SHORT-TERM ACCOMMODATION


compliance risk, and the big players, who know and understand the global mobility and relocation market well, will ultimately be the winners. Those who couple their depth of knowledge


with a real understanding of duty-of-care issues will be set to succeed and capitalise on the tide of movement which is inevitable as the implications of Brexit become clear. The new crop of industry surveys out for


2016 is already confirming that the length of international assignments continues to get shorter and that short-term assignments and business travel are on the increase. What is really interesting about the


current situation is that it is all coming together. Increasingly, it makes sense for HR global mobility managers and HR relocation specialists to embrace the STBVs to ensure that mobility is firmly under their control. Not to do so is a huge risk for organisations. The art will be for HR global mobility professionals to see


this as a strategic advantage and a chance to support their organisations as a business partner – not to lose the opportunity and become bogged down in the minutiae of the administrative aspects. Business travel departments in many large organisations are well equipped to shoulder the burden.


SACO Locke


The business perspective At the recent Serviced Apartment Summit, during a session exploring how the role of the travel buyer may change in the future, Helen Jefferys, from PWC, Kevin Carr, from UBS, and Steve Proud, from Citi, illustrated how financial services and banks were already firm fans of serviced apartments. PWC strongly recommends the use of serviced apartments for


stays of more than four or five nights. UBS has a mandated policy over six nights. Citi no longer has a minimum stay requirement. With high volumes and the average length of stay growing, it is seeing a shift to serviced apartments. Citi has large regional service centres in Poland, Nashville


Housing in Brussels made easy


and India, where people are doing training or project work. PWC’s requirement for serviced apartments in London has grown hugely. The company has set up an extended arm out of Belfast, and sends teams to work out of London. It now has an apartment group that is growing all the time. Eighteen months ago, following an RFP, it took the decision to use two new providers working closely together. When asked to what extent UBS was synchronising with


relocation, Kevin Carr admitted that, although they did have a partnership, they could do more to leverage it. Steve Proud explained that requirements of 90 days or more sat with Citi’s mobility department. Asked what would stop people choosing to stay in a serviced


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apartment, the requirement for a reception, a lounge and a bar was flagged up. Helen Jefferys felt it was still easier to book a hotel, and that there wasn’t the knowledge of serviced apartments, which could be addressed. Employees, she said, liked the loyalty points offered by hotels. The panel acknowledged that all corporates were potentially


looking at Airbnb, but said there were still challenges, particularly around robustness of safety and security. Some employers, such as Google, are more open to the


peer-to-peer economy than others. There is also interest from smaller independent companies, which want the flexibility and a competitive price but don’t have enough volume for a travel programme. As Shaun Hinds, of BridgeStreet Global Hospitality, pointed


out in another session, employers are realising they can’t stop Airbnb because it delivers what some employees (often the younger generation, who regard peer-to-peer services as normal rather than disruptive) want. Via its partnership with


52 | Re:locate | Autumn 2016


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