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Comment by cm2187 | Hacker News Reader

But that's called serviced apartments, not a new concept. Just serviced studios in that case.

No a mess is not really like serviced apartments. It's more like one big communal house. Most of the areas except bedrooms and bathrooms are communal and you would normally eat together with staff waiting on. It isn't a new idea but most techies probably have not experienced that kind of lifestyle, so will be new to them.

I'd love to live in a living space like a mess if I wasn't married.

I've always thought that a mess for politicians would be a good solution to the parliamentary expenses problems in the UK as well. Could build a mess for the politicians in Westminster where they can all stay. Could be nicely appointed but efficient as they're all together.

True, though modern luxury apartment blocks increasingly have communal areas (swimming pool, gym, cinema, lounge).

They are probably trying to bring the "gated community" concept to the apartment block level.

Gated communities are a very bad sign; outside the US, they are usually found in places where income is very unequal, crime is high, taxes low and public services of very bad quality or inexistent.

It doesn't have to be like this. In fact, a more balanced society improves the lifestyle of everyone, including those who make more (and end up paying more taxes).

Before I'm asked "citation needed", try and imagine which societies I am thinking of.

Might even become the collective noun - "a mess of politicians" ;-)

Serviced apartments typically aren't "permanent", though, they're rented by the night like a hotel rather than on a longer-term basis, so they cost a lot more, to compensate for the high vacancy rate.

There are also permanent serviced apartments. An example that comes to my mind in the UK are the apartments in the Shard, which are serviced by the Shangri La but I believe were sold, not rented.

There is also Ascott in Asia, which are typically collected and comanaged with 5 star hotels. I had a friend who lived in something like this full time when I was living in Beijing.

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