Maid service. Cable TV. Concierge services. A bathroom stocked with all of
essentials -- shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste, strategically placed towels. A gift basket. An ironing board. But you're not in a hotel. Instead, you're staying in corporate housing, a fast-growing market across United States that's proving to be more cost-effective for companies and more comfortable for employees. And race is on for most comprehensive and luxurious services possible.If you're on assignment for any length of time, a hotel room doesn't compare to flexibility and comfort that corporate housing provides. Corporate Housing is sprouting up all over United States, as apartment developers add this profitable and much-in-demand option to their list of services. But how long is long enough when you're considering corporate housing?
Corporate housing, sometimes called temporary housing, is designed primarily for employees or individuals that require "long-term" (for a period of 20 days or more) housing due to relocation, disaster, or a lengthy yet temporary assignment. Although apartments, townhouses, and condominiums are most common varieties of corporate housing, single-family homes are on rise, as well. And corporate housing providers, increasingly aware that pleasing their clients often means accommodating their clients' families, are providing such amenities as cribs and high chairs, keeping in mind that business people occasionally bring their families with them on assignments, or share occasional visits. Some facilities allow pets, and one corporate housing provider even provides Disney bedspreads upon request.
In many cases, companies find that placing their employees in corporate housing is more cost-effective. And it's a well-received alternative by employees, who are able to set up homes away from home, with their own kitchens, laundry facilities, and extra space. While they provide more flexibility for residents, corporate facilities often have many of same service-oriented features as hotels. In some accommodations, in fact, a stay in temporary housing may resemble a mini-vacation of sorts. Corporate housing staples include TV with basic cable (additional channels are optional); fully furnished rooms, including kitchens with microwaves, dishes, basic cookware, and silverware; local phone service; and linens. Many include washers and dryers, and those that don't usually have on-site facilities. Maid service is often available, cable TV is often provided, and list of creature comforts continues to grow in wake of competition among various corporate housing companies. Ironing boards, answering machines, microwave ovens, and vacuums are a few examples.
Corporate housing is following trend started by business world it serves. It's going high-tech. Oakwood Corporate Housing, one of country's major corporate housing providers, includes such options as printers, fax modems, multiple-line telephones, and -- for big and little children -- Nintendo game players.
Oakwood, which has a significant presence in California's booming Silicon Valley -- a region attracting brightest recruits from throughout world -- offers a particularly unique package, called "Asian Kitchen," to accommodate a growing proportion of its clientele. The package includes a rice steamer, teapot and teacups, soup and noodles bowls, rice bowls, and four pairs of chopsticks. And for those clients who plan to do some serious Asian cooking during their stay, a separate Asian Cooking Package includes a stir-fry wok, ladle, spatula, chopsticks, and cleaver. For clients who have traveled from overseas, it may not be home, but it's pretty close.
