| In days gone by, corporate housing conjured up | | | | connections, telephony and wi-fi enabled rooms are |
| images of bland, unsophisticated and generic | | | | top priorities for business travellers and, as such, |
| accommodation which, whilst offering a place for the | | | | these have become staple features of corporate |
| business traveller to shower and sleep, offered none | | | | accommodation. Moreover, most serviced apartments |
| of the services or luxuries of hotel accommodation. | | | | are now equipped with cutting edge household |
| For many years, corporate accommodation was | | | | appliances, and state-of-the-art entertainment, |
| viewed as a poor second best to be avoided where | | | | heating and lighting systems to better suit the needs |
| possible, but all that has changed since the first | | | | and expectations of corporate guests. |
| serviced apartments were conceptualized in the | | | | A Home from Home Experience |
| United States decades ago. What began as basic | | | | A common complaint for expatriates staying in hotels |
| lodging services for medium to long staying business | | | | for long periods is the lifestyle limitations of such |
| travellers has become a worldwide industry offering | | | | accommodation. A hotel room does not afford |
| unparalleled comfort and amenities for corporate | | | | business travellers the freedom or privacy to enjoy a |
| travellers and expats. | | | | home from home experience. A home environment is |
| From Generic to Chic | | | | especially important as more and more business |
| By focussing on aesthetics and style, serviced | | | | travellers travel with their families or partners in tow. |
| apartment operators are actively responding to the | | | | These apartments offer private and intimate |
| sophisticated needs and tastes of the new breed of | | | | accommodation, which enables business travellers to |
| business traveller. As Tracey Stephenson, co-founder | | | | enjoy a home from home experience by engaging in |
| of the serviced apartments company Staying Cool, | | | | day to day activities such as cooking and having their |
| said, "There is going to be a raising of the bar in | | | | family to stay with them. |
| design and comfort, it will be the end of corporate | | | | Corporate Living - The Best of Both Worlds |
| bland." Details are now a top priority in corporate | | | | Like hotels, serviced apartments offer impeccable |
| housing. From furniture to fittings, serviced | | | | customer services. On site concierge, translators, |
| apartments now combine style and functionality to | | | | 24-hour security services, and yes, even |
| meet and exceed the services previously only | | | | housekeeping are staples of today's serviced |
| offered by luxury hotels. | | | | apartments. With the diverse sensibilities of so many |
| Technology | | | | business travellers, serviced apartment operators and |
| Technology is another area in which serviced | | | | letting agents are making sure that the every need |
| apartments are raising the bar to meet the needs of | | | | of their guests are satisfied. |
| today's corporate traveller. High-speed internet | | | | |