner sofa and armchair. You can see them all on our rooms and apartments page.
- In the room: Air conditioning, fridge, electric kettle, coffee machine, minibar, TV and hairdryer.
- Internet: 1000 Mbps fibre Wi-Fi, a strong connection for remote work that involves video calls and large file transfers.
- Cleaning and laundry: Daily housekeeping with fresh bed linen and towels; a washing machine in some apartments, a free laundry service and an iron free of charge from reception.
- Parking and security: Free covered parking with valet service, 24/7 CCTV, a secure entrance and a 24-hour reception that is open for late-night arrivals too.
- Small but welcome extras: Free drinking water (large bottles), tea and coffee.
The hotel’s address is Metin Göktepe Caddesi, Kuruçeşme, 202/5. Sk. No:24, 35390 Buca/İzmir, Türkiye. It is approx. 3 min from Dokuz Eylül University Tınaztepe Campus (DEÜ), approx. 13 min from Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital, approx. 15 min from İnkılap metro station and approx. 20 min from Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB); the O-30 ring road is approx. 3 km away. For details, see our location and transport page.
To see the price, simply choose your dates on the booking page, which shows availability and the price for your stay. Once you fill in the short form, you receive a request number and send the prepared message from your own WhatsApp account to the hotel’s WhatsApp line; reception then replies on WhatsApp and confirms your booking. Your request becomes valid as soon as you send this message. You can also find general information on prices for weekly and monthly stays on our prices page.
