Tag: director

Briefing: Illuminating all accommodation options

Posted on by Guy Lean

A new report from Savills found that only 8% of UK consumers can name a serviced apartment or aparthotel brand.

Although alternative accommodation sectors like serviced apartments, vacation rentals, and hostels have been growing, largely thanks to the opportunities online, there is still a lack of awareness of these products compared to hotels.

To rectify this, companies have been investing in marketing campaigns and launching TV adverts.

In these videos, four experts discuss awareness of hospitality products:

Savills’ European Serviced Apartment report states that 41% of UK consumers don’t know what a serviced apartment is and 57% don’t know what an aparthotel is. Awareness of serviced apartments was better among business travellers, although only 52% knew what an aparthotel was.

HostelWorld put out a new TV advert this year, aimed at young travellers looking for an authentic experience and inviting them to ‘meet the word’. This booking site features campsites, self catering accommodation, B&B’s, and budget hotels as well as independent hostels, and currently lists over 27,000 properties in more than 180 countries.

HomeAway, a vacation rentals model based around people renting out their second homes to holiday makers, has put a significant investment into its marketing budget this year. According to HomeAway’s second quarter reports, the company spent $100,887 on sales and marketing in the first half of 2015. This is up by about 25% on the same period in 2014. They have put out a 2 part TV campaign aimed at families.

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Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: The expansion of extended stay

Posted on by Guy Lean

A Special Report by Skift and Homewood Suites by Hilton found that there has been a 42.3% year over year growth in the pipeline for extended-stay properties in the US. Homewood Suites has 325 hotels in the US. Another growing extended-stay brand is Staybridge Suites, which has 101 hotels in the pipeline. With increasing awareness and demand for extended-stay accommodation internationally, there is high potential for growth.

Experts discuss extended-stays in a variety of accommodation types:

The report ‘The Changing Business of Extended-Stay Hotels’ found that the average age of extended-stay travellers is mid-40s. Also the 18-34 year old age group slightly favours extended-stay style accommodation for leisure trips.

The survey found that guests in extended-stay accommodation are more likely to be on business than leisure and that business travellers will stay longer.

Unsurprisingly the survey found that free wi-fi and a complimentary hot breakfast were considered the two most important amenities in an extended-stay hotel by both business and leisure travellers.

The survey found that only 45.4% of travelling Americans had stayed in extended-stay accommodation and 8.6% didn’t know what extended-stay accommodation was, suggesting there is potential for further growth in the market in America.

According to figures from STR, occupancy in extended-stay has been growing over the past few years. In the US, demand for extended-stay was 72.5% in 2012, 73.1% in 2013, and 74.9% in 2014. 125,000 new extended-stay rooms are expected to open in the US by 2018.

In the economy sector, STR data also showed that extended-stay supply growth was 2.6% YTD in May 2015 and ADR showed a 7.9% year on year change.

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Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: The urban planning revolution

Posted on by Guy Lean

Modern developers and investors are thinking about urban space differently. Mixed-use builds are maximising space in cities, and some hospitality companies are doubling up assets in new projects.

In Manchester, proposals have been made for a new “community” on the site of the old ITV studios. This will have 2-3 new hotels, including an event hotel called Manchester Grande. Nearby, Cycas Hospitality is planning to open two IHG hotels, a Crowne Plaza hotel and a Staybridge Suites, in The University of Manchester‘s campus development.

Our experts give their perspectives on new developments:

The St John’s community development in Manchester is being planned by Allied London, who now have control of the former ITV/Granada studios site. They have also proposed plans for a ‘vertical village consisting of 1,200 homes within six interconnected towers.’ This would be built on a separate area of former ITV owned land.

The University of Manchester‘s campus development is a £1billion project. The Crowne Plaza business hotel and the Staybridge Suites extended stay accommodation will adjoin Manchester Business School’s new two-storey Executive Education Centre. The hotels will serve university visitors and business travellers.

These large scale projects reflect the developments in Stratford for the 2012 Olympics, where IHG also placed two asset classes together; Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites.

Mixed-use projects and new “communities” are being developed across the globe, often in high rise buildings when space is tight. In Dubai a new ‘Cayan Cantara’ development by Cyan Group will have two towers and an adjoining bridge. The project includes branded residences, hotel apartments, shops, and a spa.

