Criteria for Booking a Business Travel Apartment
Take your corporate housing experience to the next level
7 Min Read
7 Min ReadBusiness travel can be isolating. No one likes going from hotel to hotel, especially on extended stays. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could find an amazing housing option that felt more like home?
Well then, you should consider booking an apartment for business travel.
With so many places out there, how do you determine which apartment is right for you?
1. Does this apartment accommodate business travelers?
Unfortunately, not all apartment complexes accommodate business or corporate travel. Some would rather lock you into year-long leases, even if you don’t need or want that much time.
All in all, by eliminating apartments in the city that don’t accommodate business travelers, you can save yourself the hassle of having to sublet or, worse yet, forfeit a few months of pay.
At Blueground, you can rent corporate apartments for just one month at a time, or you can save on your stay by booking for multiple months. The furnished housing provider works closely with landlords in global cities, from Los Angeles to Dubai.
2. Are the costs of staying in this apartment transparent?
Living in an apartment can be quite different from staying in a hotel. While fees can rack up at the hotel restaurant or with valet parking, apartments come with a new set of money challenges.
On top of paying for the apartment, you may need to pay for utilities such as electricity, trash pickup, and the internet.
Do you know about these costs upfront, or are they meant to be paid on the side?
Ideally, you know from the time of booking how much the total apartment stay will be, relative to renting a serviced apartment.
3. Is it easy to extend your stay with the same landlord if you need more time?
Business trips don’t always go as planned. Sometimes you end up staying longer than anticipated.
Above all, depending on your landlord’s holdings, this can be challenging because they may not have another property in the city.
Can you easily extend your stay or find a different place without wasting productivity?
When you rent with Blueground, the extension process is seamless. You can simply request a lease extension over their Guest App, which is only available once you’ve secured a booking.
In some cases with leases of more than a year, they may not be able to extend your stay in your current apartment, but you can rest assured you will have options at a similar price point and size.
If you need to extend your stay, they can get you settled in a new property, while keeping the same service agreement.
When renting furnished, you can move from apartment to apartment with just your suitcase, and with no extra credit checks or time-consuming paperwork.
4. Do you have enough space in your apartment?
All corporate housing is not made equal.
If you have multiple people staying in the same apartment, space is vital. One reason you are probably avoiding booking a hotel is because of space issues.
Do you have enough space? If you are booking an apartment, are you getting more space than a hotel would provide at the same cost?
Do your research and make sure that your apartment lives up to your expectations.
5. Who do you call for maintenance?
Fixing broken items in an apartment can be costly and time-consuming. The last thing you want to do on a corporate trip is to worry about apartment upkeep when you should be working.
Navigating maintenance in a new city can be tough, without knowledge of any reputable repair companies in town.
If apartment maintenance frightens you, make sure you have someone on call to take care of any issues.
While we try to avoid maintenance, something is bound to need a little upkeep, especially during lengthy stays. Maintenance is a part of the process of living anywhere, from burnt-out lights to a faulty water boiler.
Make sure you have someone to call, be it a landlord, superintendent, or property management company.
6. How far do you need to commute to work and the places you want to go?
One of the hidden costs of business travel is the cost of getting around town because public transit and rideshares add up.
While a $5 rideshare seems small, if you take that multiple times a day over a month, costs skyrocket.
Instead, you may want an apartment that’s close enough to walk to work or nearby stores.
Factor distance in when picking the perfect apartment.
How far is it from where you will be working? How far do you need to commute to things like grocery stores? Is there fun stuff to do nearby your apartment?
All in all, you need to get details about the place you intend to stay in.
Otherwise, you risk running over budget and racking up costs outside your per diem.
7. Is the apartment furnished?
Whether you are going on a short trip or an extended stay, you don’t want to furnish anything.
Moving to another location is already hard enough; you don’t want to deal with moving things like beds and kitchen utensils too.
Can you imagine walking into your new home away from home and seeing a fully stocked kitchen, a big television, and a nice, comfy bed?
Think about the weight that would be lifted off your shoulders during corporate travel if you only had to worry about what clothes you were going to pack.
When you rent furnished, your apartment comes with all the equipment and housewares you’ll need for your extended business trip.
By the end of your stay, you won’t want to leave!
8. Is the neighborhood safe?
Staying in a new city can be scary when you don’t know much about the area you’ll be staying in. Luckily, we live in a pretty connected world, so you should be able to find a plethora of information about the neighborhood online.
If you know any colleagues or business contacts where you’ll be relocating, you can ask them about the best or safest neighborhoods in their city as well.
Before you book an apartment, make sure you take a look at the surrounding area. If you are traveling alone, make sure you know the safest neighborhoods to stay in.
On the other hand, if you are traveling with someone else, use the buddy system, and travel together to stay safe.
9. Can you bring your pets?
If you’ll be staying in an apartment for an extended period of time, you’ll want to bring your furry friends along.
While boarding your pet or having them stay with family is an option, there is nothing like being able to take your pet with you on your business trip.
Does your apartment allow you to bring your pets?
If so, check to see what the limitations are. You may need to pay additional pet rent or consider breed and size restrictions. Make sure you look further than “pets allowed” before you bring your favorite animal with you.
10. Does your apartment come with any fun amenities?
One of the best parts of apartment living is the amenities.
For instance, gyms, gardens, pools, and more. These can actually be cost-saving because there will be no need to join a gym or find a community pool when you want to swim.
Which amenities sweeten the deal at the apartment you want to stay at?
One of the best parts about staying in a Blueground apartment is the premium amenities offered. Each apartment provides different amenities depending on the building.
When you check out the Blueground website you can see an overview as well as images of many of the amenities offered by each apartment.
If you are stuck picking an apartment, you can even filter by your favorite amenities to make sure you land your ideal home.
Conclusion
When booking an apartment for business travel, every apartment has unique features and selling points. It’s important to dive deeper into every listing before you commit to a specific space.
Figure out what’s most important to you and find apartments that meet your standards.
So by narrowing down your apartment search based on the apartment features you need, you can find the perfect place to call home (even if only for a month or two!).
