What are the main industries that use corporate accommodation for their long-term business travellers?
Is your business constantly on the move? For a growing number of industries, long-term corporate accommodation isn't just a perk, it's a necessity. When company projects require an extended stay, managers need to ensure that all business travellers have the housing they need to make the most of their trip with the amenities they need, all while fitting into business needs, too. Simple features like kitchens to prepare healthy meals, and high-speed internet access to stay connected with the team, make all the difference when it comes to sustainable traveller comfort and productivity.
Corporate rentals fill this need with fully furnished apartments and flexible leases. But who benefits the most from these types of solutions? In this guide, we'll cover the top ten industries that frequently book long-term housing. Armed with these industry insights, you’ll then be able to find the right type of corporate rentals to meet your contractors’ needs.
Construction and real estate development companies frequently hire contractors to carry out work. The more complex building projects can last for weeks, months, and even years, necessitating adequate corporate housing.
If you’re arranging corporate accommodation for travelling construction workers, you’ll want to take their unique needs into account.
Crews need adequate space to relax and recover from the physical demands of long hours spent on site. With that in mind, you might want to consider alternatives to standard construction accommodation that’s often on-site and doesn’t let workers really make the most of their downtime. Tripeden.com for Business lists millions of properties to help you find the perfect accommodation for the work/life balance of your team.
Corporate serviced accommodation may be the best option for construction workers. Not only can you rent serviced apartments by the week or month to suit longer project lengths, but they come fully equipped with hotel-like housekeeping services, fully equipped kitchens, and separate living spaces.
Flexible booking policies are particularly important for these corporate rentals. That’s because delays are common in the construction industry. In fact, recent project analysis found that 85.5% of large-scale projects are delivered late, with nearly two-thirds of these (59.4%) being over two months behind schedule. Flexible housing solutions can accommodate both project extensions and early cancellation without penalty.
Budgeting is essential too. An analysis of 16,000 construction projects found that less than 1 in 2 (47.9%) were completed within budget, which has an impact on travel costs. To keep travel budgets in check, you’ll need to find suitable corporate housing for workers that’s not only comfortable, but comes at a reasonable price. The best properties will offer discounts for longer stays, teamed with flexible booking policies.
The entertainment industry is another sector requiring frequent, long-term travel. From actors and directors to lighting crews and on-the-ground production assistants, all these hardworking professionals need somewhere to stay throughout filming.
The length of a film shoot will depend on the production’s budget and project’s complexity, with an average principal photography time of five to eight weeks. For TV shows, filming can be ongoing over several months, and post-production adds on to the schedule.
For short, commercial shoots, particularly in urban locations, hotels may be the most convenient option. You can keep your team in one place with access to standard amenities like Wi-Fi, laundry, fitness facilities, onsite restaurants and, in some cases, kitchenettes.
But when production requires extended stays on location, corporate rentals give crews somewhere comfortable to relax and catch up on meetings in between scenes. Corporate serviced apartments come equipped with living areas and business hubs to facilitate things like remote work and script read-throughs. Many also include hotel-like amenities, such as pools and fitness centres.
Look for options with all-inclusive amenities to streamline financial planning – Wi-Fi, cable TV, in-unit laundry, and others should come as standard. As with construction, film shoots can be unpredictable in terms of timing. Choose rentals with flexible booking terms to extend or shorten your lease as needed.
Finally, privacy can be a unique issue for film crews, particularly when working with high-profile directors and actors. Make sure any hotels or corporate serviced apartments come with 24/7 security for peace of mind.
For those who love travelling, a career in healthcare offers ample opportunity to see the world. Travel nurses, locum doctors, medical specialists and researchers are examples of positions requiring temporary, fully furnished housing when working long-term assignments. These positions often fill staffing shortages due to factors like seasonal patient increases, natural disasters, strikes, or leaves of absence.
Many travel nursing contracts include company-provided housing as part of the employment package. That means if you work for a healthcare facility or placement agency, you will need to find suitable corporate accommodation for the contract’s duration. A standard travel nursing contract lasts for 13 weeks, though this can be extended depending on hospital needs.
No matter the contract length, location is a top priority when sourcing healthcare worker accommodation. Make sure rentals are located near the hospital or research facility to shorten commuting time.
Laundry facilities are also non-negotiable for healthcare professionals, who work long shifts. Corporate serviced accommodation gives the added benefit of regular housekeeping, which saves time for busy shift workers.
And with many healthcare professionals working overnight hours, a quiet location is essential to catch up on valuable sleep during the daytime. Search for corporate accommodation that’s close enough to the worksite but also positioned away from heavy traffic zones or popular nightlife areas.
The engineering industry is home to many long-term business travellers. For example, materials engineers help design everything from biomedical devices to aircraft wings. As part of their job, they would need to visit different locations to evaluate product design. Environmental engineers also travel extensively for work, monitoring waste conversion and water reclamation projects in the field. And civil engineers work on large-scale projects like airport, bridge and tunnel construction.
As with the construction industry, this type of business travel requires long days and challenging situations. This means that comfort, flexibility, and a convenient location are key. It’s important to find corporate housing that’s suitable for rest and relaxation, so extended-stay hotels or serviced apartments tend to be best.
