Serviced Apartments & Corporate Travel & Relocation in Europe Market Overview 2026
At My Destination Nation we specialise in sourcing high-quality, compliant serviced apartments and corporate housing for global teams. The latest European market research from Savills reinforces what we have been seeing on the ground: professionally managed extended-stay accommodation is moving from a niche option to a strategic priority for companies managing international assignments, project travel and relocations.
Key Market Snapshot – 26 European Gateway Cities
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Existing serviced apartment rooms | 86,911 (≈8% of total accommodation supply) |
| Rooms in development pipeline | 12,533 (≈12% of total pipeline) |
| Demand growth (CAGR since 2019) | 5.9% (vs 1.1% for traditional hotels) |
| Occupancy (2025) | 79% |
| Average Daily Rate (2025) | €136 |
| Transaction volume (2025) | €1.2 billion (≈5% of total hospitality investment) |
| Rise in investor appetite (2026) | +22% |
Serviced apartments remain under-represented relative to overall accommodation supply, yet they already represent a rising share of the development pipeline. This structural gap underpins future growth potential for professional operators and the corporate clients who use them.
What Is Driving Demand?
Several structural shifts are working in favour of serviced apartments and extended-stay formats:
- Longer stays are becoming the norm. Data from the European Travel Commission shows an 11% rise in Europeans planning trips of 7–12 nights, alongside a decline in shorter stays. Remote and hybrid working continue to support this shift.
- Corporate programmes are adapting. Many companies now prefer apartments that meet duty-of-care standards, deliver consistent quality and provide clearer cost transparency than informal short-term rentals. The GBTA Business Travel Index Outlook forecasts an 8.1% increase in corporate travel spending on UK serviced apartments in 2026.
- Digital nomads and extended assignees continue to grow. The global digital nomad population is estimated to have exceeded 50 million in 2025, creating sustained demand for well-equipped apartments with reliable connectivity and space to live and work.
- International travel remains robust. Europe welcomed an estimated 800 million international visitors in 2025. UN Tourism forecasts continued mid-single-digit growth in global arrivals, supported by strong intra-European mobility and recovering long-haul markets.
Regulation Is Redirecting Demand Toward Professional Operators
One of the most important developments is the tightening of rules around short-term rentals across Europe. Cities are introducing night caps, licensing regimes, zoning controls and stronger enforcement in response to housing affordability, liveability and sustainability concerns.
These interventions are reducing the viability of informal entire-home listings in central urban locations. Demand itself is not disappearing — it is being re-allocated toward planning-compliant, professionally managed accommodation. Serviced apartments typically sit outside short-term rental definitions and are therefore well placed to capture this displaced demand while supporting occupancy and rate resilience.
For corporate mobility and travel managers this reduces risk. Choosing a compliant, managed apartment helps avoid last-minute disruptions caused by regulatory crackdowns on informal supply.
Investment Momentum & Operator Expansion
Institutional investors are taking notice. In 2025 the European serviced apartment sector recorded approximately €1.2 billion in transaction volumes. Major hotel groups have expanded their extended-stay and serviced apartment brand portfolios from 14 brands in 2015 to 25 by early 2026. Operators that were historically focused on single domestic markets are also pursuing cross-border expansion, supported by institutional capital.
The sector remains highly fragmented. Many markets are still dominated by smaller, localised operators — creating clear opportunities for professional platforms that can deliver consistent quality, scale and operational excellence.
What This Means for Corporate Clients
The combination of rising structural demand, regulatory pressure on informal supply, stronger operational performance and increasing professionalisation points to a clear opportunity: companies that prioritise quality, compliant serviced apartments are likely to benefit from better availability, stronger duty-of-care alignment and more resilient pricing over the coming years.
Key advantages of professional serviced apartments for corporate programmes include:
- Higher average occupancy and rate resilience compared with traditional hotels
- Planning-compliant status and lower regulatory risk than informal short-term rentals
- Residential-style amenities (kitchens, laundry, workspace) that support longer stays and productivity
- Consistent quality standards and professional management suited to corporate duty-of-care requirements
- Greater cost transparency and suitability for extended assignments and project-based travel
How My Destination Nation Can Help
At My Destination Nation we work with a carefully vetted network of professional operators across Europe and beyond. Our focus remains the same: secure, compliant, high-quality apartments that meet corporate standards for duty of care, transparency and guest experience — whether the stay is two weeks or six months.
If your organisation is reviewing its approach to extended-stay accommodation, or simply wants a clearer picture of options in key European cities, we would be happy to discuss how we can support your teams.