Serviced apartments
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and cheap labour and resources.” The Apartment Service has opened offices in Lisbon and Madrid to facilitate entry into South America but it does not stop there and McCrow highlights Turkey, Malaysia and Mexico as the next three big contenders. Global apartment operator BridgeStreet
says its priorities are primarily focused on North America, Europe and India for the next three years, while further developing its supply chain in South America and Asia. “Our approach to global growth is to align
our distribution capabilities with the needs of our clients,” says BridgeStreet's senior VP sales and marketing, EMEA, Jo Layton. “We work closely to understand current
location needs as well as future demand. Whether it's an expansion plan for an existing facility or a green field project, when we work in partnership with our clients we can mirror our capabilities to meet their demands.” The Far East is proving a popular growth
territory for other providers too: The Ascott has opened in Vietnam and Indonesia, with Citadines Apart’hotel properties to come in China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Frasers is launching in Korea, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Dubai and Saudi Arabia; Accor plans to roll out 150 of its extended stay brand, Adagio, worldwide by 2016. In addition, SACO notes growing require- ments from the oil and gas industry in challenging locations such as West Africa and Kazakhstan, promising growth there. And SilverDoor has seen an increase in bookings in the Middle East, particularly Doha, Qatar, driven by energy companies; and in Shanghai, from the legal, financial and FMCG industries, partly also due to the company’s recruiting a Mandarin speaking account manager. London's Grosvenor House Apartments
have attracted a mix of corporate guests and high net worth individuals since opening in 2012. “After just one year, the luxury residence concept we offer has been embraced by guests seeking a more luxurious and contemporary 'home' in
London, and forward bookings are very strong,” says Steve Thorne, director of sales and marketing. The luxury Mayfair property is operated by the Jumeirah hotel group, which is looking at further apartment locations in Marrakech and Suraya Aqaba in Jordan. “And we are in advanced negotiations on other projects in Europe, the Middle East and Asia,” adds Thorne.
Consistency is key While expansion is a positive trend, consistency of product is not and has long been a problem in the industry, especially in Europe, where there is little regulation. “That’s why it is so important for us to maintain our global quality controls,” says managing director for Oakwood Worldwide's EMEA region, Debbie Lundon. “All accommodation going through our supply network must meet our extensive residence inspection.” Interestingly, regular users generally do
not have problems. Serco’s preferred supplier is SACO, with Marlin and Room Nites providing back-up options. “They produce a relatively consistent product,” says Serco's director of global travel services, Margaret Birse. “It is very rare for us to have a complaint.” BridgeStreet's Layton believes it's down
to corporates to set the scene with users before departure. “Managing travellers' expectations pre-arrival is key to ensuring that challenges in both established or emerging markets are kept to a minimum.” It's widely accepted that the serviced apartment sector is still maturing and, for now at least, comparisons to hotels
e“ Managing travellers'
xpectations before arrival is key
to ensuring that challenges in both established and emerging markets are kept to a minimum
”
➔
Pictured: Above: Accor Adagio; Left: BridgeStreet; Grosvenor House Apartments
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 71
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