Short, medium or long stay abroad: how to choose the right accomodation 

Published on: 2 June 2026

You've got a work trip coming up. Maybe it's a week-long project in Amsterdam, a three-month secondment in London, or a full relocation to Brussels. The destination is sorted — but what kind of accommodation actually makes sense for your situation? 

It's a question more people get wrong than you'd expect. Book a hotel for a six-week stint and you'll quickly tire of living out of a suitcase with no kitchen and a minibar you're scared to open. Sign a year-long lease for what turns out to be a four-month assignment and you're stuck negotiating your way out of a contract in a language you're still learning. 

The right setup depends on how long you're staying, why you're there, and how much of a home you actually need. Here's how to think about it. 

Short stay abroad: hotel or serviced apartment — what's the smarter choice? 

Timeframe: up to two weeks 

Best for: business travellers, conference attendees, project kick-offs, bleisure travellers

Short stays up to two weeks are the territory where hotels still make sense — mostly. You're in and out, you don't need a kitchen, and you're probably expensing it anyway. But even here, a serviced apartment can be worth considering if you're travelling with a colleague, need a workspace that isn't a desk wedged next to the bed, or simply want to cook a proper meal after three days of conference food. 

This is also where bleisure comes in — (business + leisure) the increasingly common habit of tacking a few personal days onto a business trip. A serviced apartment gives you a proper base to actually enjoy a city rather than just pass through it. Cook breakfast, leave your suitcase unpacked, feel like a temporary local rather than a permanent guest. 

Not familiar with the term serviced apartment? It's is a fully furnished home — think proper kitchen, living space, a real bed — with utilities, internet, and weekly cleaning included in one fixed rate. All the practicality of your own place, without any of the setup. 

What is the best accommodation for a work assignment of one to six months? 

Timeframe: one to six months 

Best for: corporate housing, work assignments, temporary relocation, new arrivals, digital nomads, project-based contractors

The so called medium stays - this is the sweet spot for serviced apartments, and where the case for them becomes obvious. 

Two weeks into a hotel stay, the cracks start to show. The room feels smaller. You're spending a fortune on meals out because there's no kitchen. Dry cleaning is piling up because there's nowhere to do laundry. You've run out of things to do with the tiny shelf next to the TV. And when you add it all up — the nightly rate, the dinners, the dry cleaning runs, the overpriced breakfast — a monthly hotel stay will quietly devastate your budget, or your company's. 

A serviced apartment solves all of this. You get a fully furnished home — kitchen, living space, proper bed, utilities and internet included, weekly cleaning taken care of — at a fixed monthly rate that is almost always significantly lower than a comparable hotel over the same period. You live like a local, work comfortably, and don't have to think about any of it. 

Medium stays are common for: project-based work assignments, corporate relocations in progress, temporary postings, and new arrivals who haven't yet found permanent housing. If any of those sound familiar, a serviced apartment is almost certainly the right answer. 

What is the best housing solution for a long-term expat assignment or relocation? 

Timeframe: six months to one year 

Best for: expats, international relocations, secondments, family relocations, non-EU work permit holders, temporary housing while apartment hunting

For longer postings of six months up to a year or more, the serviced apartment becomes less of a convenience and more of a strategic choice. 

Starting a new role in a new city is already a lot to navigate. The last thing you need is to have committed to the wrong neighbourhood, the wrong size apartment, or the wrong commute before you've had a chance to figure any of those things out. A long-stay serviced apartment gives you the time to make that decision properly — to explore, settle in, and understand what you actually want — before signing anything more permanent. 

It's also worth knowing that in many European countries, an official registration at a fixed address is required early in the process of obtaining residency, opening a bank account, or arranging health insurance. A serviced apartment from a professional provider can supply the documentation you need for this — something a hotel typically cannot. 

Long stays also fall under what the industry calls extended stay — accommodation designed specifically for guests staying weeks to months, blending hotel-style services with the practicality of a furnished home. It's a category worth knowing about if you're researching options, and one that serviced apartments fit squarely within.

So which is right for you? 

The honest answer is that serviced apartments make sense for almost any stay longer than a few days — and for the right short stay too. The flexibility, the all-in pricing, and the feeling of actually living somewhere rather than passing through it make a real difference, especially when you're trying to focus on work or the practicalities of a new city at the same time. 

YOSAA has serviced apartments across Europe — from major business hubs to cities you might not have expected. Whether you know exactly how long you're staying or you're still figuring it out, browse our locations and find the right base for your next move.