Globalisation continues to drive demand for serviced apartments, as companies expand outside their home borders. But there is still a lack of quality serviced apartments in certain areas of the world, including parts of Europe, ac- cording to sales director for Citybase, Gary Hurst. The company is working with OP clients to identify these areas and source quality accommodation. And there is a trend for shorter stays
on relocation, which Frasers Hospital- ity has seen in both London and Paris. “Corporates are reducing their budgets and, since the financial crisis of 2008/09, they have been relocating individual em- ployees rather than their whole family,” says Frasers’ Bakker. “The duration of stays has also been reduced because allowances to those being relocated have been cut.” The company has split bigger apart- ments in its Canary Wharf inventory into smaller units, as demand for larger spaces has diminished. Staycity client Andrea is typical of the
Top: Skyline Aberfeldy Village Bottom: Skyline St Dunstan’s Court
they would deal with a specific problem- atic situation, difficult geographies and difficult individuals. “We were looking for consistency to
make it easy for us to do business with the provider: if I ever get something going wrong in ten locations around the world, it makes it much easier to deal with,” Fletcher says. “We wanted somebody that maps into our technology, and has the same aims and ideals from a corporate perspective regard- ing the service they give to customers.” There was one clear winner: “The Apartment Service was refreshing in their approach,” says Fletcher. “Their technology is fabulous, the number of properties and the way the network is constructed gave us better reach into the global marketplace, and their desire to interact and collaborate with us as part of our process. We have a defined process which differentiates us
108 BBT MARCH/APRIL 2015
Globalisation continues to drive demand as companies expand outside their borders
from our competition and The Apartment Service was willing to adapt. “Also remarkable is that where we have been interested in using a particular prop- erty, they have created a relationship with that property, so that they can bring it into the family, which makes for much better MI [management information].” He adds that Santa Fe’s vendor management team is delighted to be dealing with one supplier.
new breed of relocating executives. He works for a bank in Canary Wharf. “Every week, I’m working in London and my family remains in Italy. I go home for the weekend and stay in an aparthotel during the week, usually a studio or one-bedroom. “It’s cheaper – I have an agreed rate – it‘s
more comfortable than a hotel, and it’s very well located. It takes me just 10 to 15 minutes to get to work, which is conve- nient as I work long hours. The property is kept to a good standard and is good value.” Praise such as that from clients like Andrea is symptomatic of the growing appetite for serviced apartments, as documented in GSAIR. Global procurement network Agrega is another satisfied customer. It has deals in London, Southampton and some other European cities for relocation and secondees on management training programmes. “We are now in year three for these
deals, and have just renegotiated the agreements for a further 18 months,” says Agrega sourcing manager Alison Searle. “It works really well.”
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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