Apartool

A platform aggregating serviced apartments for corporate relocations

Apartool is a Barcelona-based booking platform that aggregates serviced apartments across 85 countries, claiming a catalog of 300,000 properties. Like Apartmentservice, it is not a landlord or operator but a marketplace connecting property managers with corporate clients. The firm targets businesses placing temporary staff, relocation companies handling client moves, travel agencies booking frequent travelers, and event organizers accommodating groups. The platform emphasizes B2B relationships: dedicated account managers, API integrations for larger clients, and a focus on compliance and centralized billing for companies with multiple relocating employees.

The firm operates in multiple languages and currencies across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. Its audience is the corporate relocation and travel management sector, not individual travelers (though the website allows direct bookings). Unlike a real estate agency, Apartool owns no apartments; it simply provides the search, booking, and management layer. The financial model is commissions from property owners on each booking, and higher-tier account managers for enterprise clients.

What it offers to someone relocating to Zurich

The platform lets you search for furnished, move-in-ready apartments across the globe and book them through a single interface and contract, which simplifies the practicality of arrival. For Zurich specifically, though the page does not detail how many properties are available, the platform filters by neighbourhood (only listing Zurich as a destination rather than subcities), size, amenities, and lease length. You can search by occupancy (how many people), room configuration (studio to multi-bedroom), and specific features: high-speed internet, balconies, kitchens, workspace desks, pet policies.

The platform's core promise for relocating professionals is "simplified management": one booking system, one landlord's confirmation (if available), one account for billing, and flexibility from one week to one year. The website emphasizes that utilities are included, cleaning is weekly for professional guests, and there is 24/7 support (though what that support consists of, whether a dedicated account manager, a chatbot, or a general helpline, is not specified). The platform also claims to calculate a "carbon footprint" for each apartment, appealing to sustainability-conscious relocators, though this feature is not explained.

The specifics the platform publishes

Apartool publishes a high-level feature list but does not display Zurich's current inventory or prices on its public pages. The site states that apartments are "comfortable, fully furnished and productive," with "fully equipped kitchens," "pet-friendly options," "high-speed internet," and "all utilities included." Weekly cleaning is included (described as part of standard servicing). The platform emphasizes that it handles "compliance," including VAT reductions (treating stays like hotel bookings, which carry lower VAT than residential long-term leases in most European countries), and offers "validated professional suppliers" (implying the platform vets properties).

The platform distinguishes between three customer types with different workflows. Businesses get a "dedicated account manager," curated property suggestions, travel policy compliance checking, and centralized billing. Relocation agencies use the platform to book temporary housing for clients while those clients search for permanent homes. Travel agencies optimize corporate travel bookings. Event organizers and production companies (film crews, sports teams) book in bulk. The website mentions that larger bookings go through a "specialized team," suggesting that high-volume corporate accounts receive higher service tiers than individual relocations.

Payment and cancellation policies are not published. The site emphasizes that the booking platform is "intuitive" and allows "seamless management" and "customisation with your logo" (for white-label resellers), but does not state cancellation windows, security deposits, or what happens if you need to break a lease early. The site does mention "reduced VAT, just like hotels," which implies stays are billed as short-term accommodation rather than residential rentals, though the tax impact depends on your personal tax residency and employment status in Switzerland.

What Apartool does not address

Apartool's website is deliberately opaque about Zurich inventory and pricing, requiring a user to request a quote before learning anything concrete. The site lists Zurich as a destination alongside many other cities worldwide, but does not reveal how many properties are available in Zurich, in which neighbourhoods they are located, what they cost, or how quickly you can move in. For someone arriving on a tight timeline, this opacity is a friction point: you cannot browse by budget or neighborhood until you create an account and submit a request form, and even then, the platform will route you to a third-party property owner, not provide an immediate answer.

The site also does not clarify whether individual relocators (as opposed to companies) receive the same account manager service, or whether individual bookings are processed through a lower-touch automated flow. The "24/7 support" mentioned is not defined: is there a phone line, email, or just an in-app chat? How quickly does the platform respond? What is the SLA (service level agreement) for a response? Are disputes with the property owner mediated by Apartool, or are you on your own with the property owner? The website emphasizes "dedicated account manager" for businesses but does not mention what support an individual receives.

The platform publishes no information about cancellation policies, security deposits, landlord registration, or guarantees. It is unclear whether properties offer the Swiss landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsbestätigung) or whether you would need to handle registration separately with the property owner. The white-label branding option, API integrations, and focus on "compliance" suggest the platform is engineering toward enterprise deals, not individual bookings, and individual relocators may be a secondary audience on a platform designed around corporate account management and bulk relocations. The emphasis on "centralised billing" and "compliance of your travel policies" is corporate language, not individual relocation language.

Who Apartool suits and who it does not

This is a strong fit for a multinational company that is relocating 5 or more employees across multiple cities (including Zurich) and wants one contract, one billing, and dedicated support across all of them. If your company's relocation team uses Apartool, you have an easier path: they handle the booking, you focus on arrival. For a relocation agency managing multiple clients, it consolidates vendor relationships.

For an individual relocating alone, Apartool's opacity makes it harder to comparison-shop than navigating Zurich's rental sites directly (Immoscout, Wohnen.ch, or reaching out to Swiss property agencies). The website is geared toward users who already have a company relationship with the platform or who are volume customers. If you do not have that, you end up in the same position as a walk-in to a hotel: you submit a request and wait for someone to respond rather than seeing the menu upfront. For Zurich specifically, you likely have better transparency and more leverage by contacting Swiss landlords or agencies directly.