GUEST BLOG: HOW TO SLASH ACCOMMODATION COSTS BY UP TO 40%

A recent survey conducted by the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP) has found that its 56 members are optimistic about the sector’s growth in the UK & Ireland for 2013. With occupancy rates as high as 89%* in London last year, it’s not surprising that providers are feeling positive about the forthcoming 12 months.

Thanks, in part, to the many benefits the sector offers business travellers, the serviced apartment sector is finally starting to take a well-deserved place in the limelight. These benefits include:

•          Earlier check-in and later check-out times
•          Discount vouchers for local restaurants/bars/spas/tourist attractions
•          Continental breakfast
•          Gym membership: discounted membership or vouchers to access local gyms;  or free  gym on site
•          Complimentary wi-fi, depending on length of stay
•          Loyalty programmes
•          Butler Service
•          Free parking
•          Free movies

Perhaps more importantly, the serviced apartment sector also offers massive benefits to corporate travel buyers as well as travellers, not least of all starting with price.

ASAP founder member Marlin Apartments has calculated that corporate buyers can save between 30% and 40% on their accommodation costs by switching from hotels to serviced apartments. Booking a serviced apartment in central London can save 31% or £80.29 per night when compared to the equivalent standard hotel. And booking a Marlin serviced apartment in central London will slash 37% or £92.45 per night off the bill.

For major corporate buyers managing accommodation for, say 100 travellers staying in London for 30 nights per year, this is the equivalent saving of £277, 350 per annum. And, as you’ll see from the benefits list, travellers don’t miss out at all from making the switch. In fact, a serviced apartment gives corporate travellers the freedom to spend their down time as they please rather than being tied to the inflexibility of a hotel stay, helping them to comply with policy.  

Both Marlin Apartments (stand AC5) and ASAP are exhibiting at the Business Travel Show, which takes place on 5-6 February 2013 in London. Registration is open at www.businesstravelshow.com. Visit them and find out how you can slash your accommodation costs.

*October 2012 was the month which delivered the best occupancy for the final quarter of the year: 89% for London and 82% in the regions.

For further information, please contact:

Ed Rogers, Marlin Apartments; edward@marlinapartments.com

Joyce Cawthorpe, ASAP; jcawthorpe@theasap.org.uk          

All Hail the Serviced Apartment Revolution

An accommodation revolution has been taking place across London for thousands of business and leisure travellers. Gone are the days when traditional hotels reigned supreme, to make way for a powerful new adversary within the corporate accommodation market. Serviced apartments provide business travellers with the opportunity to relax at leisure, prepare for meetings, and feel at home whilst staying in one of the world’s busiest cities. It is this feeling of freedom that has been fundamental to the success of the serviced apartment industry.

London has experienced the biggest change in recent years thanks to the swift growth of the serviced apartment sector. From an initially slow start London is now the dominant European leader in terms of both volume and revenue. The UK accounted for 11.3% of the total revenue produced within this sector by all 27 EU countries in 2009. This figure comes as no surprise when you realise that the combined serviced apartment stock within London pre Olympics is estimated at one hundred thousand units. Even with this high figure average occupancy growth has increased year on year by 6% since 2008 demonstrating increasing demand from both leisure and business travellers.

A number of London’s leading providers, including us - Think Apartments, have also further adapted the serviced apartment model into apart-hotels. Apart–hotels feature additional services such as professional 24 hour reception, lounge/ coffee area, additional housekeeping and, as being trialled at the Thinks Earls Court, an innovative blue key concierge service. By running an apart- hotel model providers are breaching the services gap between hotels and apartments and encouraging new thinking and new business from the market.

The Olympics will be a trying time for all accommodation providers within central London. The city will be absorbing one million extra visitors during the three weeks of the games. This will be an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate the attributes that are growing the serviced apartment industry and engaging travellers and agents alike.

Posted by James Sykes-Hagen, Business Development Manager, Think Apartments.

Think Apartments is exhibiting at the Business Travel Show, 7-8 February 2012. To register for a buyer pass, please visit www.businesstravelshow.com