Serviced apartments
“Not many people are going to book online if they don’t know the apartment. They will want to speak to someone.” Nonetheless, Citybase launched Citybase
Connect last year, giving intermediaries live availability and instant booking of serviced apartments through their systems, allowing capture of MI. “So far, the integration with Conferma has put our apartment content into eight TMCs, who are now booking and managing their clients’ serviced apartment needs,” says director of business partner- ships for Citybase, Richard Lovelock. In addition, the company launched My
Account in March, which requires no integration and allows bookers to search, book and cancel any of Citybase’s content. All MI is available in the system. BridgeStreet, meanwhile, has developed
“ We still find that our guests value the personal touch and prefer to deal
directly with our team. As a result, over 75 per cent of our business
currently is made directly with us and not via automated channels
” ➔ should be more obvious they are in the
right place,” says Birse, although she adds that nothing untoward has ever happened to any Serco travellers who have stayed in serviced apartments. However, there are ways to mitigate these
problems and Deep Blue, whose buildings are generally branded, emails access codes in advance and a video link, so that they can see how the company’s automated check-in works. If anything goes wrong, there is a concièrge on call 24 hours a day; paid-for meet and greet is also available.
Reservations about booking Online booking systems – or lack of them – continue to excite comment and the predominant means of booking serviced apartment accommodation is still by telephone or email. “We savour our direct relationship with
our customers,” says director of City Apartments, David Smith. And as chairman of Deep Blue Steve Brenman points out,
a self-enablement tool that provides corporate online booking capability for key clients. “This is enhanced with additional, more traditional booking methods of email, voice and GDS to ensure 100 per cent visibility to all clients,” says Jo Layton. Grosvenor House Apartments are on the
GDS by virtue of its hotel group operator, Jumeirah, but Steve Thorne says long-stay guests have different needs. “We still find that our guests value the personal touch and prefer to deal directly with our team via phone, email or frequently in person. As a result, over 75 per cent of our business currently is made directly with us and not via automated channels.” He continues, “Operators focused on the
extended stay sector will nearly always want or need to follow up any automated request with a personal call or email to confirm the details. For me, the quest for total automation in the apartment sector at any service level is a long way off.” Ascott’s portfolio is on the GDS, and newly listed are Cheval Residence properties, which has already fired
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Pictured: Top: Oakwood Euston Right: Pepper Street by Skyline Worldwide
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 75
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