A hotel bed, a small bathroom, a breakfast buffet that you usually miss anyway – and at the end of the month a bill that takes your breath away. For many companies and self-employed people in the trades and industry, hotel costs are one of the largest avoidable cost items on assembly. There has long been a better alternative that is not only cheaper, but also much more practical in everyday life. Fitter apartments have long since replaced the hotel in many areas – and for good reason.
What a hotel costs – and what it offers
An average business hotel in a medium-sized German city costs between 80 and 120 euros per night and person. In Stuttgart or other metropolitan centers there are often even more. If you are three weeks with a team of five people, you can quickly get the five-digit range at the expense of accommodation – just for accommodation.
What do you get for it? A room that is cleaned daily, a bed and a bathroom. No space for tools, no way to cook for yourself, often no parking for the transporter. This is sufficient for a single business traveler who stays two nights. It’s not for a fitter who works on site for four weeks.
Where the hotel reaches its limits
The problem with hotels on longer montages is not just the price. It is the lack of suitability for everyday use. If you have to get up early in the morning, you don’t want to go through a hotel lobby to get your vehicle. If you come home in the evening, you want to be able to cook something warm – and not to be dependent on an overcrowded hotel restaurant. Anyone who arrives with colleagues wants to sit together in the evening in peace, regardless of having to take a neighbor’s room.
In addition, there is a practical problem: tools, work clothes and personal equipment need space. A hotel room usually offers far too little of it. Anyone who is on the construction site every day knows how much material and equipment a working day brings with it – and how impractical it is to accommodate all of this in an 18 square meter room.
What a builder’s apartment offers instead
The difference starts with space. A fitter’s apartment usually offers several rooms, its own kitchen and one or more bathrooms – at a price that is well below that of a hotel room. For teams, this is a considerable savings, which adds up to a considerable sum over a stay of several weeks.
But it’s not just about the money. A temporary apartment feels different than a hotel room. You have your own rhythm, you can shop and cook yourself, have room for working material and come to an environment in the evening that at least looks like a real home. That sounds like a little thing – but makes a noticeable difference over several weeks of how recovered you start the next day.
Inexpensive fitter apartments in well-connected locations – such as in the Filstal or around Göppingen and Heidenheim – often only cost a fraction of what a comparable hotel would require per person and night. And that with equipment that is much better suited for everyday work.
What to consider when choosing accommodation
Not every fitter accommodation is automatically better than a hotel. It depends on the equipment and the location. In the end, cheap accommodation that is poorly maintained or far from the place of use is not a saving. The following points help in the decision:
- Is the accommodation fully furnished and ready for occupancy?
- Is there a functional self-catering kitchen?
- Are there parking spaces – even for larger vehicles?
- How far is the accommodation from the actual location?
- Is a flexible booking period possible if the project is extended?
Anyone who answers these questions in advance makes a well-founded decision – and avoids nasty surprises after arrival.
What companies can save by changing
For companies that regularly send employees on assembly, switching from hotel to fitter’s apartment is one of the easiest ways to reduce costs. The bill is simple: If you book a large apartment for five employees instead of five hotel rooms, you often only pay half or less per person.
Added to this is the administrative simplification. If you book directly with the landlord, you have a permanent contact person, you will receive a collective invoice for the company name and do not have to bill each employee individually. Especially in larger companies with regular assembly assignments, this is an argument that is well received in accounting.
Long-term rental – when it is particularly worthwhile
For projects that span several months, it is worth considering a monthly rent instead of a weekly booking. Many landlords offer cheaper conditions for longer rental periods – which reduces the overall costs again. Anyone who communicates this from the start can often negotiate better conditions than if they are extended from week to week at short notice.
Another advantage of longer stays: you get used to it, know the surroundings, know where the nearest supermarket is, and have a regular everyday life – despite assembly. This not only affects well-being, but also on work performance.
The practical step away from the hotel
Raumschmide Apartments offers fully furnished accommodation in several locations in Baden-Württemberg – bookable directly, without a commission and with an invoice for corporate customers. If you’re about to choose between a hotel and a fitter’s apartment next time, you should just open the bill. In most cases, the numbers speak for themselves.