The 2021 Guide to Serviced Apartments by BMI Publishing Ltd

The 2021 guide to

Serviced apartments

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Welcome

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Safe and

SOUND

Your 2021 guide to the serviced apartment sector from ASAP and The Business Travel Magazine

12 [ The 2021 Guide to Serviced apartments ] WRITTEN BY Catherine Chetwynd Editor Bev Fearis Publisher Kirsty Hicks Associate Publisher Callum Blackwell editorial Director Steve Hartridge Designer Stuart Crowhurst Production Manager Clare Hunter Production controller Steve Hunter managing Director Matt Bonner

The 2021 Guide to Serviced Apartments is brought to you by BMI Publishing, producers of The Business Travel Magazine. Print ISSN 1754-8543. BMI PUBLISHING LTD 501 The Residence, No. 1 Alexandra Terrace, Guildford, GU1 3DA.UK. Tel: 020 8649 7233 enquiries@bmipublishing.co.uk bmipublishing.co.uk While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, BMI Publishing Ltd cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Images courtesy of suppliers as indicated and also sourced from istockphoto.com and bigstock.com

elcome to The 2021 Guide to Serviced Apartments, produced by The Business Travel Magazine in association with ASAP, the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers. This is our ninth annual guide and a very important one because it contains all the latest information on how the serviced apartments sector has responded to the pandemic. The long-stay sector has been quick to adapt, implementing robust health and hygiene measures to reassure existing corporate clients and attract new ones. The private ‘home from home’ nature of serviced apartments has made this type of accommodation even more popular in the Covid environment. Meanwhile, thanks to new technology and entrants to the market, serviced apartments are now easier than ever to book and incorporate into a corporate travel programme. Whether you’re just beginning to explore the benefits of the long-stay sector or you're a satisfied, loyal customer, read on to find out about all the new trends and developments.

CONTENTS 4

Introduction

Overview of the long-stay sector and its response to the pandemic

COVID MEASURES

BOOKING TOOLS

PROGRAMMES

In-depth guide to new safety and hygiene procedures and accreditations

Update on innovative new technology that's simplifying bookings

Advice on how to incorporate serviced apartments into a travel programme

Development

Round-up of all the latest openings and those in the pipeline

WORKSPACES

How providers are transforming their apartments into places to work

DIRECTORY

list of key industry partners in the A serviced apartments sector

2021 GUIDE TO SERVICED APARTMENTS

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Introduction

supercity

Safe

HAVEN

The serviced apartments sector has been quick to respond to the new business travel environment Cheval Old Town Chambers

erviced apartments have fared better than most in the hospitality sector amid the ravages of the pandemic. In the new travel environment, business travel buyers are recognising the benefits of living in safe, private spaces compared with traditional hotel rooms. “Serviced apartments provide space where you don’t have to leave the room for housekeeping and where you have total control over what – and indeed whom – you bring in,” says James Foice, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers. According to a report published in November by hospitality industry consultants HVS, serviced apartment operators have been able to weather the storm better than their hotel counterparts, largely due to their ability to adapt quickly. More than half of companies surveyed by HVS said at least three quarters of their

properties remained open during lockdown. Many had made a swift move from corporate demand to housing key workers, government employees and those selfisolating during lockdown. More recently, serviced apartments have transformed their spaces to meet the demands of the new working environment, providing those working remotely with a safe and productive place to base themselves. Of course, the sector hasn’t gone completely unscathed. The HVS report analysed around 7,800 serviced apartment rooms across Europe and found a 48% decline in occupancy for the first nine months of 2020, along with a fall in average rates of around 12%, causing RevPAR performance to decline by 54% in the year to September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. But things are looking up. “Outside the lockdowns across our European estate, we are seeing our occupancies starting to rise

and there is clearly a pent-up demand for travel, particularly domestically. As it stands, our properties in all 12 locations are trading,” says Paula Mullaney, Commercial Director for Staycity. George Westwell, Cheval Collection CEO, also remains upbeat: “Cheval traded continuously in 2020, maintaining average occupancies of more than 60%," he says.

