Cultural Immersion via Serviced Accommodations in Singapore
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, a successful corporate travel programme in Singapore hinges on more than just seamless travel and jam-packed itineraries. One of the most critical factors is finding the right place to call home, where travellers can relax, re-charge and prepare themselves for whatever tomorrow’s schedule throws at them.
But it’s not just a comfortable bed travellers seek when they travel for business—it’s an authentic immersion into their new city, which enriches their entire trip from start to finish. This shift in customer behaviour has seen the serviced accommodation landscape evolve through recent years as operators seek to enhance the overall guest experience. Singapore, one of the most developed serviced accommodation hubs in Asia, is no stranger to the investment Asia Pacific has enjoyed in recent years to achieve just this.
So if you’re travelling to Singapore on a business trip, or perhaps you are a travel manager considering which serviced accommodation type is best to support your objectives, join us as we delve into the different types of serviced accommodation in Singapore, their benefits and how they can support guests in immersing themselves in this remarkable city.
Housing Options in Singapore
Singapore’s diverse range of serviced accommodation options can be bucketed into three main categories: serviced apartments, corporate housing and co-living. Let’s dive deeper:
Serviced Apartments in Singapore
Serviced apartments, or “aparthotels” as they’re known in other parts of the world, typically offer a collection of fully-equipped apartments within a modern and purpose-built property.
Serviced apartments usually include amenities on par with what you would find in a hotel, which includes a 24-hour reception, security services, a maintenance team and recreational facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, saunas and communal chill-out spaces.
Cultural Immersion via Serviced Apartments:
The ease of transition into Singapore
Navigating a new city—on top of a jam-packed schedule and jet-lag—can be an exhausting and stressful experience. Traditional serviced apartments can support guests to hit the ground running via their central locations and strategic connectivity to key business and tourist hotspots.
Cultural immersion can’t begin until guests have their primary needs met. We’re talking about the ease of finding their apartment as they come from the airport, or perhaps the quickly locating their first meal after a long flight—and the central proximities of serviced apartments in Singapore can really support with these basic, yet incredibly important, first hours in the city.
Once primary needs are met, serviced apartments’ central locations provide guests with the ability to live like a local—and with ease. Singapore offers a long list of things to do outside of work, which when combined with its extensive public transport network and pedestrian friendly infrastructure, creates the perfect backdrop for travellers to immerse themselves fully in this city.
Part of the community
Many serviced apartments in Singapore now also make social gatherings part and parcel of their overall service. For guests, this could be anything from organised local tours of the city to small-scale events which encourage guests to participate in local festivals and cultural celebrations.
Such gatherings are aimed at fostering a sense of community and belonging amongst guests and provide ample opportunities for business travellers to interact and network with fellow residents. By encouraging travellers to embark on their own unique experience of the city through new friends and individual experiences outside of work, guests can experience greater work-life balance and form new connections which can support with overall wellbeing and enhanced productivity.
Corporate Housing in Singapore
Corporate housing offers travellers a more authentic and residential alternative to serviced apartments. Apartments are usually set within a large complex of residential apartments outside of the city centre, and where many locals live. Apartments are typically more spacious than traditional serviced apartments and usually offer some communal resident amenities in the form of chill-out areas, gyms and a swimming pool.
Corporate housing can also be a great option for longer-term assignments.
Cultural Immersion via Corporate Housing:
Authentically Singaporean
Tapping into Singapore’s more authentic side, the residential nature of corporate housing offers guests a unique perspective on the local lifestyle and day-to-day activities of Singaporeans.
Corporate housing apartments are sometimes located away from the hustle and bustle of key business and tourist hubs in Singapore, making it easier for guests to explore neighbourhood markets, parks, cafes and restaurants. Such access and insight into the locals’ way of living can encourage travellers to integrate themselves into the community, providing a more genuine connection to the local culture and ways of life.
A home away from home
Boasting an above-average apartment size in comparison to serviced apartments and co-living apartments, corporate housing provides guests with the ability to host social gatherings with colleagues, neighbours or friends. Hosting social gatherings from the comfort of their own home can provide travellers with unique opportunities for richer cultural exchanges with locals and other like-minded individuals.
From a professional perspective, such cultural immersion can translate into a range of benefits including a greater cultural understanding of co-workers, leading to better working relationships..
Co-living in Singapore
Singapore offers some of the most diverse and innovative co-living options across the Asia Pacific region. Co-living offers guests a less expensive and more social alternative to traditional apartments, whereby guests have access to their own private apartment with a bed and private bathroom, but facilities such as kitchens, living areas and laundry options are typically shared with other guests. In some cases, guests may also share larger apartments with fellow guests.
Cultural Immersion via Co-Living:
Local expertise on stand-by
Co-living apartments in Singapore often have 24-hour reception desks with local experts who can support in facilitating cultural immersion. Properties typically organise a variety of local events, such as guided tours, workshops, cultural activities and friendly competitions designed to connect travellers with fellow residents, the wider community and its traditions.
Reception areas also often serve as an information hub where guests can access useful information via QR codes, brochures and property itineraries. Co-living properties usually excel in integrating digital platforms, using mobile apps, social media or websites to keep guests informed through relevant, real-time updates about nearby events matching their interests.
Immersion by design
The concept of co-living has really picked up pace in recent years, not just due to its budget-friendly solution, but through its ability to forge strong social connections amongst guests in today’s remote world.
By their very nature, co-living apartments in Singapore are designed to actively encourage residents to socialise with fellow travellers through a variety of “social-first” features. Such amenities can include areas like co-working hubs, chill-out spaces and shared kitchens, which provide a space for like-minded business travellers to build connections and rich cultural exchanges.
Singapore's serviced accommodation landscape offers more than just a place to stay; it provides an immersive cultural experience that enhances the overall business travel journey. Whether through the convenience and centrality of serviced apartments, the authenticity and community integration of corporate housing, or the social and budget-friendly environment of co-living spaces, these accommodation options are designed to meet the evolving needs of modern day business travellers.
How Synergy Can Support Your Serviced Accommodation Objectives in Singapore
With a vast network of fully-furnished housing solutions across Singapore, Synergy is your local expert on the ground. Our mission is simple yet profound: to create a sense of “home” for every guest, no matter where they are in the world.
Our local team of experts can support your travellers and assignees by providing the right information to ensure they immerse themselves in their new city and get the most out of their business trip. Contact the Synergy team today to find out how we can support your needs in Singapore.