When working on the road, engineers need accommodation that comes with its own quiet workspace to get away from construction noises. They also need onsite or in-unit laundry, and a full kitchen for longer stays.
While many IT consultants work independently and remotely, some projects require in-person travel. For example, companies might need to hire IT contractors to maintain large networks or upgrade existing systems. Cybersecurity is another field requiring long-term business travel, with consultants travelling to various countries to perform system audits and train employees on the latest threats.
If you’re tasked with planning travel for IT professionals, you’ll need to think about providing a fully connected, tech-friendly space where they can also disconnect and unwind at the end of the day. That means separate living, working, and sleeping areas, best found in a short-term rental or corporate serviced apartment.
Location is also essential for tech professionals relocating for contract work. From the Bay Area’s Silicon Valley to Dublin’s Silicon Docks, you’ll find clusters of corporate rentals surrounding global tech hubs. Yet along with proximity comes higher rental prices, particularly in cities like London and Paris, so it’s important to balance location with budget.
Often located in remote areas with challenging environmental conditions, the mining industry requires safe, secure accommodations for its travelling workers.
For large-scale, remote projects with few facilities nearby, mining companies will often require their own purpose-built camps. These are modular units, mobile trailers and prefabricated cabins. Like other forms of serviced corporate accommodation, mining facilities should include dedicated spaces for laundry, cooking, and sleeping.
Camps will also include facilities management services to take care of power, water, waste management and laundry, along with onsite catering companies. Modern mining camps are designed to be sustainable, incorporating water recycling systems and energy-efficient fixtures.
Of course, as with any industry there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and some mining projects aren’t as remote. In these cases, you can look for similar accommodation to construction work, with serviced corporate apartments and short-term leases that keep travelling workers safe and comfortable.
Renewables are on the rise worldwide. With global governments pushing to find more sustainable sources of clean, green, energy, there’s a heightened need for solar and wind-powered installations. Along with this comes job creation. For example, the Marine Energy Council anticipates the need for 22,600 new jobs by 2040 in the UK.Along with this growth comes the need to accommodate all these workers as they travel to each project.
Contractor accommodation comes with unique challenges in the renewables industry. With many marine and tidal installations located in seaside areas, as a booking manager,you may find yourself competing with the leisure industry for suitable lets – particularly during peak tourist seasons.
Yet location is still very important, with workers in need of flexible accommodation near their green energy projects. To best navigate this challenge, as a booking manager, you should look at corporate housing that’s less likely to appeal to tourists. Rather than renting short-term lets, look at corporate serviced apartment providers and hotels that cater for business travellers instead.
Project managers and business strategists are often travelling for work. They’re hired by companies in a variety of different sectors to monitor, audit, and improve operations or oversee projects.
Business consultants require centrally located housing that balances comfort-minded amenities with productivity-boosting features. Business hotels are often a good choice for this type of traveller, particularly those that come with work hubs and conference facilities. This lets consultants meet with clients while travelling, without booking separate workspaces.
Corporate housing should also be located near prime business districts and company offices to minimise commuting time. At the same time, this enhances networking opportunities, aligning with project goals.
Companies operating in the oil and gas industry send a variety of employees out into the field for work and have their own corporate travel programmes to dictate what qualifies as suitable accommodation.
For contractors, the type of housing will depend on the job and its requirements. Those working on exploration and drilling projects will be placed in remote locations in rugged territories or offshore rigs. For these, you’ll need versatile cabins and modular units like those we’ve mentioned for mining companies.
Corporate housing options near pipelines and storage facilities might include guesthouses, long-stay hotels or short-term apartment rentals. These provide a high standard of comfort and flexibility throughout phases of operational maintenance.
Contractors working in the refining and distribution side of the oil business will benefit from furnished corporate apartments positioned near refineries. That way, they’ll be only minutes away from the worksite when help is needed with refinery shutdowns or other time-sensitive projects.
The entertainment sector stages large-scale events in locations around the world. High-profile sporting events like the Olympics and World Cup bring a sudden surge in housing demand to their host cities, necessitating careful travel planning for your larger crews. With a combination of corporate event planning apps and business travel management solutions like Tripeden.com for Business, you can view what’s available for larger parties that falls within travel policy guidelines.
When you’re planning smaller business events like trade shows or week-long conferences, find out if your chosen venue offers onsite accommodation or partnerships with local hotels at discounted rates.
For business travellers that will be spending more time working on an exhibition, furnished corporate apartments are often the best choice. Look for locations close to the event site to minimise travel delays, along with amenities required by event staff like Wi-Fi and workspaces.
Booking and managing corporate accommodation is made easy with online platforms like Tripeden.com for Business. You can view a huge range of accommodation options, from serviced apartments to hotels, whether it’s for one night, one month, or more.
Whether you’re looking for the extra room and flexible leases that come with apartments or the comforts of a hotel, we can help you find accommodation that has everything you need, right where you need it. You can also expedite the travel expense reporting process using integrations with tools like Expensify. That way, travelling workers can book, manage, and submit reports from a single dashboard, all while benefiting from discounted corporate rates.
The best contractor accommodation blends comfort and convenience. Find out what to look for in our g...
When working with freelancers, it’s important to set clear expectations for freelance travel expense...
Learn about the importance of corporate travel planners and explore our top 10 tips for conquering b...
