Business travellers to Thailand looking for a more up-market, long-term accommodation option will be pleased to hear that serviced residence group, The Ascott Limited, has opened its first luxury The Crest Collection property in Asia.
The new Metropole Bangkok high-end serviced residence, located in the Thai capital’s Thonglor residential area, is situated a short drive from the city’s key business and entertainment district, Sukhumvit Road. In the property’s more immediate vicinity, meanwhile, are a variety of restaurants and cafes, retail options and shopping malls, and bars and clubs, along with access to the Thonglor skytrain station.
“Bangkok is one of Asia’s most dynamic cities and Thonglor is its most vibrant area, home to the city’s trendiest dining and entertainment options,” said Ascott’s country general manager for Thailand, Jean Keijdener. “Metropole is a masterpiece that combines period elegance with contemporary comforts while offering expatriates and travellers unprecedented personalised service… Metropole is a landmark addition [to The Crest Collection] that will elevate the living experience of serviced residences in Bangkok”
Offering 116 serviced apartments in studio and one-bedroom configurations – some of which include a private balcony – the new Bangkok property also has a swimming pool, fitness centre with cold onsen (Japanese bath), restaurant with outdoor dining area and a residents’ lounge. Additional services including laundry, dry cleaning and meal delivery are also offered.
The debut of Ascott’s first Asia Crest Collection property follows the group’s recent announcement that it will be significantly expanding its portfolio in China, with eight new serviced residences in Beijing, Chongqing, Haikou, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Xiamen. The new China properties will be under its Ascott, Citadines and Tujia Somerset brands and will offer more than 1,200 units when they come online by 2020.
The eight new properties includes the recently opened Tujia Somerset Palm Springs Chongqing, part of the company’s new collaboration with online apartment sharing platform Tujia, along with four additional Tujia Somerset properties. “Since the launch of the Tujia Somerset brand in March this year, we have secured ten properties and we will be stepping up our pace as the middle class travel segment continues to develop,” said Ascott CEO Lee Chee Kon. “By expanding our network of serviced residences and our suite of brands, we will be able to capture an even largest market share to better cater to varying needs of business and leisure travellers.”
Ascott has added a total of more than 2,800 apartment units across 16 properties in China this year, a number the company claims is a record figure and part of its target of 20,000 apartment units in China and 80,000 units globally by 2020.
