There is nothing better than a blank diary at the beginning of the year, but it doesn’t stay that way for long. A visit to a client here, checking up on the office in London there; few of us spend our work lives at one desk and instead find ourselves visiting the capital sometimes monthly or even every couple of weeks.
Travel is an important part of work, especially if your company is one with different offices around the UK and Europe. Face to face meetings are usually more effective and give a better opportunity to understand the pressures, challenges and working patterns of the office. If you’re pitching for work with a new business or client then traveling to meet them and taking the time out will make them feel like you’re willing to understand and work with them. For existing clients spending time on their turf makes it much easier to understand their business.
Yet many companies might be tempted to curtail their work trips this year. They might be tempted to push for Skype meetings instead of face to face or to reduce the length of visits. It’s all because of the cost of staying in hotels. Even though budgets have shrunk, hotels have kept their rates high and many firms have found themselves facing the unwelcome possibility of having to reduce work trips in 2013, regardless of the impact this could have on their business and their relationships with clients.
It doesn’t have to be that way. More and more firms are looking creatively at ways in which they can still travel but won’t hit them in the wallet. A serviced apartment is proving to be a popular solution for travel accommodation.
A serviced apartment is just like a hotel but it’s cheaper and more flexible. If you’re staying for several days it means you can set up a home from home with more space and the chance to make your own food in the evening. It’s much more convenient and serviced apartments are always finished to a high standard so it feels like you’re living in a high-end stylish pad.
Following on from the pied a terre lifestyle, a serviced apartment is often an easier choice in terms of location. At Clarendon UK we’ve chosen serviced apartments dotted across the capital in central locations so no matter where your office or meeting is then you have somewhere to stay that’s close by.
Having somewhere luxurious and stylish to stay doesn’t have to come with a high price tag.