Rapid response

To support the industry as the first wave of Covid-19 took hold, the ASAP set up a resources page where latest information and guidance from governments and travel trade bodies worldwide was posted. The association also sent out daily updates and “kept the community optimistic about some kind of future post-pandemic”, says Foice. It also launched the ISAAP Promise of rigorous hygiene standards, which covers what to expect before guests arrive, explaining the pre-stay disinfection and

2021 GUIDE TO SERVICED APARTMENTS

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deep cleaning, guidance on PPE, signage, and attention to high-touch points. This continues throughout a stay, with advice on maintenance visits, food deliveries to the premises and guest assistance. There is a post-stay follow-up too. “This is all now part of ISAAP’s nine-point accreditation process, which is also open to non-ASAP members,” says Foice. “Many members have since also adopted additional hygiene assurances, but having a trade body standard made it easy for them to show their response to the pandemic by following an established IPC [Infection Prevention and Control] protocol, especially in the early days.”

United front

The ASAP has seen membership continue to grow and now has members in 27 countries and more than 200 cities, including 14 new members this year. The association recently set up the ASAP Buyers Group, comprising key TMCs and bookers of business travel with ISAAP accredited members. The objective was to build up the trust necessary for employees to travel and an awareness of the ISAAP Promise. The second meeting introduced buyers to ISAAP-accredited providers to discuss the implications of the new ISO 31030 (Travel Risk Management). Meanwhile, The Global Alliance of Serviced

The sector is young and nimble... which has meant it was well ahead of most in implementing Covid-19 safety measures” Accommodation, founded by ASAP, the CHPA and the Serviced Apartment Association of Singapore, is in talks with bodies that include the GBTA, BTA and ITM about achieving a common consistency and safety across housing sectors. In response to the general reluctance to travel, many operators are offering flexible rates and cancellation policies, including Adagio, PREMIER SUITES and Lamington Group, and Covid-19 has put technology on fast forward, driving progression in six months that would normally have taken years. This includes check-in/out on apps that also allow food ordering and communication with housekeeping, front desk and concièrge services.

Safety first

Putting travellers into serviced apartments was already part of corporate social responsibility but the coronavirus has boosted the need for organisations to reassess the safety and comfort of their employees. Duty of care has never been

higher up the corporate travel agenda. "Our responsibility as operators is to ensure we go above and beyond their health and safety expectations so we can help instil confidence to travel," says Wayne Androliakos, COO of Cycas Hospitality. Serviced apartments’ inherently discrete and spacious units have allowed operators to respond quickly to needs raised by the rapid spread of Covid-19. “The sector is young and nimble and in many cases still has a very hands-on management or ownership structure, which has meant it was well ahead of most in implementing Covid-19 safety measures before they were demanded," explains David Smith, Director of City Apartments. The ASAP is confident in the sector's future. "Clearly things are looking positive in light of changing traveller and buyer priorities, and intelligence has it that both operators and agents are feeling positive about the next 12 months," says Foice. "We have been pushing to promote safety and credibility in the serviced apartment sector for many years and it is very rewarding to see that corporate buyers are now putting traveller wellbeing and safety at the top of their priorities." Times have been tough for the entire hospitality industry but the resilience and versatility of the serviced apartments sector is helping it face the future with confidence.

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2021 GUIDE TO SERVICED APARTMENTS

Zanzibar Locke, Ha’penny Bridge, Dublin.

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Covid measures

HOUSE OF FISHER

Above and

beyond

Business travellers can be reassured by new safety and hygiene standards cheval three quays

he need for enhanced and rigorous cleanliness and hygiene standards amid Covid-19 has prompted a rash of branded protocols from trade bodies, hoteliers and serviced apartment operators designed to reassure guests and travel buyers. Minimum standards generally include regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as lift buttons, the installation of screens on reception desks, labels on apartment doors to indicate that accommodation has been cleaned, additional signage to facilitate social distancing, mobile check-in/out, and the removal of superfluous soft-furnishings, directories and other paraphernalia from rooms, with information now available digitally. Guests are also asked to wear face coverings in all properties. Adagio’s Guest Welcome Protocol includes disinfection of the front desk area after each guest, and hand sanitiser throughout

