You could be part of a special projects team in town for a few weeks or months at the most. You could be a transferee straddling two cities until your final move. You may be relocating and still looking for the right job or home, or arriving ahead of the family until the kids finish school. In any case, you are looking for temporary housing that will meet your needs and/or your company's budget. What you need is a little hospitality.

The hotel industry, like many others has been impacted by a changing market. Telecommunications and commuter flights have reduced the need for travel for many businesspeople, once the target market of the industry. How to make the industry grow? Look at temporary housing needs.

People require temporary housing for different reasons, for different budgets, and for varying lengths of time. But what most travelers agree that they want out of temporary housing is an atmosphere as close to "home" as possible. Some temporary housing options won't work for a variety of reasons: Corporate housing or an extended stay in a hotel are often too expensive; leasing a single-family home is too long-term; and a short-term apartment lease simply doesn't provide enough services or perhaps the right atmosphere.

The need for reasonably-priced temporary quarters is so great that one company's president and CEO, George D. Johnson of Extended Stay America, calls it the fastest-growing segment of the market. Extended Stay America, Inc. has rapidly grown to become one of the leading providers of temporary housing. The company specializes in properties that include a number of amenities that appeal to the business or family traveler, including kitchenette facilities complete with tableware, laundry facilities on-site, weekly housekeeping, twice-weekly towel service, free local calls, free voice mail, and a data port. While facilities are not suitable for vacationing families with children, the accommodations are perfect for the lone traveler or couple on a budget. Separate bedrooms and additional amenities are available in the slightly more upscale StudioPlus properties, with Extended StayAmerica properties in the mid-range and Economy Studios available for the seriously budget-minded.

The company operates more than 194 extended-stay lodging properties in 35 states, which include 61 StudioPLUS hotels, 122 Extended StayAmerica Efficiency Studios, and six Crossland Economy Studios facilities. Eighty-four facilities are under construction, with options to purchase approximately 146 sites for development.

"Extended Stay America's appeal reaches beyond the business and corporate community. Besides being ideal for workers on extended or temporary assignments such as consulting, employee training, or construction, our properties are perfect for people building homes, relocating, or attending family functions," says Mike Wilson, vice president of marketing.

Published: January 22, 1998

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.