A major growth sector in the hotel industry is that of aparthotels – part hotel luxury, part home-from-home apartment comfort.
And it is this blend of upmarket homeliness which is driving the increase in popularity as discerning travellers seek a flexible accommodation option to satisfy their various needs.
A recent survey indicated the sector would rise significantly from its current figure of 3% of the UK hotel market share as an additional 6,000 units are due to open over the next two years, making up 13% of the total active pipeline. It already holds 9% in the US and is an increasingly popular mode of hotel the world over.
Aparthotels are universally popular with travellers from business people to families, with many of the former looking for more flexibility from their on-the-road accommodation than being confined to one room for, potentially, days on end and the latter often requiring more space for their luggage than a conventional hotel room offers.
They also offer great options for groups travelling together, either for business or leisure, with well-designed cost-effective models for multiple occupancy accommodation with an added sense of independence not always available within the confines of a hotel.
Building on the trend for home-office working patterns, hotel brands are developing separate divisions within their portfolio to cater for this growing need with luxurious apartment-style units offering a high end home from home experience.
Typically offering modern amenities and concierge services, aparthotels still offer a sense of indulgence to visitors seeking a sense of upgrading from their own home surroundings when they are away from their own four walls.
Simon Stevens, hotels director of property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) which conducted the survey, said: “While the rise of the Airbnb sector is sometimes viewed as a threat to more traditional types of accommodation, it is actually benefiting aparthotels by making consumers more receptive to alternatives to conventional hotels.”
“With new brands being launched and established operators reinventing their products, serviced apartments and aparthotels will continue to innovate and grow. The sector will remain a melting pot for new ideas; borrowing from alternative concepts such as co-living and co-working to create inventive new hybrids.”
With this market only going in one direction, it is a sector in which we are delighted to be operating and will continue to seek new opportunities to work alongside developers and operators as they pull out all the stops to meet demand. ��������r��