properties. The group’s ALLSAFE label verified by Clifton, a health, hygiene and safety auditor, has been created in partnership with Bureau Veritas, whose expertise is testing, inspection and certification, and which has a Covid-19 resource centre. Alongside the ASAP's ISAAP accreditation, Cheval Collection is certified as Good to Go by VisitBritain. Hygiene measures include temperature check machines for all arrivals, keyless entry and, if unavailable, UV technology to sanitise keys. All Cheval employees wear PPE and guests may

City Apartments offers zero contact check-in, no-contact cleaning and provides masks and gloves for guests”

choose to have their apartment cleaned or do it themselves. A Cheval App allows mobile check-in/out and communication with the front office/concièrge team. Ascott is also a recognised ISAAP provider, while Bureau Veritas provides independent audits and certification for the Ascott Cares hygiene and safety programme worldwide, which covers nine areas of commitment aligned to the WHO standards and to local regulations, including employee and guest safety, shared facilities and vendors.

Low touch

City Apartments offers zero contact checkin, no-contact cleaning and provides masks and gloves for guests. “Before the first lockdown, we had moved the majority of our staff into the buildings we own and operate, and implemented hand sanitisers, sanitising wipes, face masks and latex gloves at the entry points to all our buildings,” says Director David Smith. City

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Covid measures

Apartments is accredited by ISAAP. Edyn properties are CSC (Common Sense Compliance) and ISAAP compliant, coffee shops in Locke properties are providing a takeaway service and the brand has introduced the option for guests to order boxes that provide recipes and ingredients. Also ISAAP accredited is Frasers Hospitality in EMEA, and the organisation has engaged SGS for inspection, verification, testing and certification in its 140 properties in 70 cities. UK buildings have also been declared Safe To Trade, a standard certified by Shield Safety Group, which promises four standards, including “to instil employee and consumer confidence that the business has gone above and beyond the Government guidance”. In addition, each property has a Cleanliness Champion to monitor adherence to standards; Staycity’s Hygiene Champion ensures best practice and similarly, Adagio’s ambassador.

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Best practice

House of Fisher and PREMIER SUITES have chosen Visit England’s Good To Go and AA’s Covid-19 Confident, while PREMIER SUITES also subscribes to ISAAP standards. PREMIER and other providers have clear and strict procedures if staff or guests display symptoms of Covid-19, involving staff training, communication and advice. Working with Cleveland Clinic, Ecolab and Diversey, IHG has developed new cleanliness protocols for the pandemic age. “Our properties are working to best practice Covid-specific training and operating procedures, aligned to regularly monitored advice from global health bodies,” says Managing Director Europe, Karin Sheppard. Mobile check-in/out will become a brand standard in the Americas for IHG early next year and it is now piloting mobile-enabled in-room dining orders, real-time Pay-WithPoints and Guest Requests.

On the back of Synergy's nine-point Synergy Cares programme comes SynergySMART (Simple Mobile Apartment Reporting Technology), an automated platform allowing the group's global inventory to track and record the execution of protocols and track adherence. The platform is mobile responsive and provides local auto-date, time stamp and geolocation, plus integration with supplier partner inspection forms. Kurtis Murphy, Head Partner Account Manager EMEA for SilverDoor, said the

All Cheval employees wear PPE and guests may choose to have their apartment cleaned or do it themselves”

group recognises and welcomes a number of external accreditations currently on the market but formally recommends Common Sense Compliance and Quality in Tourism. “They went beyond just being Covid-19 and hygiene safe and looked into all aspects of compliance and quality assurance, including gas safety, electrical safety and public liability insurance," he says. Gary Hurst, CEO and Founder of MYSA, says Covid hygiene measures are also likely to come under scrutiny as part of the new ISO31030 coming later in 2021. "This will set a new benchmark for traveller health, safety, security and wellbeing and will require many buyers to re-evaluate reassurances from operators on which standards are being met and how," he explains. "The ISO has lots of potential implications both for the serviced accommodation sector and for corporate travel as a whole."

