The best contractor accommodation blends comfort and convenience. Find out what to look for in our guide to workers accommodation.
Managing accommodation for contractors can be a complex task due to long stays and rental requirements, but a well-equipped environment with all the comforts of home ensures that professionals have the personal space needed to relax and perform at their best.
Contractor work may last from a few nights to several months depending on the scope of the project, so it’s important for travel bookers to get the logistics right. In this guide, we’ll cover the different types of workers accommodation out there, from extended-stay hotels to serviced apartments, including key features to look for and tips to help meet your business objectives.
Contractors’ accommodation describes any form of housing or living arrangement used by contractors on temporary placements, usually positioned at or near the worksite for convenience.
Sometimes, accommodation is purpose-built. For example, industries like renewable energy, oil and gas, and mining installations often require work in remote locations. In these cases, suitable housing could take the form of modular units or other prefabricated structures for quick setup and maintenance. These come outfitted with space for cooking, living, sleeping, and recreation.
When you’re booking properties for travelling teams, you’ll be looking at comparable options like long-stay hotels, serviced accommodation, rented houses, and co-living spaces. To meet the needs of contractors, they will often be fully furnished and usually include private cooking facilities.
There are numerous industries where contract work is standard. In the film and TV industry, crew members spend long days on location. Depending on the length of the shoot, they might need a business hotel or service apartment. Healthcare workers, including travelling nurses, spend several weeks or months at each location and require a comfortable home to sleep in between shifts. And as we’ve mentioned above, prefabricated field installations are common in the mining, energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure industries.
Any time your company requires the hands-on expertise of skilled contractors, you’ll need to source suitable housing for the duration of each assignment.
Contractor accommodation is most frequently used for the completion of project-based assignments, ensuring teams have a comfortable place to stay until completion. Your business might also look for this type of corporate housing to support employee relocation or extended business trips.
Providing contractor accommodation gives greater control over project costs and efficiency. With workers located conveniently near the project site, they’ll enjoy minimal commute times. Accommodation comes with modern, comfortable amenities to serve as a home away from home for contractors, encouraging relaxation and well-being while creating an environment conducive to productivity.
Dedicated contractor accommodation may differ from traditional business travel hotels both in terms of facilities and flexibility.
Because contractors are often away from home for lengthy periods of time, they need living spaces that provide residential comforts. For example, apartment-style contractor accommodation features fully equipped kitchens and laundry facilities to suit longer stays, along with separate living and sleeping areas.
With project-based work, timelines and scope can rapidly shift. To accommodate sudden changes in plans, flexible cancellation policies are also common with contractor housing.
At the same time, there are some similarities with traditional business hotels. Serviced accommodation for contractors comes with hotel-like amenities such as housekeeping and reception.
Choosing the right contractor accommodation is a strategic decision that directly aligns with your business goals and significantly improves contractor well-being.
Booking longer-term accommodation typically reduces per-night rates when compared to hotels, and there’s often room for negotiation. Serviced trade stays usually come with an all-inclusive bill to cover the cost of utilities, accommodation, internet, and cleaning services, for easier financial planning and budget management.
Plus, by selecting accommodation near your jobsite or office, you’ll cut down on employee travel expenses like transport. Self-catering options also come with fully equipped kitchens, which saves on meal costs.
Serviced accommodation for contractors offers more space and privacy than a typical hotel room, and many still provide access to hotel-like amenities like gyms, swimming pools, and car parking.
By giving contractors comfortable accommodations, you’ll keep morale and engagement high. Something as simple as a satisfying view can improve concentration, and happy employees outperform their unhappy counterparts by 12% on average.
A home-like environment encourages contractors to relax, so they can arrive at work rested and ready to perform. Workers’ accommodation often comes equipped with in-room desks, power outlets and Wi-Fi to encourage focus and productivity, and some facilities include conference rooms for in-house brainstorming and client meetings.
In industries like construction, projects often come with uncertain end dates which requires a trade stay extension at short notice. Whether you need to book a few days or several months, the best contractor accommodation features flexible terms to suit shifting commitments.
Whether you’re planning travel for a documentary film crew or making temporary arrangements for IT systems experts, you’ll have several types of contractor accommodation to choose from.
The best option will depend on the length of stay, your business travel budget, and each team’s needs.
When you’re working with contractors staying in a single location, short-term rentals are a convenient option. They’re also a good choice for contractors travelling with their families, who need more living space and multiple bedrooms. These rental options include fully furnished houses or apartments, usually rented by the week or month.
When filtering through rental properties on booking platforms, you can filter by desired amenities like separate office space, air conditioning, and full kitchen to find the best fit for your team.
Hotels are always a popular option for all types of business travel, and the variety of options means there’s often a suitable choice for contractors. For short-term consulting work you can book them by the night, and with extended-stay hotels there are often discounts for booking weekly or monthly rates.
