Katie Garrahy, senior client programme manager at SilverDoor Apartments, talks us through the benefits of choosing serviced apartment accommodation for corporate travellers who find themselves on longer-term trips...
Katie Garrahy, senior client programme manager at SilverDoor. Photo Credit: SuppliedChoosing the right accommodation for corporates should never be a one-size-fits-all approach, however with the return of business travel and specifically the return and rise in the number of longer-term stays, the appeal of eating out every night and staying a single hotel room can start to wane.
With that in mind and coupled with many businesses now keeping a keener eye than ever before on both employee wellbeing and their carbon footprint as well as costs, making fewer trips, but choosing to stay for longer is something many business owners and their teams are now opting for.
How then can the apartment accommodation model support this demand and what benefits does it offer the corporate market?
Supporting autonomous living
For many corporates serviced apartments are more akin to a home from home not just because they offer additional facilities such as kitchens, but they can also offer communal areas to socialise alongside on-site facilities like gyms and private outdoor spaces in which to unwind after a day of socialising, networking and negotiating.
For many corporates the option to come and go as they please without restrictions around check-in and check-out times as well as inviting colleagues over for a meeting or meal offer a more autonomous, independent experience.
Likewise, contactless check-ins, grocery, take-away and linen deliveries can be made direct to the front door so there is additional domestic support available if needed, and the flexibility of many of the apartments now available means there are options for both groups or solo travellers to stay, work and socialise together when they choose.
Supporting sustainable travel
Sustainability has become the watchword for business owners and the travel industry. Not just from an environmental perspective but also from an employee wellbeing perspective and apartment accommodation has the facilities and structure in place to support both for corporates on longer trips.
Carbon emissions per square footage can be significantly lower compared to hotel rooms. Coupled with requirements to also reduce the volume of flights taken each year, apartments also enable corporates to capitalise on the bleisure trend and make the most of their extended trips away whilst in a different city or region, reducing the need for multiple flights to and from home.
Opting for corporate housing over a hotel can reduce waste, water, energy consumption, and the Co2e emissions of a stay. It’s a theory that stands to reason: hotels typically have elevators, extensive communal areas and facilities that will be used, lit and air conditioned 24 hours a day.
The energy consumption for this is significant.
A self-sufficient, contained space that can be easily temperature controlled, lit as required, and naturally ventilated allows energy consumption to be controlled more closely by the individual traveller, meaning the consumption is much lower and at similar levels to a standard home.
Cooking and eating at home likewise uses less energy and results in generally less food waste compared with large restaurants and buffets. From an employee wellbeing perspective, the additional space also offers the opportunity for family and friends to stay and increasingly providers are offering pet-friendly accommodation so that corporates also have the opportunity to spend time with loved ones for a true home-from-home experience that can support their emotional and mental wellbeing.
It can be a commonly held complaint that, when travelling on business, the tendency to visit the bar, eat fast or convenience food is difficult to resist and can leave team members feeling sluggish and the novelty of eating out night after night wears off pretty quickly.
Fully-fitted kitchens offer the option to prepare food and eat according to employee’s own schedule and preferences. A bag of groceries can last a week, reduce food waste and support a healthier lifestyle.
Supporting savings
The cost per night of apartment accommodation can also be significantly less compared to hotels and this becomes particularly noticeable over longer-term stays. Room service, bar and restaurant costs can all mount up over the course of a stay, but with kitchens as standard, instead of paying through the nose for room service, employees can pick up essentials, eat when and what they like, thereby reducing their expenses and enable them to return with a reduced cost on the balance sheet at the end of the trip.