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Booking tools

wilde edinburgh

The right

platform

New tools are making it easier to incorporate serviced apartments into corporate programmes

ne positive from the Covid crisis is the astonishing rate at which technology has been developed to support handsfree check-in and check-out, payment, communication and more. In addition, booking tools for serviced apartments – long the thorn in the booker’s side – are beginning to shape up. New kid on the virtual block is SITU Live Global Network, giving live online booking for travel buyers through a tool that can be integrated into corporate accommodation programmes. Suppliers can connect inventory, availability and pricing to SITU via platforms such as SiteMinder. “In addition to our intuitive technology, our customers are also very keen on the vetting and quality process we have put in place across our supply chain to ensure we are supporting and meeting their duty of care obligations when it comes to booking accommodation for their employees,” says Managing Director Phil Stapleton. Also operating in real time is Suite Hub, a booking platform that gives access to serviced apartment accommodation worldwide, using Microsoft technology. Suppliers can see live market intelligence applicable to each quote before it is closed and submitted to the booker. This might include existing options on the quote from

competitors, lowest cost option, the type of accommodation, location, etc. Email notifications are triggered when key updates come in, such as new options added or reduced price offers that come in below their own. “We also show data such as what previous bookings were – type, length, price, etc. – to assist providers; and we will give a snapshot of the logged-in provider’s history, all with a view to assisting them and giving them the advantage in competing for the business,” says Managing Director Gary Moore.

Direct line

The uncertainty of the current climate means guests now want more reassurance and this has prompted operators to reduce reliance on OTAs. “They are focusing on direct booking, which gives more control over pricing, discounts and guest communication,” says CEO of res:harmonics Giles Horwitch-Smith. “Where they are using OTAs, they have been highlighting important elements such as cleanliness, space to work and high speed internet. “Blending lengths of stay is a great way to deal with the ups and downs of markets and challenges like Covid-19 but it can be difficult to implement without a tech focus. We have updated our software and enhanced our platform integrations; for

example, adding real estate connections to channel management and pricing partners, to make length of stay diversification easier for suppliers.” Res:harmonics' channel management returns bookings from all channels in real time and suppliers can vary rates by length of stay and booking terms, choose which properties can be booked online and take payments online. MYSA connects buyers direct with sellers. “Crucially, travel managers gain 100% transparency of each step to mitigate any risk associated with Covid-19 and use that information to decide which properties are suitable for their programme,” says founder Gary Hurst. “Each corporate client can finetune the technology to meet their internal processes and efficiently manage their programme.” Hurst highlights the advantage of directly procured, noncommissionable rates from operators, who pay a small booking fee to MYSA.

Changing spaces

New to the serviced apartment market and providing another way to attract bookings at a time when they can be scarce is Occupyd, an online marketplace that connects businesses and individuals “searching for work space with companies that are looking to monetise their extra capacity”. For serviced apartments seeking business to fill some gaps, this could be a good way to get it. The site is designed for ease of use and providers load details of the property, images and price. For larger organisations, Occupyd will take care of that for them. “The average price is £100 a day, which is revenue they would not have otherwise earned, and spaces range from commercial kitchens or hairdressers’ chairs and to event space,” says founder Callum McPherson. At present there are no listing fees and the company takes commission on bookings. Operators’ booking engines are also becoming more sophisticated and it is now possible to book up to four months’ stay directly on the Adagio website, an option the brand notes is becoming increasingly popular with buyers.

