Many companies believe they are too small to even consider corporate apartment rentals. They struggle with justifying the increased costs versus simply paying for a hotel room for guests or relocating employees. If you only have a person needing to stay at a location for a few days several times a year then a hotel would seem like the better way to go. However, if you have any more frequent needs, then I'd suggest you consider corporate housing.
A cramped hotel room with several visitors isn't conducive to good business. Morale is just as important as talent for any department from training and executives down to front-line customer service representatives. How many million-dollar deals are planned out from the side of hotel bed?
Furniture and housecleaning are always provided as a hotel service, but both of these features can also be found in corporate apartments for a reasonable fee. The utility payments can often be negotiated as part of the monthly rent to reduce the amount of scheduling.
Additionally, apartments can have permanent phone lines numbers built into them. This can avoid changing numbers for each room in which a person stays. While cell phones are making this benefit less important, the added feature is still worth noting. This is especially true if a company wants to have a permanent fax line.
Lastly, the impression your company makes on an employee or guest is often times worth the little extra cost. Even the nicest hotel rooms become impractical given any time period longer than a week or two.
This is why many companies realize the cost of corporate rentals is not necessarily their most important concern. Before you decide either way, look at how often you have needs in any given location, and weigh the benefits of either option before making a decision. Just make sure your choice serves your business purposes the best.
