SERVICED APARTMENTS
SERVICED APARTMENTS: RAISING THE BAR
The serviced apartment sector is showing continued growth. However, as it is still relatively new, there needs to be continued education in this market in areas such as the terminology used in different global regions and accreditation, which is critical for the corporate market to ensure that employees are safe, secure and trackable. HR global mobility specialists increasingly being made responsible for their company’s business travel population for compliance, duty of care, risk and cost control reasons. Fiona Murchie looks at how leading organisations are working to improve and challenge the serviced apartment sector.
W
ith the aim of helping to improve the standard of delivery for guests, the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP) – the leading association for serviced apartment providers –
has launched an official directory, as it bids to showcase Quality Accredited serviced apartments. James Foice, chief executive of ASAP, said, “Our ethos as
an association is centred on staying with confidence. We want serviced apartment guests to be confident that what they book is, essentially, what they get. Our directory is designed not only to point guests in the direction of those operators and agents they can trust, but also to be worn as a badge of honour within the industry, with members proud to bear our marque.” ASAP is also formalising an international advisory panel “to
open communication and create a global voice for the industry” with the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHAP), which primarily represents North America. Foice added: “ASAP represents member organisations in 18 countries worldwide,
Oakwood Worldwide
including New Zealand, Australia, South America and Asia. Given our increasingly broad geographical spread, we’re becoming more and more involved with associations that have similar goals to ASAP. We felt it right to try to align ourselves to help further those ambitions. “Our overriding aim is to establish trust around the serviced
apartment industry and we’re confident that by working with CHPA and other associations we’ll be able to clarify that understanding.” Mary Ann Passi, CHPA’s CEO, said: “The creation of this new
advisory entity will formalise the collaborations our organisations have enjoyed for years. We look forward to working together as a global voice to help address the challenges our industry and member companies face.”
EDUCATION AND DISCUSSION All this is good news for corporate global mobility buyers. At the Festival of Global People in May, Relocate will bring together a lively cross-section of providers, so that people managing
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