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Booking tools

roomzzz

The uncertainty of the current climate means guests now want more reassurance and this has prompted operators to reduce reliance on OTAs”

Keeping it simple

From June to November 2020, Cheval’s average booking lead time fell by 50% to an average of 28 days and reservations made via mobile devices were up by 23% to 32%. “With many agencies and TMCs no longer operating at full capacity, added to a significant drop in demand, competition for business in the marketplace is fierce and Cheval has had to maintain a strict and consistent approach to rate parity and commission levels, particularly as multiple approaches are often made for the same enquiry,” says Cheval Collection CEO George Westwell. National Corporate Housing's bookings tool can be personalised for corporates, with customised reporting and data to help manage travellers and support traveller tracking. The edyn Corporate Travel Portal provides a one-stop shop to book and modify business travel arrangements with live booking, easy modifications and group requests. Frasers is looking at offering pre-check-in confirmations to reduce time spent in reception. SilverDoor’s Orbi now hosts live inventory through integration with seven channel managers, bringing greater distribution capability and making available tens of thousands of apartments worldwide. Also new to Orbi and OrbiRelo are visibility of apartment spend and the creation of bespoke reports from existing and past bookings, quotes and billing. The tools can also highlight preferred properties and locations, spend caps against pre-set nightly rates and allow traveller tracking. “SilverDoor integrations with Conferma Pay and SAP Concur also make booking accommodation and paying online quicker and less timeconsuming to administrate,” says Pauline Houston, Vice President of Business Development.

A Considered Combination of Product, Technology and Service The formula used for every serviced apartment solution delivered to our clients globally Serviced apartments expertly sourced, verified and managed Striking the right balance between touch and technology

Call us on +44 (0)20 8944 1444 or write to us: globalreservations@apartmentservice.com or visit us at www.apartmentservice.com 2021 GUIDE TO SERVICED APARTMENTS

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Programmes

COTELS

Climate

CHANGE

Greater levels of ﬂexibility are helping travel buyers incorporate apartments into their programmes CITADINES ISLINGTON

ith uncertainty the byword, it is difficult for buyers to negotiate rates because they do not know who or how many will be travelling, or where to. For the same reason, suppliers cannot assess demand and therefore availability and rates. As a result, most corporate companies have pushed forward their RFPs and re-tenders until mid-2021. “It’s not easy to create a suitable programme while the world is on pause,” says Director of CAP Worldwide Jo Layton. “For those that do not have an extended stay programme but have found their travellers are now staying longer, having the support of an agent who is an expert in the space may be critical to ensure they are using safe and secure, Covid-19 compliant, legal units, and they have a full overview of the commercial terms and conditions of booking into suitable accommodation.” Managing such negotiations may prove difficult in uncertain times. “At CAP, we use a blend of highly-experienced people and the latest technology to create programmes that adapt effectively to the current climate and the changing needs of buyers,” explains Layton. “And we have no minimum spend requirement.”

New thresholds

National Corporate Housing helps source accommodation for projects and group moves for the corporate traveller with dedicated teams providing 24/7 support. “Levels of spend vary from £100,000 to £50,000,000 because those who use serviced apartments include corporate travellers staying five nights, families relocating for a few years, company project groups, internships and training groups,” says the group's Global Head of Enterprise Sales, Juliet Howie. Cheval also shows the necessary flexibility: “Standard corporate discounted rates are available for any new clients looking to incorporate serviced apartments into travel plans," says CEO George Westwell. "Pre-Covid-19, a 50-room night minimum would have been the typical threshold necessary to qualify for a negotiated rate but with such a tough trading environment in 2020 everything is up for discussion." And at Frasers' properties any length of stay can be booked via GDS to allow travel managers to track travellers and maintain compliance to due diligence. Lamington Group negotiates on Lamington and room2 accommodation case by case for less than 100 nights, with no minimum required. “This is a relatively

new introduction since Covid-19 and looks set to continue at this stage,” says Managing Director Robert Godwin. “When setting up a corporate account with bespoke long-term corporate rates, we sit at 100 nights; this was true before and will endure.” Offering something different to mitigate the financial effects of the pandemic, City Apartments pays 50% of charges during quarantine for overseas or returning staff/ visitors. "We have also allowed some UK-based guests to leave their stuff in an apartment over the weekend, while only paying for the three or four days they stay," says Director David Smith.

