Business travel is a big industry with millions of individuals traveling domestically or internationally each year, but the challenge for some travelers becomes making corporate housing your home away from home. For executives who are traveling for work long-term, it can be important to both their happiness and productivity on the job to feel more at ease in their new surroundings. By understanding the link between corporate housing and work, as well as what you can do to make corporate housing feel more like home, your next business trip can be your best.

Why Feeling at Home in Corporate Housing Is Important for Work-Related Travel

A place to stay while traveling for work is far more than simply a place to lay one’s head. How a person views their new living space may have implications for their mood and their success in:

Work productivity levels.

Studies have shown that executives traveling for business that feel more at home in corporate housing tend to have increased work productivity levels. In contrast, those individuals who did not feel comfortable in their surroundings were generally less productive in the workplace.

Stability.

A business executive who felt comfortable and at home in their new space usually experienced increased levels of stability in that season of life. This is critical to the corporate culture because an employee that is happy is more likely to stay the course and do so with ease. Those individuals who do not feel at home can become homesick or depressed, which could negatively impact their performance at work.

8 Tips for Making Corporate Housing Your Home Away from Home

There are a number of ways to make a corporate apartment feel like home in terms of special accents and touches that an individual brings from home, but perhaps more importantly may be what the person does to make their surroundings warmer and more inviting. Eight useful tips for making corporate housing your home away from home are:

1. Unpack all the way. Many business executives choose to live out of a suitcase, so to say, as many find it challenging to find the time to unpack between temporarily settling into a new office and getting acquainted with a new city. The first step to settling in and feeling at home is unpacking fully and putting the suitcase in the closet. When each item has a specific home, the space opens up and instantly feels cozier.
2. Be organized. Unpacking is key but keeping everything organized for the days and weeks afterward is also important for keeping a calm atmosphere. Keep things organized in the manner you like them at home to make it feel more like that same space.
3. Utilize housekeeping services. Traveling executives are busy, and housekeeping services are an ideal way to stay focused on work and enjoy down time in a clean space. While it is still recommended to regularly wipe the breakfast crumbs off the counter and such, taking advantage of a facility’s housekeeping services will help keep things looking clean and fresh. Maid service/housekeeping is available weekly, twice per month, or one time per month depending on budget/preference.
4. Bring items you cannot live without. There are things that can make a space feel cozier, like a blanket or a special throw pillow, and then there are things some people simply cannot live without. The latter is something to bring with you to corporate housing. Exactly what these items are generally differ from person to person, but the most common items people cannot do without are their favorite pillow or bath towel, and a framed photo of the family. If bringing your own set of sheets makes you more comfortable, do it.
5. Be festive. Just because you are away from home does not mean you must pass up the simple joys of the season. Whether it is buying a potted plant for your window in the spring and summer, pumpkins for the porch in the fall, or a strand of lights for the winter holidays, make the atmosphere festive and bask in the enjoyment it brings.
6. Scout out your new surroundings. If a large pumpkin spice coffee is a must to get your morning started off on the right foot, make sure you know where the nearest shop is located before you are in desperate need of a coffee and have no idea where to find one. During the first night or two in your corporate housing apartment, take an hour or so to drive or walk around your immediate surroundings to get an idea of what dining and entertainment options exist nearby.
7. Eat in. Most individuals do not eat out for three meals a day, every day of the week, and changing that practice while on the road can feel unnatural and make the body more sluggish. Most corporate housing facilities offer a private, full-size kitchen that is outfitted with major appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, etc. In the cupboards guests should find pots and pans, plates, glasses, and silverware. So why not cook your favorite dish, even if it is just for one? Your place will smell amazing and likely remind you a little more of home.
8. Keep a normal routine. Most people have a basic routine they follow every day. This can range from what order they do things in getting ready, what they have for breakfast, and what they do when they walk in the door after work. To help bring a little bit of home with you to your new city and office, keep your routine as normal as possible. This gives the day a comfortable and familiar rhythm.

Making corporate housing your home away from home is one of the best ways for a traveling business executive to embrace their new surroundings and feel more comfortable.