Business hotels are usually very conveniently located near business centres and public transport, and many provide onsite meeting spaces. Your team can also enjoy facilities that could improve their wellbeing and productivity, including 24-hour gyms, swimming pools, and room service.
Serviced accommodation for contractors offers the best of both worlds. These dedicated contractor accommodation services blend the privacy and comfort of a short-term rental with the luxurious amenities of a hotel.
A serviced apartment will include typical facilities like kitchens, laundry rooms, and separate living areas, making it a good choice for extended stays. Housekeeping services, security and reception are also usually standard.
When your work objectives require a close-knit team of contractors, co-living spaces are a fourth option. These are similar in layout to a hostel or dormitory space, with added privacy and amenities. Contractors have their own private ensuite bedrooms, but share communal living spaces for cooking, eating, and relaxing.
Contractors spend extended periods away from their home support networks, making loneliness an issue. For example, nearly half (47%) of UK construction workers report feeling lonely at work, and 1 in 4 Canadian offshore workers experience feelings of isolation. Shared living spaces, particularly in remote locations, give the chance for social interaction, bonding opportunities, and professional networking to improve mental health.
When booking accommodation for any business trip, you’ll want to keep things like budget, location, and amenities in mind. Here’s a specific list of factors to consider if you’re charged with arranging contractor accommodation for a crew.
Your company may only need to bring in a consultant for a day, or you may be planning a months-long infrastructure project. This will impact the best accommodation.
Duration also impacts cost. Per-night rates are open to negotiation when you book accommodation for months rather than days.
A convenient location is essential for any contractor accommodation. Look for options near work, whether your contractors will be commuting to an office, event space, construction site, or trade fair.
In addition to commuting distance, consider convenience and accessibility.
Things like free Wi-Fi, coffee making facilities, toiletries and hairdryers are standard in any business travel hotel.
For long-term work accommodation, contractors require these and more. Look out for practical amenities like:
Keeping within your company’s corporate travel budget is essential when you’re booking accommodation for contractors. Keeping this in mind, consider not only the nightly rate, but look for options that provide discounts for longer stays.
In an ideal world, work projects progress right on schedule. Yet as any project manager knows, delays are common in many industries, which can impact your original booking dates. It’s a good idea to check whether your accommodation has flexible policies, both in terms of cancellations and extensions.
Read the fine print carefully, particularly when deposits are required. Verify any fine-print factors including:
Solo consultants will have different needs than travelling teams, which is something to remember when comparing options.
When a group needs to travel together for large projects, you can find and book suitable business travel accommodation for up to 30 people at once using Tripeden.com for Business.
To find contractor accommodation that ticks all of the boxes above, you need a booking solution that will show you all available options. The best platforms will show available business travel hotels to suit your project needs. They’ll also show serviced apartments, corporate rentals, and bed and breakfasts near your worksite.
All-in-one solutions like Tripeden.com for Business not only let you book travel for contractors, but also let you manage bookings and expenses from a central platform, enabling streamlined itinerary management for larger groups.
Contractor accommodation services source and manage suitable properties on behalf of businesses and contractors. They take over all aspects of the living arrangement, including managing leases and payments. Full-service accommodation often not only includes hotel-like facilities such as housekeeping and a 24-hour concierge, but it also may include add-on features like dry cleaning and grocery delivery.
If you prefer to directly manage your bookings for full visibility, compliance and control over contractor projects, platforms like Tripeden.com for Business give you the solutions you need.
While experienced contractors are used to travelling extensively for work, you can ease any concerns with a well-crafted corporate travel programme. This will also help ensure compliance by eliminating any points of uncertainty.
There are plenty of ways to keep costs within budget when planning accommodation for your contractors.
When accommodation is linked to a specific job or project, this qualifies as staff accommodation. The employee lives in the accommodation while providing services or performing job duties. For contractors, this is tied to a temporary contract.
Typical contractor accommodation includes features to support work and leisure. This includes fully furnished living spaces, kitchens, onsite laundry facilities, complimentary Wi-Fi, dedicated work areas, and housekeeping services.
Terms are often flexible, and this will vary by provider. Stays may vary from a single night to several months.
You can often book this type of accommodation the same way you would any other type of business travel hotel, including business travel solutions like Tripeden.com for Business that let you apply filters for location, duration, and amenities. For long-term property rentals, you may need to use a real estate agency or specialist contractor accommodation services.
You’ll find many serviced apartments, rentals, and hotels located near urban business districts and suburban office parks. However, accommodation might also be found in rural areas to suit the needs of industries like engineering, oil and gas, and mining.
Highly skilled contractors are valuable contributors to your business, bringing expertise and experience to the table. To help them perform at their very best, it’s important to offer suitable living arrangements that merge comfort with convenience. With the right contractor accommodation, you’ll provide team members with adequate space to recharge after long days on the job, and a convenient location for smoother project delivery.
Getting started is easy, particularly with clear budget and booking guidelines contained in your company travel policy. Consider factors like location, amenities, provider, and budget to find flexible solutions that tick all the boxes.
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