Frequently Asked Questions

The questions our guests ask most often, with the answers we usually write one by one.

Parking & garage

Where can I park?
You have two free underground garages to choose from: the APCOA garage at Schönaugasse 6, only about 150 metres from the apartment (max. height 1.90 m), and the APCOA garage at Josef-Pongratz-Platz, Friedrichgasse 13, roughly a 10-minute walk away (max. height 2.10 m).
Do we get a fixed parking space?
No. In the Schönaugasse garage you park with free choice of space: you drive in, take a ticket at the barrier and park wherever there is room. It costs you nothing. The space is inside the garage, not on Jakominiplatz itself. Keep the ticket safe, you need it for validation.
I use the APCOA Flow app. Anything to watch out for?
Yes, and it matters: pause the app before you drive in. Otherwise the barrier opens automatically through licence plate recognition, you never get a ticket, and Flow charges you for the whole stay. Once you have left, simply switch the app back on.
Where can we unload our luggage?
Right at the side entrance of the building, Klosterwiesgasse 2. That is the shortest way with suitcases. One thing to remember: the key boxes are not there, they are at the main entrance on Jakominiplatz 16.

Validating the parking ticket

How do I validate my parking ticket?
In three steps. Take a ticket when you drive in. Then put it into the validator once, in our Shop & Storage inside the building. Before you drive out, insert the stamped ticket into the pay machine in the garage. That is what makes it free. Your digital guest guide explains it with photos.
Where do I find the Shop & Storage?
Same building as your apartment: Jakominiplatz 16, staircase 3, second floor. There is a black keypad next to the door. Enter the code from your digital guest guide and the door opens.
When are we supposed to validate, on arrival or before leaving?
Whenever you like, as long as it happens before you drive out. The stamp carries no date and no time, so you can already get it done on your arrival day for the day you leave. 👍
The machine charged me anyway. Can I get the money back?
Yes. Get in touch with us and send us a photo of the paid ticket, together with your name and your IBAN. We sort it out with APCOA and refund the amount to you.

Check-in & keys

When can we check in?
Check-in is possible any time from 3 pm, an earlier check-in by arrangement only. Feel free to drop us a line once you know roughly when you will arrive. 😊
Can we check in earlier?
By arrangement, yes. Our usual rate is 5 € per hour, so getting in at 12 noon costs 15 €. For the Wellness Apartment the rate is 10 € per hour. Just tell us when you would like to arrive and we will let you know whether the apartment is free by then.
How do we get the key?
From your own key box at the main entrance. The box number and the code reach you with your access details before arrival. The key opens the main entrance and the staircase door, and of all the apartment doors only yours, because every key is coded individually. After taking it out, please spin the dials again, but do not change the code itself.
We arrive late at night. How does the key handover work?
Exactly the same as at any other hour. Nobody from our side needs to be there: you take the key out of your own key box at the main entrance, using the code from your access details. If something changes on the way, just send us a quick message.
We stayed with you before. Is our old code still valid?
Probably not. We change the key box codes regularly for security reasons. So please always use the code that came with your current booking.

Getting there

How do we find the building?
Type HERO HOMES Design Apartments into Google Maps and you land right at the main entrance of the historic Jakomini house with the large wooden gate, next to Burger King. Just to the left of it hangs the big metal panel with our key boxes. That is how you know you are in the right place. 😊
How do we get from the main entrance to the apartment?
That depends on your staircase, because the building has several of them around a courtyard. This is why the exact route to your apartment, including staircase and floor, comes with your access details and is in your digital guest guide.
How do we reach you by public transport?
Very easily. The stop Jakominiplatz is the central transport hub of Graz, almost all tram and bus lines stop here. The building sits directly on the square, so it is only a few steps from the stop to our front door.

