Corporate apartment gets an upgrade

Date: September 30 2011
Source: The Seattle Times
Website: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2016336828_realcorporateapt02.html

Years ago, a new worker or an employee visiting the home office for a week or two might be put up in a bare-bones, company-owned apartment.

But those apartments were challenging and expensive to manage. So many businesses have turned to corporate-housing companies, which provide a variety of fully equipped lodging — from small studios to multibedroom apartments for families — with increasing services and amenities.

At the same time, those companies have had to learn how to ride the ups and downs of the economy, increasing their inventory in boom times and constricting it when the economy weakens.