interview
Tom Walsh
We talk to the CEO and co-founder of Staycity Group, Europe’s leading independent aparthotel operator, about the growing demand for serviced apartments.
Q. How did Staycity come about? I set up what has since become the Staycity Group with my brother Ger in 2004. It started with an apartment in Dublin’s Temple Bar, which was once a recording studio used by the likes of U2 and Sinead O’Connor. We spotted an opportunity to offer the apartment up for short-lets to tourists and business travellers. Ger is an IT specialist so together we constructed a website to take bookings. Inspired by our success we then leased a
building with 27 apartments in the newly developed Italian Quarter on the north quays in Dublin, soon adding more properties on Dublin’s St Augustine Street and Christchurch. It took some time before I gave up my
career in engineering to devote my time to developing our fledgling company, but when we reached a critical mass that’s what I did. Growth has always been our aim, so we
targeted cities that could offer us a good mix of leisure and business travellers and had the potential for high occupancies – properties in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and London Heathrow followed. We now employ over 500 people and have
some 7,000 apartments in our portfolio [pipeline and operating] with properties across the Staycity Aparthotels and Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity brands. We operate in Birmingham (249 apartments), Dublin (228), Edinburgh (146), Liverpool (268), London (541), Lyon (144), Manchester (182), Marseille (108), Paris (50) and York (197). This year we will open in Paris, Venice, Edinburgh, Berlin and Manchester.
Aparthotels are one of the fastest growing areas of the hotel sector
leisuredab.co.uk 11
Q. What is a typical Staycity offering? Our properties are in central locations in key cities across the UK and Europe and near major transport hubs. Typically our properties have anything from 100 to 400 apartments. The properties, either new-build or
conversions, have a 24-hour reception area with apartments varying in size from studios of around 21sq m, to one-beds of around 32sq m. We offer some two-bed apartments, which can sleep up to six people. The apartments all have self-catering
facilities in the form of their own kitchens or kitchenettes. properties are a short distance from a shop, and some offer a delivery service from local restaurants. Many guests order a supermarket delivery ahead of their arrival so they can then cook
something when they get there. Guests like this independence,
particularly those travelling with young children or business people staying away from home. We also offer a laundry room, left luggage lockers, parking and quite often a fitness room too. A great level of customer service is one
of the key pillars of our business. Our front-of-house teams are trained to help guests with any queries about their stay or what to see and do at each location or any issues they might have. Our larger properties now include a guest
lounge, where people can sit and work using our free high speed broadband, meet friends or colleagues or just relax. Our new Staycafé concept, selling good quality tea
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
