Corporate Housing Factory (CHF) has been providing fully-serviced apartments to corporate clients in the Netherlands since 2013.

From furniture and fully equipped kitchens to weekly cleaning services, high-speed internet, car parks and several private health clubs, these turnkey properties offer a “soft-landing” for tech-savvy business travellers relocating to the Netherlands for short, medium or longer stays. Think temporary home with upscale hotel perks.

It’s fitting, then, that on the company’s 10^th anniversary, they’ve upped their service game by rolling out a new Progressive Web App (PWA)— my.corporatehousingfactory.com.

“A PWA has all the features of an app without having to download it,” explains CHF’s Amelie van den Akker. “It’s like having a concierge in your pocket.”

PWAs are built using web platform technologies (such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript) that can also operate offline on any device. They’ve been gaining popularity in recent years as people tire of installing specific apps that take time and gobble up data and valuable storage space.

Smooth experience

According to recent research, the PWA market is estimated to reach a value of $10.44 billion (€10.17 billion) by 2027, due to its ease, quickness and affordability to develop and a smooth experience for users.

“It’s a game changer for us,” says Van den Akker. “It’s more accessible, and we are always trying to improve the guest experience. It also fits in with our mission to go paperless and be more sustainable.”

Van den Akker says many people don’t want to use data on their phones to download apps anymore. Their PWA, developed with the Dutch software firm Maxxton, works via a webpage that can then be downloaded to a home screen, with a hyperlink taking them to all the information they need for their new home.

Home from home

For clients of Corporate Housing Factory, that translates to having everything they need at their fingertips. “Our guests are looking for more than just a place to stay,” says Van den Akker. “They’re not hotel guests here for a few nights, but residents for one week to six months. It’s their new neighbourhood, and we want to give them what they need to feel at home.”

That includes information about everything from local hotspots to medical centres, Dutch recipes to discounts at CHF partners—all easily accessible via a QR code that links to a pop-up on any device. “There’s so much information on phones these days,” says van den Akker. “If there’s an option to not force guests to download an app while giving them access to the same data, why not do it?”

Van den Akker calls Corporate Housing Factory’s PWA “a digital but still very personal approach.” Tenants can use it to reach out to our desk angels — available in all the cities where CHF operates—with questions or problems or requests for service.

“With digital advancements, people sometimes tend to forget the personal aspect,” says Van den Akker. “But nothing can replace personal communication with residents, and the PWA combines the best of both worlds.”

For more information about booking a Corporate Housing Factory apartment, contact Eva Valkhoff via e.valkhoff@corporatehousingfactory.com or +31(0)88 1169 500.