Check-out

When do we have to check out?
Check-out is by 10 am, so our team can get the apartment ready for the next guests. A different time is possible by arrangement only.
Can we check out later?
Often yes, it depends on the bookings. If no new guests arrive the same day, we have more room to move. We usually charge 5 € per hour, so staying until 1 pm would be 15 € in total. Just ask us and we will give you a firm answer.
Do we put the keys back into the same box?
Exactly. Please put the key back into your key box, same box number and same code as on arrival, and spin the dials once more afterwards. 🙏
Anything else before we leave?
Two small things help us a lot. Please take the rubbish to the bin room, the way there is written on the entrance door and in your guest guide. And remember to log out of Netflix, YouTube and the like on the TV, otherwise the next guest looks straight into your accounts. 🙏

Online check-in & guest registration

What is the online check-in and when does it arrive?
Five days before your arrival you receive the link to the online check-in, and filling it in takes two minutes. As soon as the form is submitted, everything else follows automatically: the address, the way to the apartment, your key box code, plus your digital guest guide with all the details about arrival, the apartment and our favourite tips for Graz.
Why do you need our details?
Austrian law requires us to register our guests. That is why we need the details of everyone travelling with you, not only of the person who booked.
We only have our driving licences with us. Is that enough?
That works, no problem at all. Just use the details from the driving licence. 👍
How do I know my details went through?
You will know because the access details and the guest guide reach you automatically once the form is submitted. If nothing arrives, send us a short message and we will check right away.

Inside the apartment

Does every apartment have air conditioning?
Unfortunately not, only a few units have air conditioning at the moment. You can tell from the listing: where there is none, we deliberately leave it out and the filters even show it crossed out, so you can pick exactly the apartment that suits you.
Why is there no air conditioning everywhere?
The building is listed, so classic split units are not permitted here. The good news: we have already connected several apartments to the central cooling system that runs on an underground well, and more are meant to follow.
What helps on hot days?
All of our apartments come with tower fans, one per bedroom.
Is there a lift in the building?
Not in every staircase. This is a historic, listed building, so we are not permitted to install one. Whether your apartment can be reached by lift is stated in the listing. If you travel with heavy luggage, better ask us one time too many than one time too few.
Do you have a laundry machine?
Most apartments even have a washer-dryer, a washing machine and dryer in a single appliance: all two- and three-room apartments come with one, and so do some of the one-room apartments. Whether yours is among them is shown in the amenities list of the listing.
How do we get onto the Wi-Fi?
The network is called HERO HOMES. There is a QR code at the entrance: scan it and you are connected. In some apartments you share the Wi-Fi with the apartment next door.
Can we take something from the fridge, or does it cost?
Help yourself, but it is not free. Every apartment has a minibar and the prices are shown right there on it.
Where can we leave our bikes?
In the locked bike room in the basement, which you reach with the goods lift. It is there for you to use. 👍

Children & extra guests

Do you have a baby cot?
Yes, on request. We prepare it including mattress and cot linen for your stay, and the price is 20 € per stay. Best let us know before you arrive, then it is set up and waiting in the apartment.
What about a high chair?
That one we provide free of charge, of course. Just tell us whether you need one. 😊
We are one person more than booked. Is that still possible?
Usually yes. Send us a short message telling us who is joining, then we update the booking and our cleaning team is informed as well. There is a surcharge for the extra person, and we tell you the amount beforehand.

Payment & invoice

How can we pay?
It depends on how you book. If you book directly here on our website, you pay as part of the booking: the last step takes you to the payment page. For every other booking there are three ways: bank transfer, which we prefer, credit card through a Stripe payment link, or PayPal to paypal.me/herohomes. If your arrival is only a few days away, please send the bank transfer as an instant transfer, otherwise the money will not have reached us in time.
Do we get an invoice?
Yes, happily on request. Just send us a short message and we will send you an invoice for your stay. If it needs a company name or a different billing address, best include it right in your message.
How do we pay for what we took from the minibar?
Easiest on the spot, with the QR code on the minibar. If card payment does not work, cash is fine too. If nothing is paid during the stay, we bill the items afterwards and add a handling fee for it.

House rules & the neighbourhood

Is smoking allowed in the apartment?
No, smoking is strictly prohibited in the apartments according to our house rules.
What would you recommend nearby?
Here are a few recommendations from us, all within an easy walk of the apartment. Glöckl Bräu: a traditional brewery serving hearty Austrian specialities and regional beer. Kunsthauscafé: a stylish and very popular café right next to the Kunsthaus. Aiola Upstairs: up on the Schlossberg, one of our favourite places, above all for the breathtaking view across the city. And Lendplatz on the other side of the Mur, with plenty of cafés, restaurants, bars and a regional farmers market. 😊

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