We were delighted to support the Global Serviced Apartment Industry Report (GSAIR) this year and contribute two articles by SilverDoor Martin Klima and Stuart Winstone, who shared their insights on the impact of geopolitics on the sector and on SilverDoor’s recent merger with Synergy Global Housing respectively.
The GSAIR report - published by our sister company, serviced apartment consultants Ariosi - is the corporate housing industry’s most trusted piece of research, comprising extensive data and in-depth interviews from across the industry featuring insights from buyers, intermediaries and operators on a range of current issues.
The report was launched on Thursday 9th October 2025 and we were excited to see a fresh new look for the report, as well as content that, as COO Alistair Murray put it ‘looks firmly ahead’.
Here are our top 10 insights from the GSAIR 2025...
1. Risk Management is a primary driver in travel and mobility programmes
ISO-31030 guidelines, pre-travel risk assessments, inclusive safety practices and infosecurity accreditations are becoming the baseline. ISO-31030 is an international standard for Travel Risk Management, providing a framework and guidelines to help organisations manage the health, safety, and security risks associated with business travel for their employees*. Corporates are embedding risk management into mobility programs to protect employees, comply with duty of care, and avoid reputational damage and expect suppliers to do the same, and prove risk mitigation and duty-of-care compliance in the provision of their services.
Real-life examples: BP audits serviced apartment suppliers for GDPR-compliant data handling and safety assurance, while Wood Plc integrates serviced apartment booking into their risk-monitoring systems.
*“State of the Nation”, page 10 with contributions from Danny Cockton (Wood Plc), Richard Eades (BP), and Carol Fergus (Fidelity International).
2. Technology is transforming pricing, booker, and guest experience. Live, instantly bookable long and short stay content that can easily slot into approved buying channels is key for businesses.
AI, API connectivity, and automation are transforming pricing, user experience, and duty-of-care data exchange. Intermediaries and operators are investing in API-driven connectivity, digital safety evidence, AI pricing, and guest-facing tech (chatbots, smart rooms, mobile check-in). Corporate buyers increasingly prefer suppliers who can demonstrate seamless integration and real-time data sharing*.
Technology adoption is accelerating, tech that works hard in the background offering a seamlessly customised UX is gaining in popularity with platforms offering flexible, custom workflows and approval processes for ‘high-risk’ locations, automated compliance checks, and integrated risk alerts. Tools which are enhancing traveller safety, streamlining operations and meeting demands of the next generation of traveller and that behaviour, look set to take on a more critical role in the corporate travel and relocation accommodation function.
Real life Example: Client demand for long-term accommodation programmes that can be easily accessed via online booking platforms is also increasing. Up-to-date, relevant, accessible and comprehensive content is growing in popularity. Ascott’s “Cubby” AI chatbot and Staycity’s WhatsApp-based concierge demonstrate guest-facing innovation that corporates increasingly expect.
*“Booking Smarter & Staying Safer”, “Geopolitics & the Serviced Apartment Sector”, page 47, Martin Klima (SilverDoor).
3. A destabilised and unpredictable global market is driving policy shifts and demand in tertiary locations
Visa restrictions, shifting trade agreements, geopolitical unrest, and climate events are reshaping relocation flows and travel choices. Corporates now demand real-time risk alerts, traveller tracking, destination intelligence, and flexible relocation packages that can pivot quickly. Martin Klima notes that an uncertain travel landscape has led to a more cautious approach to travel planning and “globally across our own client base, we have seen a rise in shorter-term relocations and greater focus on more tertiary and emerging economy locations.”
Real-life example: Accenture reports shortened assignment durations due to travel restrictions, while global bookings to certain regions (e.g., Middle East, US routes) have declined year-on-year. Travel and mobility teams are looking to control the controllables wherever possible in an unpredictable travel environment. We suspect the preference towards flexible booking terms as well as city rate caps and reviews of where programme-wide value and savings can be delivered will continue.