These clever developments will continue to offer hotels, serviced apartments, and other asset classes more and more different ways to fit into the changing urban landscape.

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Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Cost and convenience drive serviced apartment bookings

Posted on by Guy Lean

The latest Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report found that overall the price is the primary factor behind the decision to book a serviced apartment or a hotel.

There are variations in offerings across the serviced apartment/ extended stay/ aparthotel sector, but the main drivers for staying in these properties are clear. The report states that the ability to cook their own meals or entertain (71.6%), privacy (66.6%), and the apartment environment (58.3%) are influencing travellers to use serviced apartments.

In this briefing industry experts discuss serviced apartments and their customers:

GSAIR was put together by The Apartment Service, which states that serviced apartments are cheaper by about 15% – 30% than equivalent standard hotel rooms. This price difference makes it the winning option for many travellers. The report also states that 81.48% of travellers who have stayed in a serviced apartment prefer them to hotels.

According to the association of serviced apartment providers there is on average 30% more space in a serviced apartment, although guests forfeit the restaurants and extra communal areas in a hotel. The space allows people to have visitors and the kitchen facilities allow people to cook their own food, which can both save money and make the apartment feel more homely. This is especially appealing to people who need an extended stay and also to families with children who need the room and the convenience of a more home-like space and the ability to dictate the menu and meal times themselves.

Apartments are also popular with business travellers and are often used by companies in travel policies as a cost efficient option for employees’ business travel. According to Business Travel Insights 2015 nearly 75 percent of travel policies include serviced apartments as an approved option. One in every eight of corporate travel buyers surveyed for the Business Travel Show’s annual survey booked more serviced apartment accommodation in 2014 than 2013.

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Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Understanding brand power in a new landscape

Posted on by Guy Lean

What does it mean to be a hospitality brand in 2015? Travellers today will not be as influenced by a brand name as they once were when booking accommodation. According to Mintel Group, 48% of guests will not visit the hotel’s website before arrival, and 79% see price as a key factor when choosing a hotel. However strong brands in the industry are still growing.

These videos look at the way new brands are developing, how powerful brands are staying relevant, and what might happen with brands in the future:

In todays’ hospitality landscape technology has changed distribution forever, given independents more power and has sparked the emergence of new brands.

There is some debate over the possible consolidation of brands in the future as discussed in the above videos.  At the moment more and more brands are being created, often within existing brands, to serve new markets.

In other industries the power of the brand is still immensely strong particularly in the technology industry. Apple currently tops Forbes list of The World’s most Valuable Brands, with a brand value of $145.3 Billion. Microsoft, Google and Coca-Cola and IBM make up the rest of the top 5.

The MKG group’s Hospitality database shows that in January 2015, IGH was the top ranked Hotel Brand. It had 710 295 rooms and a growth of 3.4% on 2014. Hilton and Marriot were ranked 2nd and 3rd and showed growth of 5.4% and 5.9% respectively.

A survey from BDRC found that 42% of European leisure travellers rate review sites as important when selecting a hotel for leisure. In comparison 36% rate hotel brands and important. BDRC also found that leading brands can still command a higher price than unknown brands, with an uplift of €26.98 in the luxury market.

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Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Hotels invest in innovative design

Posted on by Guy Lean

Last month IHG announced plans to open a new Hotel Indigo in The Sustainable City (TSC), a new large scale community development in Dubai. The city is intended to have the highest sustainability standards and the new Hotel Indigo will match this with a building designed to recycle all waste water and use 100% solar power. Also in May an innovative hotel design Snoozebox won the Good Design Award Trophy in the Architectural Design category at the Good Design awards in Sydney.

In this briefing four experts discuss the value of innovative design:

Great design ideas are helping hotel companies modernise, differentiate, increase sustainability, and tap into new markets.

Snoozebox is a self-contained portable hotel which can be set up at events and festivals as an alternative to camping. Each room has an ensuite wet room bed a TV and wi-fi. Each pod room is 7.5 square metres. Snoozebox is providing accommodation at many of the festivals around the UK this year including Glastonbury.
IHG’s Hotel Indigo brand has been around since 2004, it is focused on design with each hotel intended to reflect the area it is in and look like a boutique hotel despite being part of a brand.

