Temporary housing comes in handy for a wide range of people and circumstances. Busy professionals traveling for business, homeowners displaced because of fire or other disasters, corporate transferees, consultants, snowbirds, and summer interns are just a few of the many examples of people who want to make the most of their stays away from home.
When trying to find a home away from home, there are many details to consider to ensure you are well-equipped to get work done or settle into a new location. When considering the choice between a corporate apartment and a hotel, think about circumstance, convenience, cost-effectiveness, comfort while traveling, or easing a transferee into a new workplace and community.
Circumstance
Perfect hotel candidates. Short-term, overnight, or weeklong travelers are excellent hotel candidates. Maids and bellhops are readily available to serve guests, and front desk and concierge services can assist with coordinating transportation, offer sightseeing options, or point guests to the best dining and shopping choices available.
Ideal extended-stay candidates. Employees on trips lasting a few weeks are perfect candidates for extended-stay apartments. Extended-stay apartments combine the larger living space typical of corporate housing with the personal services typically found at hotels, such as front desk service and daily housekeeping.
Excellent corporate housing candidates. For stays of more than 30 days, corporate housing may be the ideal choice. Guests enjoy more living space than would be offered by a comparable hotel, along with separate bedrooms and in-unit kitchens to mirror the home-away-from-home atmosphere they seek.
Traveling families or those with pets also can take advantage of the amenities that accompany a corporate apartment. Baby furniture, telephone service and answering machines, wood-burning fireplaces, plants, artwork, place settings, flatware, cookware, cleaning supplies, pet accommodations, and in-unit office set-up are among the many standard amenities corporate housing can provide. Plus, those who desire a quieter setting can find corporate housing options in residential neighborhoods, while business travelers or sightseers can choose between in-city options.
Corporate housing providers have a proven track record for assisting corporations with cross-cultural or highly-sensitive relocation needs, as well. Many times transferees speak little of the native language and arrive at all hours of the night and day in need of directions and transportation to temporary accommodations. Many require special cooking equipment or utensils to prepare and eat their cuisines of choice. Apartment appliances and thermostats need to be easy to use. Often, international transferees have never stayed in corporate apartments before and do not know what to expect when they arrive.
Corporate housing providers are faced with highly-sensitive situations like this on a daily basis and can respond accordingly. Lists can be prepared providing names, languages, and contact information for multilingual employees to assist transferees with their transitions. Often, translation sources are accessible 24/7 for assistance. Limousine or car rental services can be identified and arrangements made for transferee drop-off and pick-up. Apartments can be stocked to include special cooking appliances and other materials required to make a stay as comfortable and close to home as possible.
Convenience
Though most hotels are situated in busy business areas or near airports, many long-term travelers require additional support. Because hotels are situated in the heart of cities or business districts, options are limited when vacancies run out. However, with many options available, hotel stays can be the most convenient, consumer-friendly choice as rooms are available in every price range.
When staying in busy areas, shuttles often are available for pick-up and drop-off at the airport, and taxi cabs are always close by. Public transportation is readily available and hotels typically are situated in areas that offer quick and direct access to businesses, restaurants, and retail stores. This convenience is essential for short-term travelers who are visiting new locations and need to be in close proximity to major metropolitan areas.
Corporate housing providers have flexible options to offer more or fewer units in particular areas, depending on availability and time of year. For example, families with children can choose a corporate apartment in close proximity to desired school districts. Also, single-family homes can be made available to relocating families to make the transition more comfortable. Though many travelers want close access to busy areas, units that offer a retreat from city life are a welcome change for traveling families, as well as long-term business travelers.
Cost Effectiveness
Because hotels are available in varying price ranges, they are good choices for short-term travelers, especially those on a restricted budget. Often, continental breakfasts are included in the cost, an additional point of savings. Travelers in town for just a few days do not need some of the added benefits that a corporate suite can offer, such as laundry facilities or extra rooms. Often, if someone is staying within walking distance to busy areas of town, cost savings are realized through the convenience of quick dining options, public transportation, and the like.
Corporate housing is the most cost-effective choice for long-term, temporary placements. On average, a corporate suite located in close proximity to a major metropolitan area costs about $120 per night. Extended stay hotels in a similar location cost about $170 per night, and standard hotels carry a $200-per-night price tag. An entire family or group can be comfortably accommodated in one corporate apartment, instead of in multiple hotel rooms.
In addition to per night savings, corporate apartments and extended stay hotels provide kitchens for guests to use, making the costs associated with eating out manageable. Busy executives dependent on a company per diem can benefit from in-unit dining options.
Families with several mouths to feed can save money by keeping meal time in-house without having to pay restaurant prices or trade healthy choices for affordable, less healthy fast-food alternatives. Corporate housing high-speed Internet access is charged on a monthly basis rather than nightly, so costs associated with this amenity are significantly lower.
Comfort
Many times, travelers choose hotels because of the hassle-free comfort they provide. Daily housekeeping services welcome guests back from busy days with clean rooms. Room service and restaurant-quality food are available with a quick phone call. Front desk personnel are easily accessible to take messages or answer questions.
While the benefits of hotels are obvious to most, it is important to consider what options are necessary to make a stay the most comfortable and enjoyable. Though daily maid service is not available to put mints on pillows each night at a corporate suite, many value the privacy that these controlled-access units provide.
Also, corporate housing provides a guest with phone access, high-speed Internet, cable, a private mail box, and a fixed address to make communication as seamless as it would be from the home or office. Corporate suites are more spacious than hotel rooms, with separate living, dining, and sleeping areas that offer twice as much room as a standard or extended-stay hotel.
Though hotel or extended-stay furnishings are a welcome change for short-term travelers, corporate apartments offer services to provide the home-away-from-home atmosphere. Travelers with stays longer than 30 days are offered options to make their temporary home a reflection of their personal taste, whether hardwood floors or carpeting, traditional or contemporary furniture design, or the need for extra work space.
Corporate apartments also provide an in-unit washer and dryer, while a hotel guest pays a premium for laundry service. Those who choose extended-stay hotels typically can find laundry facilities on-site.
Unlike hotels, which offer limited access to “on demand” movies, corporate suite living areas are equipped with DVDs and VCRs to make living areas feel more like home. For traveling families, corporate apartments also provide options for children such as outdoor play areas and swimming pools. However, luxurious hotel amenities like retail shops, room service, valet parking, spas, and other first-class service offerings are not available at corporate apartments. Also, those staying in residential corporate suites are responsible for providing their own transportation when the location limits access to public transportation and cabs.
For VIP travelers, special packages often are available to provide guests with special treatment and maximum comfort. High-quality bed linens; extra pillows, TVs, electronic devices, and kitchen appliances; grocery delivery including fresh flowers; patio furniture; pet supplies; and more can make the transition more customized and comfortable.
Depending on circumstances, short-term and long-term housing options are available to accommodate even the most sensitive living situations or transitions. Short-term travelers should enjoy the luxuries that hotels offer and find comfort while enjoying a brief retreat from your current living situation. Those needing long-term temporary housing should use a corporate housing provider with a proven track record for customer satisfaction. That will ensure that important employees are transferred comfortably, and the time spent in transition offers unique amenities that make guests feel a little closer to home.
Dave Caple is president and CEO of ABODA, Redmond, WA, and a member of the MOBILITY Editorial Advisory Committee. He can be reached at +1 425 861 0500 or e-mail dave.caple@aboda.com.