*“Geopolitics & the Serviced Apartment Sector”, page 47, Martin Klima (SilverDoor).
Corporates would benefit from destination intelligence and flexible relocation packages.
4. Data-Driven Compliance and ESG Reporting is no longer a ‘nice to have’ and quantitative, impact-focused reporting will be critical to stay competitive.
EU regulations (including CSRD and CSDDD) and UK laws like Martyn’s Law are forcing buyers to demand auditable safety, labour, and environmental data from suppliers*. RMCs and TMCs need tech-enabled reporting to remain compliant and procurement-ready.
Data is increasingly becoming a “strategic currency” in terms of how it is being used to structure the RFP process as well as its employment in the ongoing management and negotiation of accommodation and wider travel programmes beyond negotiations that focus on cost / price .
Real life examples: BP benchmarks apartment carbon footprints with SilverDoor; Graebel clients request verified ESG metrics for relocation supply chains.
*“A Focus on Sustainability”, page 28, and “Sustainability with Staying Power”, page 62, Tom Otley and Mark Harris.
RMCs and TMCs need reporting using quantitative methods to remain competitive.
5. Corporate demand will continue to fuel serviced apartment growth
Corporate relocation and long-stay demand is rising across sectors like energy, tech, legal, and finance. Growth is strongest in UK and Europe, fuelled by relocation, project work, and hybrid assignments and serviced apartments are gaining share against hotels thanks to flexibility, homelike amenities, and risk-aligned procurement fit*. The global serviced apartment market is projected to be worth £183 billion by 2030. However to be fit for purpose, in order to reduce leakage and increase the effectiveness of compliance, policies will need to be regularly updated, and online booking tools must become more accessible.
Real life Example: House of Fisher and Supercity Apartments both report longer average stays and a shift from transient to project-based bookings.
*“State of the Nation”, page 12, and “Future Vision”, page 41, Mark Harris.
6. Blended Travel and Hybrid Work Drive Demand
Business-leisure trips and hybrid working patterns are pushing corporates toward apartments with residential amenities, co-working areas, and flexibility for extended stays. This trend shows no signs of abating, with these kinds of properties popular with younger millennial and Gen Z travellers.
A more personalised traveller experience influencing architecture of long-term stay apartments. Hand-in-hand with a more personalised, tailored traveller experience where travellers are able to enter requirements and preferences disabled access, allergies, access to quiet spaces within units for neurodiverse travellers, sustainable features, etc) in one click, operators are increasingly investing in building properties that cater for a more diverse range of needs.
A standardised ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to serviced accommodation is certainly in decline as travellers now expect to book accommodation that offers a wider choice of facilities and space.
Alongside traditional key criteria (ADR, location) many booking decisions are now being influenced by access to additional amenities.
Real life example: Fidelity International sees travellers opting for apartments over hotels to support flexible working and wellbeing while on assignment.
*“State of the Nation” page 12, and “New Living Models for a Mobile Workforce” page 72, Mark Harris.
Younger millennial and Gen Z travellers demand a more tailored experience.
7. Gen Z and Workforce Shifts Reshape Mobility
With younger Millennials and Gen Z forming a growing part of the workforce, relocation and travel policies are adapting. Younger assignees value flexibility, wellness, digital-first experiences, and community integration, making serviced apartments and co-living attractive options. The continuing maturation of this demographic is accelerating demand for an instant, personalised experience, characterised by wider adoption of mobile apps. Gen Z travellers are putting their physical and emotional health and well-being first, and expecting their employers to do the same. We’re seeing pressure from travellers away from rigid entitlements to flexible, lifestyle-aligned allowances but the challenges are to balance this within a complex global policy, driving compliance, safety, and consistency with the personalised, flexible experience many younger travellers take for granted. For example, per diem food and beverage allowances can struggle to accommodate preferences to meal prep and buy groceries on a weekly basis, and at best don’t reward travellers for healthy habits, and at worst leave them out of pocket.
