LIVERPOOL QUEST LAYS THE GROUNDWORK FOR UK EXPANSION
Paul Constantinou, founder and executive chairman of serviced apartment brand Quest Apartment Hotels, is a man who clearly understands the dynamics of business and embedding in a local community to ensure sustained growth. Fiona Murchie, Relocate’s managing editor, spoke to him while he was in the UK for the opening of the Quest Liverpool apartments.
Paul Constantinou, Quest Apartment Hotels
F
ounded in Melbourne, Australia in 1988, Quest Apartment Hotels has grown successfully across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji to dominate those markets with more than 170 properties. Indeed, it has
been so successful in moulding the brand to fit the region that New Zealand sees Quest as its own. In 2017, The Ascott Limited acquired Quest and now Mr Constantinou has his sights on growth through introducing the company’s strong franchise model to the UK market and beyond. With its first UK property based in Liverpool, Quest’s
franchises will need to be able to replicate what the team is doing there to create a strong local business for international and domestic corporate users.
MEETING BUSINESS TRAVELLERS’ NEEDS Mr Constantinou explains that the Quest ethos behind the corporate business model is about meeting the needs of guests and enabling the business user to “enjoy their stay, their way”. He is clear on what apartments have to deliver, “They must be functional for people doing business. The corporate traveller is focused on getting their work done, often working late at night. Their attitude is typically ‘I don’t want to spend another week here if I don’t have to.’ For example: the most important thing for the younger business traveller is having a TV on the wall to stream their work on to. The quality of that and the Internet are high experience factors.” Having started his career in hotel management and catering, Mr
Constantinou understands the importance of amenities – both in- room and locally. He says, “The kitchen is extremely important, even if the need is basic. If you take the kitchen away you are subjected to go downstairs to eat.” Quest does not offer on-site catering, because “if you get it wrong, it will make a lasting impression”. Instead, it has introduced arrangements with nearby restaurants
in Liverpool so guests can charge their meal bill back to their room. This service is another way for the brand to bond with the local business community and it also makes for easier expense tracking.
LIVERPOOL LAUNCH CEMENTS UK PLANS So why did Quest choose to launch in Liverpool? “We looked at trends around the world. There seems to be an exodus, with major corporates leaving capital cities, including London, for cost reasons. We see the government setting up infrastructure to support regional cities, which the professional companies and insurance companies pick up, and we follow that trend, where they are going and their accommodation demands. I don’t care how small the corporate market is in Liverpool today, Quest will own it,” he explains. The vibrant city centre of Liverpool capitalises on the Northern
Powerhouse project, which will further stimulate business travel and support the thriving leisure market. Liverpool is a centre for pharmaceuticals, health and biomed, as well as insurance and finance. The city has attracted the Royal College of Physicians to move to a new HQ built at the heart of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool. With a solid business philosophy and experience of building up huge
markets for serviced apartments, plus the weight of the Ascott brand behind it, Quest looks to find a promising market in the UK, with a tried-and-tested franchise model to role out. Mr Constantinou and the Quest brand are clearly serious about the corporate market and know how to balance it with the leisure demand. This is good news for the UK corporate market and wherever else Quest may expand in Europe.
Find out about this fast-growing sector and meet serviced apartment providers at the Festival of Global People on 12 May 2020 in London
Quest Apartment Hotels, Liverpool
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