Business Confidence Increases Demand for Berlin serviced apartments-00-3353

Germany is the sixth largest economy in the world and the largest in Europe; it is also the world's second largest trader in terms of imports and exports and a hub of global scientific and technological developments. The centre of this economic powerhouse is Berlin, where numerous companies are headquartered, including Air Berlin, Deutsche Bahn, Bombardier Transportation, Vattenfall Europe and the engineering conglomerate, Siemens. The city is ranked as the third most innovative region in the EU, thanks to the growth of research and development in the city, and it is the site of Europe's biggest convention centre, the Internationales Congress Centrum (ICC).

As the geographical centre of an expanded EU and as a centre of research and business, Berlin is attracting more and more business visitors from across the world. Many find that the city's hotels don't fully meet their needs and, for guests staying longer than a few days, they can be an expensive option once extra costs such as laundry are factored in. The serviced apartments Berlin has to offer are becoming an increasingly popular alternative, offering guests a great deal more independence and providing corporations with a cheaper, more straightforward way of accommodating their employees abroad.

Berlin is attractive to businesses not only because of its economic strength but because of the quality of living that it provides: the Mercer Quality of Living Index 2010 ranked Berlin 17th out of 221 cities in 2010. The index, which takes into account transport, culture and recreational facilities alongside numerous other factors, was created to guide international corporations on which cities to base their employees in. Serviced apartments in Berlin offer businesspeople a means of experiencing what it's like to truly live in one of the world's finest cities. Rather than feeling like a tourist, returning to the hotel for every meal, they can wander around the city, buy food to cook in their own flat and, most importantly, return to a space that feels like their own at the end of a long day.

Berlin's architecture, which bears the mark of its fascinating 20th century history, as well as its 2,500 green spaces and numerous tourist attractions, make Berlin is a family friendly city, with plenty for children and adults to do in their spare time. This is important when so many business travellers have family and friends to visit. Berlin serviced apartments are often more family friendly than hotels, allowing businesspeople and their family and friends to cook, relax and work in one space rather than in separate hotel rooms.

Of course, for businesspeople working in Berlin, their priority will be doing the best for their business while they are over there. Serviced apartments in Berlin provide a quiet, spacious environment to work in outside of office hours. Most come with a desk or office area and many provide business facilities, such as meeting rooms and secretary service. Most are located near transport facilities of some kind, and many are in the city's main business districts, such as Berlin Mitte so guests can always find an apartment near their place of work.