Blogs.
Blog 8, 06 May 2026 - Melbourne, Australia
Employee retention isn’t just about pay or perks, where your team sleeps matters too.
For staff working long-term in regional or remote locations, comfortable, purpose-built accommodation can make all the difference in morale, wellbeing, and productivity.
Retaining employees is a long-standing challenge many companies face. Often, retention is framed around pay, rosters, and opportunities for advancement – but keeping a motivated and focused workforce is just as important for long-term success.
These factors all play a key role in staff longevity. Yet for those working remotely, one often-overlooked influence is the quality of accommodation, especially on long-term projects in regional or remote locations.
Employees who spend extended periods away from home value their downtime. Their accommodation isn’t simply a place to sleep; it’s where they recover, maintain routine and reset. Without a true home away from home, rest suffers, fatigue builds and morale can quickly decline, often affecting team dynamics and prompting them to seek employment elsewhere.
Extended STAY Australasia operates almost exclusively in the extended-stay space, providing purpose-built accommodation for people who need to be in one location for extended periods. They pride themselves on supporting workforce stability in regional communities, which boosts wellbeing and morale within the organisation.
Extended STAY Australasia Co-Founder and Managing Director Damian Gallace explains why he sees accommodation as a workforce issue, not a procurement footnote.
MainStay Suites Williamstown
What is Extended Stay Australasia really focused on when it comes to accommodation?
At Extended STAY Australasia, we are focused on delivering accommodation that actually works for people living away from home for extended periods, whether that’s project teams, corporate and government professionals, or families relocating. That is why we partnered with Choice Hotels to bring MainStay Suites into Australia, combining our local expertise with a global understanding of what long-stay travellers really need.
Our MainStay Suites apartments are designed around those needs: full size kitchens so you can cook your own meals, in-room laundry for independence, generous storage, separate living and sleeping zones, and reliable high-speed Wi-Fi with dedicated workspaces. It’s not about luxury add-ons—it’s about enabling you to live the way you do at home.
Why is their accommodation so important for longer stays?
For workers with multi-week rosters or months-long projects, long hours and irregular schedules make quality rest essential. Standard hotel rooms—typically windowless, sealed, and airless—quickly feel confining and impractical for everyday living, especially for stays beyond a couple of nights. Without proper space to unwind, fatigue builds over time, affecting morale, decision-making, and overall performance on site.
At Extended Stay Australasia, we understand what extended stay travellers truly need. That’s why our apartment-style living is purpose-built to provide space, privacy, and comfort, allowing workers to recover properly between shifts. Thoughtful design elements like quiet layouts, blackout blinds, natural light, and functional living setups all contribute to better rest and routine. Full kitchens enable healthy, home-cooked meals on shift schedules, in-suite laundry offers independence and convenience, and generous separate living and sleeping zones ensure a home-like environment. Private balconies that open to fresh air provide a space to recharge, while ergonomic work desks and reliable high-speed Wi-Fi support productivity.
These features eliminate common frustrations—stale air, laundromat runs, constant takeout meals, impractical workspaces, and overall fatigue—allowing workers to settle in and focus on their reason for being away from home in an environment that feels like home.
For project teams on demanding multi-week rosters, where long hours, shift work, and irregular schedules are the norm, our accommodation is designed to promote sustained performance and site safety. Key features like blackout blinds, quiet design elements (soft-closing doors, dedicated zones), and natural light ensure undisturbed rest and recovery. Spacious, home-like setups with full kitchens and in-apartment laundry reduce everyday hassles, while private balconies bring fresh air into the apartment for a refreshing break.
Equally important, our properties prioritise safety and peace of mind. Secure locked carparks, controlled entrances to the building and apartments, and onsite team members available face-to-face provide confidence and support, especially during odd hours. Collectively, these elements minimise worries, promote true recovery, and help keep workers and teams performing safely at their best.
PHOTO CREDITS: © Patrick Rychner - Mirro Photography
How does this translate into workforce performance and wellbeing?
A well-rested workforce is a safer, more productive workforce. When people can sleep properly, cook their own meals and maintain a sense of normal routine, they’re better equipped to handle physical and mental demands of the job. This reduces fatigue-related risk, supports consistent performance and has a direct impact on team morale, particularly across longer project cycles.
Just as importantly is the security and safety of these living environments. Secure locked carparks, controlled building access and round the clock onsite assistance provide peace of mind, which is critical for workers coming and going at all hours. Together, these elements reduce everyday friction, support true recovery, and help keep workers and teams performing safely at their best.
How does Extended STAY Australasia support people staying long-term?
For extended stays, what matters most is consistency. Not having to think about the basics, where to eat, how to do laundry or whether you’ll get a deep sleep, make a significant difference over time. By creating environments that support routine Extended STAY Australasia enables workers to stay focused, rested and settled throughout their stay.
The Outcome? Daily hassles of when you are away from home are reduces, routines become easier to maintain and workers can stay focused on what brought them there, whether that's delivering a project, supporting team, or simply navigating time away from home as a family.
Let’s Discuss How We Can Help
If you're a council, developer, or investor looking to strengthen regional centres and unlock opportunities in the extended stay sector, let’s discuss how Extended STAY Australasia can help achieve your goals and create lasting community impact.
Contact us at: enquiries@extendedstayau.com.au