Start booking your extended stays instantly with AltoVerse Sign up now!

Skip to content

Seamless Stays for Future Talent: Transforming a £2M Graduate Accommodation Programme

Download PDF for free

Download our Graduate Accommodation Programme Success Story

Thank You for Downloading our Graduate Accommodation Programme Success Story!

You will shortly a receive an email from us with your copy that you can also share with colleagues and industry peers. 

Header@2x

By the Numbers

Group 626098-Sep-01-2025-07-06-42-2325-AM
Group 626099-Sep-01-2025-07-06-42-2324-AM
Group 626100-Sep-01-2025-07-06-42-2320-AM
Group 626101-Sep-01-2025-07-06-42-2277-AM
Group 626102-Sep-01-2025-07-06-42-2600-AM
About our Partnership with a Big Four Consulting Firm@2x

About our Client's Graduate Programme

A leading global consulting firm, operating in over 150 countries, appointed AltoVita as its exclusive partner for extended-stay corporate accommodation. Among the programmes that AltoVita manages is the firm’s Graduate Programme, with a £2 million annual accommodation spend, supporting students from four partner universities during their placement. 

Placements run in four cohorts each year, across 13 UK locations, with London hosting the largest volume. The multi-location, multi-cohort structure creates unique logistical and operational demands, requiring a highly coordinated accommodation strategy to ensure a consistent and high-quality experience for all participants.

The Challenge

 

While the client had a structured offline accommodation programme in place, several challenges hindered efficiency and scalability:

  • Complex programme structure: Four annual cohorts, each comprising students from multiple universities, travelling at different times of the year and requiring accommodation across 13 UK locations.

  • Cumbersome manual processes: From bookings to deposit handling, high volumes and complex workflows created time-consuming tasks.

  • Limited supplier leverage: Only one supplier per location was selected each time, reducing negotiation leverage and contributing to escalating costs amid inflationary pressures.

  • Inefficient sourcing and reporting: Lack of centralised data and transparency in supplier performance hindered effective decision-making and partner management.

  • Delayed deposit returns: Manual handling of student deposits often led to late reimbursements for students, creating unnecessary anxiety for students.

The client required a strategic partner capable of introducing operational efficiency, data consolidation, and continuous innovation – all while upholding the high service expectations of a global firm.

Challenge@2x

The AltoVita Solution

Enter AltoVita, a tech-driven accommodation solution that helps travel and mobility managers streamline their accommodation programme.Taking over from the previous supplier in September 2023, AltoVita deployed a dedicated team, arranging site visits, curating a list of preferred properties, managing group booking operations and even handling student deposits. 

This is currently the graduate programme’s third year. So far, AltoVita has successfully coordinated 348 bookings for an average length of stay of 72 nights, totaling 24,759 nights booked. By securing an Average Daily Rate (ADR) of £103, at times 30% below the Market Median Daily Rate, AltoVita delivers significant cost-efficiencies without compromising on quality. 

The AltoVita Solution@2x-1
The AltoVita Solution@2x

Strategic Sourcing and Property Selection

AltoVita begins by identifying multiple suppliers in each location, leveraging its UK-wide network of over 8,000 multi-unit properties, all pre-vetted through a rigorous four-tier quality control process to ensure safety, quality, and duty of care.The process includes:

  • Trusted and preferred partners: Prioritising long-standing, reliable suppliers as well as the client’s preferred partner list.

  • Property site visits: Joining the client on site visits when evaluating a property they haven’t previously worked with.

  • Negotiation and rate locking: Conducting two rounds of rate negotiations before client approval, then securing final rates for the full year to guarantee cost predictability and long-term savings.

Student Allocation Strategy

AltoVita works within the client’s preferred supplier network, often re-engaging trusted providers from previous years to ensure consistency and quality. Where possible, two-bedroom apartments, typically with two bathrooms, are shared between two students, with 80% of placements following this model. In some cases, three-bedroom apartments are used to further reduce costs, while solo accommodations are arranged for medical or religious needs, based on client approval.

Efforts are made to house students in a single multi-unit property, to foster a sense of community and simplify logistics. The only exception is London, where higher volumes require two locations, but still ensure students remain within close proximity. 

Secure, Supported and Cost-Effective Stays@2x
Group 5743@2x

Streamlining Booking and Allocation Workflow

AltoVita prepares a comprehensive budget spreadsheet with accommodation and rooming details for the client. This “one-stop shop” sheet centralises all essential information, including budget, allocations, unit details, and invoicing, streamlining communication with the client.

Given the volatility of the programme, bookings are added 3-4 weeks before each cohort’s arrival. These are entered into AltoVita’s platform via the Group Booking tool, which supports bulk uploads to automate data entry and significantly reduce processing time. The tool has been customised with additional fields to meet the client’s specific requirements.

For security and logistical reasons, students receive their final check-in details only three to four days before arrival.

Efficient Student Deposit Handling

AltoVita manages the student deposit process on behalf of the client, ensuring both operational efficiency and transparency. A £250 deposit is collected from each student approximately one month before check-in and held in a dedicated account created exclusively for the client. 

All students sign AltoVita’s Conditions of Stay, which outline clear expectations for maintaining the apartments. This agreement, combined with the support of the client’s Graduate Programme team, ensures that any issues or escalations are handled swiftly and fairly.

Following the end of each placement, deposits are refunded within three to four weeks, once property partners confirm the units are in good condition. This structured process minimises administrative burden, safeguards funds, and provides students with a clear, reliable refund timeline.

 

Secure, Supported and Cost-Effective Stays@2x-1
Group 626139@2x

Access to Financial & Sustainability Analytics

With AltoInsights’s real-time reporting and dynamic dashboards, the client gains complete visibility into key metrics such as total spend, booking trends, and average daily rates. Additionally, the built-in EcoStats feature provides detailed insights into the environmental impact of accommodation choices, supporting our client’s commitment to sustainability. By transforming complex data into actionable insights, AltoVita empowers the team to make informed decisions and optimise strategies across their corporate accommodation program.

As the Graduate Programme continues, AltoVita remains committed to enhancing the experience of participants who represent the next generation of the client’s talent pipeline. 

The positive impact is reflected in the client’s feedback:

Shashank is a pleasure to work with. Emails are always prompt and friendly, and nothing is ever too much trouble! Thank you for all your help with accommodation issues, Shashank, it doesn’t go unnoticed!”
 — Graduate Programme Manager

By maintaining strong supplier relationships, staying on call to resolve issues promptly, and anticipating evolving needs, ensuring the graduate experience remains a defining strength of the programme and a lasting contributor to the client’s employer brand. 

da

Sign up

See how easy booking & managing corporate accommodation by trying the AltoVerse platform

Sign up arrow-black

Watch it in action

Discover how the AltoVerse platform works and how you can directly make and impact for you and your business

Watch it in actionplay-circle-1