CitizenM is another brand hinged on design. Its hotels incorporate bright colours, modern style furniture, ‘luxurious living room style lobbies’ and a 24hour canteen and bar to appeal to modern travellers and distinguish itself from more traditional hotel design.

The Good Design Awards is an annual international event which covers design in all industries. The European hospitality industry also has its own European Hotel Design Awards. Last year the wellness hotel the Lanserhof Tegernsee, Marienstein, Germany won the European Hotel Design of the Year Award at EHDA, and The Edible Hotel by Dexter Moren Associates won Tomorrow’s Hotel for a design with an open plan lobby, an edible wall, and an aquarium.

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Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Serviced apartment sector is mature and growing

Posted on by Guy Lean

A new report from Travel Intelligence Network (TIN) shows that there has been a 14% growth in the serviced apartment supply chain globally since last year. The report, commissioned by The Apartment Service, found that there are almost 750,000 serviced apartments worldwide. It shows that serviced apartments are increasingly used by businesses for project work. And, like the rest of the hospitality industry, this sector has not gone unaffected by changes in distribution with 75% of operators receiving bookings from OTAs.

As serviced apartments gain prominence in the hospitality industry, four experts discuss the unique benefits and challenges of business and investment in the sector:

According to The Apartment Service: ‘The report highlights that the serviced apartment industry has reached a level of maturity that is showing future growth of supply.’ Deals are being done across the industry. At the end of 2014 there were approximately 1.700 units in the development pipeline in London according to the UK Serviced Apartment Report – Q4 2014 by Savills. There is also strong industry growth in Scotland with RevPAA up 16.2% year on year.

A recent merger between SACO and Oaktree Capital Management, announced on the 2nd March 2015, has resulted in the formation of a £60m hospitality company. The combined company has an inventory of 1645 apartments and is launching a new brand – Beyonder ApartHotels, which will focus on millennial travellers and will open its first ApartHotel in December 2015.

Frasers Hospitality announced the development of a new property in Hamburg recently (20th March 2015) which is the 50th city the company has entered.

Dublin based serviced apartment company StayCity has 1000 apartments across Europe and is due to open properties in Birmingham, Lyon and London in 2015.

And an industry leader BridgeStreet Global Hospitality, which rebranded last year, is going strong with 50,000 apartments in 60 countries and a collection of awards.

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Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: the future of Europe

Posted on by pmalone

An established market like Europe is one which comes with intrigue, pitfalls and opportunity. The harsh reality of the recession has allowed businesses to reassess and re-analyse growth strategies for their organisations.

There is no doubt that Europe is a complex environment with huge opportunities in certain markets, next to markets which you would struggle to understand any involvement at all. In this briefing we hear expert opinions on the European market and the optimism they see for the continent. Including comment from:

  • Majid Mangalji, President of Westmont Hospitality Group on the difficult times Europe has faced
  • Philippe Baretaud, SVP – Head of Development Europe, Middle East & Africa for Accor SA on exponential expansion for Eastern Europe
  • Patrick Sanville, Director – Hotels of BNP Paribas Real Estate on the silver lining the recession has bought
  • Nick Skea-Strachan, Partner – Hotels of Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP on Southern Europe continuing to struggle
 


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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: mobile – the big sell

Posted on by pmalone

Mobile technology is expanding at such a rate that it is really any wonder how people keep up with it. iPhone 5GS, Samsung Galaxy S4, Windows 8, Android, and BlackBerry are just a handful of terms that are in our modern-day vernacular without many of us really understanding what it means for us and for business.

Mobile smartphones are the most powerful selling technique which is set to dominate long into the future and we need to be utilising this medium across our business. Whether that’s checking emails, social networks, looking for reviews, playing games, watching films, purchasing hotel rooms and perhaps after all that making a phone call. It should certainly be embraced and our experts this week discuss this with comment from:

  • Cyril Ranque, SVP of Global Market Management for Expedia on the power that these devices bring to the consumer.
  • Douglas Rice, Executive VP & CEO of Hotel Technology Next Generation on expectations being raised with mobile
  • Leo Brand, CEO of Swisscom Hospitality Services on the need for hospitality to up its game
  • Peter O’Connor, Professor & Academic Director of ESSEC Business School on seizing the immense power of mobile in hotels

If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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