Business traveller Shane Baker doesn’t mind staying in serviced apartments in Melbourne, but there is no place like home. That is, until he discovered Corporate Keys apartments.

When Baker spent three months on a project in Melbourne late last year, he chose not to stay in a serviced apartment but to try Melbourne corporate housing provider, Corporate Keys.

“It’s certainly more relaxing than staying in a hotel or a serviced apartment in Melbourne”, he says, “there is room to work from home, to cook, to entertain, to invite friends to watch a movie on Foxtel – it really is like a home away from home”.

Serviced apartments in Melbourne range in quality and price, but for a three month stay expect to pay between A$150 and A$250 per night. Melbourne has one of the world’s busiest events calendars, and serviced apartments in Melbourne are often completely booked out a year in advance at premium rates at these times, meaning that longer term residents may need to move out and find other accommodation.

Corporate Keys Melbourne accommodation uses residential apartments which are around twice the size of the leading serviced apartments, but are available for as little as A$100 per night. Like the top end serviced apartments they are fully furnished, all utilities are included, commercial hotel grade linen and towels are provided and kitchens are equipped with every appliance and utensil found in the typical home.

“I like the fact that I can just move in and everything is there” remarks Baker. “Because I was living there for three months, I wanted to be able to walk around, stretch out, relax and not feel that I was getting ‘cabin fever’. The lap pool and gymnasium were another great feature for me – it’s like living in a house inside a serviced apartment building or hotel.”

Unlike Serviced apartments in Melbourne, Corporate Keys apartments are available only for a minimum stay of 28 nights, and cannot be pre-booked months in advance.

“This is how we keep the price lower than Serviced apartments while keeping the quality higher” says Bruno Torres, Corporate Keys’ Business Development Manager. “By keeping occupancy high we are able to provide great apartments and great service for a very competitive price”

Hotels and the very best serviced apartments in Melbourne do have an edge in certain areas, such as daily maid service, 24 hour room service and valet parking. But Shane Baker doesn’t see any downside to the Corporate Keys service: “you don’t have a maid interrupting every day, you can go out to great Melbourne restaurants nearby or you can cook at home or order a pizza. You can book a weekly clean if you like and there is under cover parking available in the building. Any drawbacks are insignificant compared with the convenience and cost savings.”

Business travellers today are relatively sophisticated in their accommodation choices but not all have discovered Corporate Keys corporate housing as an alternative to serviced apartments in Melbourne.

“The corporate housing industry is still relatively new in Melbourne” says Torres, “having emerged only in the last ten years. But once a business traveller discovers these spacious apartments, they develop a strong preference for them over serviced apartments for stays over 28 days. They are often surprised with the higher quality of furnishing, house-wares and linen over leading brands of serviced apartments. For stays of less than 28 days in Melbourne, serviced apartments and hotels are the way to go, but for longer stays Corporate Keys apartments are fast become the accommodation of choice.”

“‘Being away on a three month assignment can be stressful”, adds Baker, “but with Corporate Keys, it feels like home.”

Expat around the world sometime find it difficult to relocate, especially if they are from a different culture and they are unaware of the rules and regulations of the municipal organizations of the country they have been transferred to. If you are looking to rent a fully furnished apartment in Melbourne, then you are in for a pleasant surprise. There are numerous Melbourne apartments and Melbourne serviced apartments which cater to the requirements of the business people who are visiting Melbourne for short or long period.

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and happens to be the second largest metropolis in Australia. The Melbourne serviced apartments are the most prevalent types of accommodation in Melbourne and the most common forms of accommodation throughout Australia. The Melbourne apartments and Melbourne serviced apartments are in premium CBD locations dotted throughout the entire city.

There is a wide variety to choose from. The Melbourne serviced apartments are in residential buildings comprising of studio apartments and one, two or three bedroom apartments. They are fully furnished with linen, furniture, cutlery, crockery, electrical equipment like microwaves, dishwashers and driers. The service in the Melbourne serviced apartments varies according to the contract that you have signed or according to the owner’s set-up.

The service is usually offered twice or thrice a week. However, if you are lucky, you may get the benefits of an everyday service. The Melbourne apartments are quite popular with the families, couples or singles. They are especially well-liked by the corporate travelers who are in the city on an extended stay. The Melbourne apartments are rented at prices that are much below the standard hotel tariffs, moreover they are like homes and the hospitality is unmatched and service is superb.

There is a plethora of Melbourne serviced apartments and Melbourne apartments available but you have to be cautious and evaluate the strategic locations and the rent offered by them. Before opting for any apartment, conduct thorough research on the internet. Your property agent can also help you, if you are already in Melbourne. The property agents have all the information and they can guide you well in choosing the Melbourne serviced apartments.

However, remember they work on commission basis and the owner of the Melbourne apartments has to pay them one month of rent in advance. Thus the owner prefers if you approach him directly, since in this case he doesn’t have to pay commission and the profit is not marred. If you are a single, then you should opt for the Melbourne serviced apartments which are near your office or business establishment. If you are visiting Melbourne for a longer time and have the family with you, then going for Melbourne apartments that have bedrooms would be a wise idea.

Living in a hotel can be an expensive affair if you are staying in the city for a stretched period of time. The Melbourne serviced apartments and the Melbourne apartments are there to rescue you and your company from this problem since not only they are money savers, they provide supreme level of facilities and security, too.