Real life example: Databricks offers budget-based housing stipends and operators like edyn and Staycity redesign apartments with co-working zones and wellness spaces.
*“Changing Traveller & Assignee Needs”, page 80 , Mark Harris.
Growing focus on healthy habits for younger corporate travellers.
8. Cost Pressures vs. Sustainability Tensions
Cost control is the top priority for travel buyers in 2025–26, but ESG is still a permanent fixture. Many firms are using AI-powered tools for smarter cost/sustainability trade-offs*. Buyers still demand strong ESG credentials in RFPs despite budget constraints. Wood Plc captures emission data for travel and aims to integrate it into purchasing decisions within 24 months; Fidelity International prioritises purposeful, longer trips to reduce overall footprint. This is a trend we can attest to. We have several clients who are prioritising suppliers who can capture and report on building-level emissions estimates and a handful who are going as far as mandating this for their approved properties in 2026.
Real life example: As the collection and application of carbon emissions data increases, SilverDoor expects to see a growing appetite for carbon budgets and carbon caps alongside rate caps as part of RFPs and policies. We’ve had to stick with our rate caps and choose the best properties for our clients, but they’re increasingly mandating that properties have to be providing their sustainability data to support Scope 3 reporting and at an investor-level, “ESG performance, community impact, and affordability commitments will increasingly influence valuations and planning approvals”
*“A Focus on Sustainability”, page 28, and “Sustainability with Staying Power”, page 62, Tom Otley and Mark Harris.
9. Wellbeing is a Non-Negotiable
Travellers and relocatees increasingly expect wellness amenities (gyms, green spaces, air purification, ergonomic workspaces). Employers are broadening support, offering cultural integration, local “buddies,” and community networks to ensure assignment success*.
Emerging generations of business travellers place real importance of purpose and feeling good about travel that treads lightly on the environment and local communities. We’re seeing increasing pressure from millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha for policies to ‘walk the walk’ on ethics, sustainability and social value. As this highly informed, carbon-literate generation matures with a greater awareness of social and environmental challenges, businesses will need to continuously future-proof their operations and their travel and mobility policies, and how these are communicated to their people.
Real life example: The importance of a soft landing in a new location is widely accepted as an important part of the success of an assignment and many companies offer support to employees and their families by assigning a local ‘buddy’ to assist with everyday tasks, like registering with a local GP and navigating cultural nuances. Many operators we work with offer residents’ evenings and notice boards, fitness classes and social events. These are things that don’t have to cost a lot of money but can mean the difference between a stressful or lonely arrival and one that is supported, smooth, and memorable for the right reasons.
*"Booking Smarter and Staying Safer", page 56, Carolyn Pearson & Martijn van der Voort.
Serviced apartments could double market share in the UK by 2030.
10. Experts predict continued market growth, maturation and evolution of the corporate housing sector, with blurring of the lines between asset classes such as co-living and BTR creating more choice and diversity for guests and businesses.
The industry has faced some headwinds in the last twelve months: inflation, labour costs and NI contribution increases, will be impacting profit margins across the supply chain and “it’s a double-whammy for operators who rely on in-house cleaning, maintenance, and guest service staff to maintain hotel-like service levels.”
Despite that, the report predicts that serviced apartments could double market share in the UK by 2030, supported by strong investor appetite, a healthy pipeline, and office-to-aparthotel conversions. For corporates, this means greater availability, more consistent standards, and stronger procurement leverage. “The workforce is shifting strongly toward millennials and Gen Z, who increasingly prioritise flexibility, affordability, community, and convenience in their housing”.
All this makes our sector well-placed to capitalise on future demand, and while there is still uncertainty on the horizon with the Autumn budget in the UK and global trade still an uncertain landscape, the future looks bright, and GSAIR 2025 has given us plenty of food for thought and reasons to be cheerful.