Break free

SilverDoor’s Head of Operations Wes Shelling has some good advice: “It may be worth looking to consolidate trips, where possible. Clients can expect to save 15% on average stays of seven nights compared to staying up to three,” he says. “In addition, do not always assume that having a contracted rate will deliver greater savings. It’s a bit like deciding whether to fix your mortgage rate or go for a tracker; if you can handle a little bit of flexibility in your programme, then you may want to go with the latter. Having the freedom to find and negotiate the best rate for each enquiry

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Programmes

Do not always assume that having a contracted rate will deliver greater savings. It's a bit like deciding whether to fix your mortgage rate or go for a tracker”

can yield greater savings than a contracted rate, although this can vary depending on the average length of stay." SilverDoor tracks savings according to clients' requirements – per person, per room and against a client rate cap or market rates. Clients can manage budgets and view savings through Orbi and that data can be distributed via thirdparty platforms.

Data driven

Analysing booking data is essential. “If bookers can identify that within their programme there is a longstay requirement (seven-plus nights), they can have huge success by encouraging travellers to stay in apartments,” says Stephen Hanton, President International at Synergy Corporate Housing. Having the serviced apartment programme within the hotel programme facilitates this. “If you don’t want to mandate the programme it helps to have a policy that encourages your travellers to consider apartments for stays over seven nights; for example, socialise the programme, make apartments known, give travellers access to suppliers’ details via intranets,” he says. “Our industry now has such a diverse offering – traditional apartments, aparthotels, co-living communities – there really is something for everyone and no longer is it a big cultural shift to include apartments. Unlike hotels, we don’t require a minimum spend or volume, we respond to everchanging demand and the service/ offering remains the same,” he says.

corporate housing extended stay serviced apartments Welcoming home our guests from across the world into our comfortable managed serviced apartments in the South East of the UK, in Spain and Portugal

www.roomspace.com COVI D 19

P ROMI S E

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Developments Development

SYNERGY CITADINES ISLINGTON

Onwards and

UPWARDS

Investors remain bullish in the serviced apartment sector and development continues STAYCITY DUBLIN

eflecting an enduring dynamism in the sector, openings, development and investment continue apace. “This sector will continue to grow even during the pandemic and once recovery sets in we are likely to see expansion accelerate,” says Arlett Hoff, Director at hospitality global consulting firm HVS. According to an HVS report, investors consider that serviced apartments are better placed in the pandemic than the hotel sector and more than 70% of them stated their appetite for future investments into the serviced apartment sector has increased over the course of 2020, although lenders are more cautious. Not surprisingly, all investors polled are actively looking for new serviced apartment deals with acquisitions, new developments and renovations or expansions most favoured. Some 20,000 serviced apartment units are due to come on stream in Europe over the next five years, although Covid-19 has led to a few cancelled projects and many delays. According to figures available in October 2020, of the 20,000 units planned, 5,694 are opening in the UK, including 415 in 2020, 1,760 in 2021 and 1,692 in 2022. Adagio has the largest pipeline across Europe with around 35 projects and nearly

5,000 units, more than 1,000 of which are in the UK. Adagio is set to welcome guests to London's Stratford from March and to Sutton later in spring 2021, followed in 2022 by properties in Glasgow and London Whitechapel. Staycity comes next with 20 properties in the pipeline, with more than half the units to be located in the UK. In November Staycity concluded a €70 million debt and equity refinancing to fund its European plans to almost double the size of the company over the following 18 months and to operate 15,000 keys by 2026/2027, signalling long-term confidence. Citadines Islington London unlocked its doors in August 2020 with 108 units and hot on its heels comes Citadines Wembley London with 300 units in 2021. Franchise will drive Ascott’s growth, alongside investment, management contracts and strategic alliances. “Serviced residences have gained more interest from investors and franchisees due to their resilient and efficient business model,” says Managing Director Ascott Global Serviced Residence Fund and Head, Business Development Mak Hoe Kit. Cheval Collection opened three properties in Edinburgh in July and opens a collection of 30 apartments in Kensington this spring.

