Gone are the days of cramped motel rooms with bare basics. As business travelers demand more from their accommodations, the industry is stepping up to provide convenience and comfort to those who spend extensive time on the road.
Home Suite Home
Evolving business travel needs have brought corporate housing to the forefront of the accommodation industry giving traveling professionals a long term housing option.“It was just an incredible experience,” says Kim Mason who spent seven weeks living in corporate housing when she relocated from Toronto, Ontario to Halifax Nova Scotia for her position as regional president of the Atlantic Provinces at RBC Royal Bank. For Mason, the Premiere Executive Suites living space she chose online was like a home away from home while she was adjusting to living in Atlantic Canada.“I felt like I had a second home at a time when I was very displaced from my own home and my family which was back in Ontario.”The suite she chose was what Mason calls “comfortably modern” with a blue and white beach theme, a style that really appealed to her.“For me it was decorated the way I would want to decorate my own,” Mason said.“And it was nice to be able to pick that and then when I walked in when I got here, it was already familiar because I had seen it online.”
Knowing your Needs
Employers are keen to utilize corporate housing options because they tend to be more cost eff ective than hotels for stays that last longer than a month. In its annual report, Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA) stated the corporate housing industry in North America is on the verge of recovering from the recession with a 7.9 percent increase in revenue from 2009. A CHPA press release said the Canadian corporate housing market is estimated to be a $180-million-a-year industry. However, hotels are equally modifying their facilities to support corporate stays—both long and short. “Thanks to the technology movement, business travelers require a certain plug-in-and-play convenience from their stay—something many hotels are taking note of.Since the G8 Summit was held in Hunstville, a small cottage community about two hours outside of Toronto, more companies are also looking for all-in-one solutions such as resorts that combine leisure with business facilities. Knowing the length of your stay will help you choose the right accommodation, and knowing whether or not corporate entertaining will be required during your trip should also be taken into account when picking accommodation for your corporate travel.
Read the full supplement report on Business Travel from Media Planet to The National Post.