Scaling Short-Stay Living with Laurenz Schwarzhappel (Global Living Apartments)
In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Laurenz Schwarzhappel, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Global Living Apartments, explains how the company consistently achieves around 92% occupancy across nine German cities by doing what most hospitality operators avoid. Narrowing the guest segment, rethinking asset use, and automating everything possible.
Global Living Apartments focuses on families and group travelers, a segment traditional hotels struggle to serve. By converting commercial properties into short-stay apartments and operating with a deeply automated tech stack, the company delivers affordable, high-density stays with a lean team and minimal friction.
The conversation explores how this model performs not only in major cities, but also in smaller industrial markets where demand is stable and competition is limited.
Key themes explored:
- Why targeting families and groups unlocks consistently higher occupancy than hotels
- How operating in smaller cities like Jena and Chemnitz delivered 90%+ occupancy and exceeded financial expectations
- The regulatory advantage of converting commercial real estate into short-stay apartments in Germany
- How AI-driven guest communication saved 800–900 operational hours with a team of five
- Why automation should precede hiring, not follow it
- How tech-first operations reduce ADR while improving guest satisfaction
- What AI-driven booking assistants will change about demand, discovery, and niche positioning
- Why “if you address all, you address no one” is becoming a survival rule in hospitality
- Global Living’s expansion into property management services for smaller operators in 2026
For hospitality, short-stay, and living sector leaders, this episode reframes performance. The competitive edge is not scale alone, but clarity of segment, disciplined automation, and a willingness to operate where others are not looking.
Explore related industry analysis and strategic perspectives:
https://abodeworldwide.com/news-insights/
Website: https://abodeworldwide.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abode-worldwide
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