IN BRIEF Oakwood Great Tower Street Lundon adds she’s also seeing demand
growth in major European business hubs, and that a global sourcing programme is responding to client needs for new locations “by sending our supplier man- agement team to research and assess potential properties for their suitability. In EMEA, new locations we’ve added include Namibia, Finland and Azerbaijan.” Singapore-based The Ascott Limited is also in a similarly expansionist mood. It has secured ten new contracts in China, Jakarta, Bangkok and Sri Racha in Thailand as well as Muscat in Oman, taking it to more than 41,000 units in 270 properties across 91 cities in 25 countries, and ce- menting its position as the world’s largest international serviced residence owner and operator. The company will open 15 more properties this year, and aims to double its portfolio to 80,000 units by 2020 – 20,000 of them in China. Frasers Hospitality, also based in Sin-
gapore, has developments planned over the next two years including in the Middle East, China, India, Malaysia and Europe – Geneva will see 74 new apartments in the former Rolex headquarters building, in December this year.
HEARTS AND MINDS Such massive expansion, into what, in some cases, are relatively uncharted ter- ritories, surely underscores the need for some sort of global marque, but not ev- erything in the serviced apartment garden is rosy – particularly here in the UK. QAP is beginning to capture corporate hearts and minds, but there remains a major, more general, awareness issue. Global real estate firm Savills recently published a survey of more than 200 UK- based consumers, revealing 41 per cent don’t know what a serviced apartment is,
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
Massive expansion, into in some cases relatively uncharted territories, surely underscores the need for some sort of global marque
while 57 per cent don’t understand the term ‘aparthotel’. For business travellers these figures of ‘unawareness’ were lower – 28 per cent for serviced apartments and 48 per cent for aparthotel – but still sig- nificant and concerning for those in the corporate travel sector. Of the total survey sample, 77 per cent
were unable to name a single serviced apartment brand or operator. In one sense, the revelations come as music to Foice’s ears. He reckons that if 40 per cent of the population has still to “discover” serviced apartments, over- capacity is not going to be an issue any time soon. In another sense, of course, the lack of awareness of the serviced apartment concept – particularly within the business travel fraternity – suggests there is a great deal of promotional and marketing work to be done. Commenting on her
company’s
research findings, Savills’ commercial research director, Marie Hickey, said: “Brand development and concept awareness in the serviced apartment sector has picked up pace in recent years, but we believe that there is still some way to go. Strengthening both will make
BBT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 101
■ Jumeirah Group, whose London operations include Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living, has signed a two-year preferred partner agreement with the Royal Albert Hall. The firm says the deal means guests will get exclusive access to tickets, events and backstage tours. The 130-residence Grosvenor House Apartments is a member of the American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) programme, which offers Amex platinum cardholders benefits and special rates at member properties.
■ Oakwood has added a 22-apartment building in London’s Marylebone with a choice of studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Debbie Lundon, EMEA managing director for Oakwood, said: “As the demand for serviced apartments in London continues to grow, Oakwood Marylebone allows us to continue providing our clients with a wider choice of locations to meet their needs.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132