New openings

In February 2021 Cycas is due to open dualbranded Moxy and Residence Inn in Slough as part of a hotel, retail and residential development; Kingsland Locke also hits Dalston in 2021, followed by Turing Locke in Cambridgeshire and Staybridge Suites Cardiff, both set to open later this year. Lamington Group’s room2 Chiswick opens in summer 2021 and comes after co-working space Missionworks in Hammersmith in January 2021; and room2 is to take over some 40 Travelodges, creating a ‘lite’ version of hometel. Staycity has planning permission for an aparthotel with 310 units in Manchester’s Deansgate, anticipated in 2024, while aparthotel brand Native has taken over management of Edinburgh’s Kintore House on Queens Street and has other sites under development including Leeds, York, Bristol, Oxford and London’s Soho. And Synergy President International Stephen Hanton hints : “While I am not prepared to give away too much about the company’s expansion plans across EMEA, the recent partnership announced with STAY Camden gives some insight into our intention to have guaranteed apartment stock in London and other key locations for the global accounts we look after."

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Workspaces

staycity

We need to be agile and adaptable in this new world, listening to customers and recognising their needs” synergy

House of fisher

Flexible

SPACEs

Serviced apartment providers are reimagining their spaces to meet the demand for new ways of working

f WFH (work from home) is here to stay then so, it seems, is WFA (work from apartment), providing an unexpected revenue stream for serviced apartment operators. "While less demand from the corporate segment was reported by around 40% of respondents, a quarter reported to have benefited from increased corporate demand thanks to offering guests the option of using the aparthotel as an office,” states an HVS report, which finds that more than 50% of respondents have made unique modifications to their product to cater for Covid-induced changes in ways of working. Those polled also say they are focusing on the extended stay product as it

has been least impacted. “We need to be agile and adaptable in this new world, listening to customers and recognising their needs, observing the market and bringing new models that deliver on that basis,” says Synergy’s Stephen Hanton. The company’s SynergyWork product exemplifies this, with facilities including traditional and stand-up desks, 24-inch monitors, smart HDTVs with webcams, laptops and portable tables, printers, audio devices, and exercise ball and mat, which should cover most eventualities. These can be booked ad hoc or as a standard requirement in a corporate programme, with the ability to change amenities according to the occupant’s needs.

Adagio launched coworking corners with WOJO in December in selected sites in France, and a roll-out in other European markets may follow suit. “Worldwide, we aim to open our lobbies to the local market and bring these spaces – often in city centres – to life. We also sell our apartments in Hotel Office via Accor to teleworkers during the day,” says Adagio Aparthotels CEO Karim Malak. Ascott's Work in Residence allows people to book rooms on a daily, weekly or monthly basis in more than 60 Ascott properties in 10 countries and these come with a workstation, housekeeping services, free tea and coffee, or Nespresso machines at selected properties. In addition, the company’s Space-as-a-Service provides a more creative option for organisations to use rooms as a cloud kitchen, for live streaming or fitness activities, for example. For guests who book a two-bedroom apartment at a Cheval Residences property, Cheval will convert the second into an office backed by fast WiFi, Nespresso machine and other conveniences. Edyn clients can book apartments on day rates and these can be included in an accommodation programme. PREMIER SUITES also offers a day rate and House of Fisher has refurbished the lounge at 100 Kings Road, Reading, to facilitate coworking. Bottomless tea and coffee, complimentary healthy snacks and space to spread out are to be had from Staycity for £50 a day from 08.00 to 18.00; and rooms at three Yays properties in Amsterdam – Bickergracht, Entrepothaven or Zoutkeetsgracht – are also available for use by the day at €55 or €195 for the week, backed by food deliveries for lunch breaks, soap and paper towels, and tea and coffee. Staybridge Suites and Frasers will respond to requests for rooms for a day but do not (yet) have a formal day-rate programme.

2021 GUIDE TO SERVICED APARTMENTS

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Aparthotel Adagio Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a short break or a stay of several months, for business or pleasure, Aparthotel Adagio offers you a friendly, tailor-made experience in the heart of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest cities.

You remain free and independent with all the advantages of an apartment, and even more: a fully equipped kitchen, a 24-hour shop, the Yummy Factory* for the perfect breakfast, coworking spaces and meeting rooms upon reservation**. Coming?

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The 2021 Guide to Serviced Apartments

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