News

Ascott creates communities in “home away from home”

9 Nov 2009
Properties, belonging to the world’s leading serviced residence operator Ascott International, strive to create “communities” as well as provide road warriors a “home away from home”. “We want our residents to get to know each other,” Gerald Lee, deputy chief executive officer, The Ascott Group Limited, told Business Traveller. “We don’t want them to just live on their own but interact with each other, creating bonds among themselves and with the staff.” This sense of belonging, Lee believed, was difficult to achieve in a hotel or regular apartment block environment. “With us, people know their neighbours and feel that anytime they need help, it’s there.” Obviously vital to this philosophy is the staff, which the Group always aims to bring to the level of “knowledge workers”, encouraging them to go beyond being order takers. Said Lee: “Today’s customer does a lot of research – thanks to the internet – before he or she arrives. Our staff has to provide them with information that they do not already know. "Helping guests adapt to the local culture is a prominent feature of the residents’ programme," said Eddie Lim, country general manager, Indochina, Ascott International, adding: “We have social gatherings, but we also go beyond having fun by taking up meaningful projects. In Thailand, we gathered donations to buy gifts to bring to the hill tribe children in Chiangrai.” In other locations, the Singapore properties (The Ascott Raffles Place, five Somersets and Citadines Mount Sophia) and the corporate office pooled resources to aid three local charities; The Ascott Makati and various Manila-based Somerset properties are involved with the multi-awarded Gawad Kalinga, committed to eradicate poverty and homelessness in the Philippines; and in Vietnam, the Group has pledged to help create a better learning environment for youngsters, pledging over VND30 million (US$1.69 million) and presenting water bottles and other gifts to over 400 students of Tan Hung A Primary School in the Soc Trang Province last July. Now on its 25th year, The Ascott Group, according to Lee, “continues to add new properties despite the crisis”. Through its three brands, Ascott, Somerset and Citadines, it has grown to be the world’s largest international owner-operator of such business with some 25,000 units in 67 cities in over 22 countries. The latest to open is Citadines Munich Arnulfpark serviced residence in the western part of the city, just minutes away from epicenter Marienplatz. China and India, the usual development engines, are glowing spots on the company’s pipeline, with opportunities also provided by Russia, CIS countries (Citadines Tbilisi Freedom Square in Georgia will soon launch) and Kazakhstan (Citadines Aktau is due for a 2011 debut with The Ascott Astana following in 2012) and the Middle East, particularly the Gulf states. In Southeast Asia, Bangkok boasts a wide range of Ascott brands that will expand further with the imminent debut of Somerset Sukhumvit Thonglor on Sukhumvit 55 and Somerset Amar Garden on Sukhumvit 2. That will bring Thailand’s unit inventory to 1,724. Vietnam is another area being monitored carefully. Present already in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh with Somerset properties, inroads are being made in the port city of Hai Phong with the Somerset Central TD, Hai Phong City opening next year. The Group’s 25th anniversary promotion has still until December 31, 2009 to run. For more details, visit www.the-ascott.com/25anniversary Margie T Logarta  
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