morecomfortable for employees. And the race is on for the mostcomprehensive and luxurious services possible.If you're on assignment for any length of time, a hotel roomdoesn't compare to the flexibility and comfort that corporatehousing provides. Corporate Housing is sprouting up all over theUnited States, as apartment developers add this profitable andmuch-in-demand option to their list of services. But how long islong enough when you're considering corporate housing?Corporate housing, sometimes called temporary housing, isdesigned primarily for employees or individuals that require"long-term" (for a period of 20 days or more) housing due torelocation, disaster, or a lengthy yet temporary assignment.Although apartments, townhouses, and condominiums are the mostcommon varieties of corporate housing, single-family homes areon the rise, as well. And corporate housing p...

...roviders,increasingly aware that pleasing their clients often meansaccommodating their clients' families, are providing suchamenities as cribs and high chairs, keeping in mind thatbusiness people occasionally bring their families with them onassignments, or share occasional visits. Some facilities allowpets, and one corporate housing provider even provides Disneybedspreads upon request.In many cases, companies find that placing their employees incorporate housing is more cost-effective. And it's awell-received alternative by employees, who are able to set uphomes away from home, with their own kitchens, laundryfacilities, and extra space. While they provide more flexibilityfor residents, corporate facilities often have many of the sameservice-oriented features as hotels. In some accommodations, infact, a stay in temporary housing may resemble a mini-vacationof sorts. Corporate housing staples include TV with basic cable(additional channels are optional); fully furnished rooms,including kitchens with microwaves, dishes, basic cookware, andsilverware; local phone service; and linens. Many includewashers and dryers, and those that don't usually have on-sitefacilities. Maid service is often available, cable TV is oftenprovided, and the list of creature comforts continues to grow inthe wake of competition among various corporate housingcompanies. Ironing boards, answering machines, microwave ovens,and vacuums are a few examples.Corporate housing is following the trend started by the businessworld it serves. It's going high-tech. Oakwood CorporateHousing, one of the country's major corporate housing providers,includes such options as printers, fax modems, multiple-linetelephones, and -- for big and little children -- Nintendo gameplayers.Oakwood, which has a significant presence in California'sbooming Silicon Valley -- a region attracting the brightestrecruits from throughout the world -- offers a particularlyunique package, called the "Asian Kitchen," to accommodate agrowing proportion of its clientele. The package includes a ricesteamer, teapot and teacups, soup and noodles bowls, rice bowls,and four pairs of chopsticks. And for those clients who plan todo some serious Asian cooking during their stay, a separateAsian Cooking Package includes a stir-fry wok, ladle, spatula,chopsticks, and cleaver. For clients who have traveled fromoverseas, it may not be home, but it's pretty close.According to K&M Relocation Network, which includes a corporatehousing division, the cost of a fully furnished apartment istypically 30 percent to 50 percent less than the cost of a hotelroom. For example, assuming that a one-night stay in a corporateapartment will cost you approximately $60, one night in a hotelcould run as high as $120 or more. If you're on a $3,000business travel budget, you'll get 50 nights in a corporateapartment for that price, but only 25 nights in a hotel beforeyou're out of money.While these facilities are designed to resemble home-likeenvironments, utilities -- including telephone, cable TV, gas,and electricity -- usually are included in the cost. To furtherillustrate the potential cost savings of choosing corporateaccommodations versus an apartment, consider all of the littlecharges that add up when you're an apartment-dweller: a move-indeposit, monthly rent, electricity deposit, monthly electricbill, telephone service deposit, monthly phone bill, furniturerental deposit when applicable, monthly furniture rental whenapplicable, housewares deposit, monthly housewares rental,weekly housekeeping service, monthly cable TV fee, and cabledeposit/installation. Corporate housing, in contrast, chargescompanies one monthly bill, a consolidated monthly statementthat varies according to the package selected by the employer oremployee.Employers also are finding that providing such facilities easesthe stress of business travel or relocation. Studies haveindicated that companies experience increased productivity fromtheir employees when they are able to reduce their stress byliving in an environment which closely resembles their normalliving situation. The commute to work usually is kept to aminimum, entertainment opportunities are often present, andrecreational activities are plentiful -- jogging trails, fitnesscenters, and tennis courts, for example.But corporate housing providers realize they've got a potentialmarket that extends far beyond the business travel. Many peopleare in need of temporary housing for a variety of reasons --vacations, seasonal travel, emergency stays, traveling withchildren, or interim housing, for example. For all of thesegroups, temporary housing represents a more attractivealternative -- particularly for families -- because of the costsavings they may provide. Families who head to a restaurantthree times a day, for example, may be alarmed at how quicklytheir travel budgets are drained; but a family who instead headsto a nearby grocery store for staples will save a significantamount of money. After all, parents know that children will befar more receptive to the idea of cereal in the kitchen thaneggs Benedict at the local restaurant. In response, multifamilydevelopers, such as Gables Residential, increasingly are turningto corporate housing as a hot new avenue to generate business....