Media
September, 2004
More options for long stays
From a couple of nights to a couple of years, there are now many accommodation options for corporates. Caroline Gladstone looks at some of the lesser-knows operations.
When serviced apartments first entered the tourism industry, they announced themselves as rivals to established hotels by offering more space, more facilities and cheaper rates.
While they had fewer services and staff than hotels, they still offered a reception desk, leisure facilities, a restaurant and room service.
They were branded and looked much like hotels, albeit without the big foyers and public areas.
As apartments evolved, many operators cut out the restaurants and room service altogether, maintained a reception desk with limited hours and provided after-hours safety box key pick-up facilities.
Today, there’s another evolution and many services apartments are becoming harder to distinguish from your average residential apartment block.
Corporate Housing is a relatively new company that has built its business on long-term stays.
The company provides unique apartments for client staying a minimum of 28 days, particularly those on project-based assignments of several months.
Corporate Housing chairman Kay Barney started the company in 1999 with just $5,000 – after being dissatisfied with her own serviced apartment experience.
“My husband was relocated to Melbourne (from Sydney) for work and we stayed in an apartment with a one-year-old baby before we found a permanent place to live,” she recalls.
“It was run-down and expensive, and I thought there must be a better way to do it.”
Barney, who has now sold the company, says she filled a gap in the market by providing long stays at very competitive rates without the need for a residential lease.
Corporate Housing does not own any of the properties but leases them.
“Rates for Sydney CBD apartment are around $650 to $700 a week, which is about 30% to 40% less than a serviced apartment,” she says. “That includes all utilities including local phone calls.”
According to managing director Chris Miller, the company always has 100% occupancy.
“We have customers looking for accommodation – we are not a company that needs tenants,” he adds.
Corporate Housing claims to have doubled its size in the past year and has apartments – and some townhouses – in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra and has recently established in Perth, Brisbane and New Zealand.
“None of the apartment buildings have a hotel fee. There is no reception but on of our staff is there to welcome the guests and we provide around-the-clock service, if say a dishwasher overflows or something isn’t working,” says Barney.
Corporate Housing provides a free welcome hamper of food to get he client through the first 12 hours.
Recent long-term clients were officials of the Rugby World Cup, who stayed in properties across Australia for several months leading up to the competition. Other clients include financial organisations and IT companies.
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