Relocating to a new country can be a financial and psychological nightmare for your employees, if they don’t have an address they can call ‘home’. While global trends indicate that today’s workforce is more mobile than it ever was in the past, it is also important for employers to think beyond immediate business requirements when relocating employees.
Given the instances of failed assignments due to “inconveniences and discomfort” in a foreign land, as HR, you simply cannot overlook your employees’ accommodation needs. You have to ensure that your new generation mobile workforce is well-housed and looked after while they are on the new job in a new country. After all, a happy employee is always a more productive employee.
The serviced apartments experience
A decade back, accommodation in a five-star luxury hotel might have been the ideal choice to give your employee the kind of comfort and amenities required. But today, rising costs and extended stays have forced HR to look for other options. And it is here that serviced apartments come forward as the most feasible solution. Today there are more serviced apartments options for HR managers who need to lease housing for their staff to consider. And they are available at all price levels and across all locations.
“Relocating can be a daunting feat with a new country, new culture and new language. At Far East Serviced Residences, we endeavour to bridge that distance with an extensive range of guest activities, specially customised for our customers to explore and truly appreciate the joy of the new environment,” says Shaw Lay See, assistant director, sales and marketing, Far East Serviced Residences.
“Our dedicated team spares no effort to ensure that they settle in well, as we recognise their need for total comfort and discreet personalised service, and offer them our finest hospitality. With no detail of comfort and convenience overlooked, their transition into the new environment could not be easier,” she adds.
Little wonder that Far East’s portfolio of nine serviced residences has been enjoying an average occupancy of over 90% since January 2006. Further, to keep up with guests’ demands, Far East is opening the Orchard Scotts Residences in early 2007. “The new Orchard Scotts Residences, designed by the award-winning architectural firm Arquitectonica, with interiors by renowned Japanese Interior Designer KKS International, will be a showcase of sophisticated lifestyle living,” Shaw asserts. Featuring 205 luxuriously furnished residences strategically located along Scotts Road, Orchard Scotts Residences will offer an inviting environment for business travelers. “Guests will be able to access a wide range of services and amenities, including concierge, butler and valet – a new level of service standard unprecedented in the industry,” she says. In addition, by offering exclusive patronage to its spa, culinary kitchens and the wine and cigar club to complement this designer lifestyle experience, Shaw says Orchard Scotts Residences should appeal to the most discerning travelers to Singapore.
Matching amenities with comfort
But it is certainly not Far East alone that is reaping the harvest of good business. With Singapore emerging as an economic hub, most serviced apartment providers are looking forward to making a good business.
The average occupancy rate for Shangri-La apartments is 85–95%, Thierry Douin, area manager and general manager, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore tells us. Shangri-La comprises 127 units of one, two and three bedroom units, and has recently undergone a refurbishment programme, giving the apartments a refreshing new look.
Positioned as ‘a sanctuary within a sanctuary’, the Shangri-La Service Apartments are situated within the peace and tranquility of the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, where residents can enjoy its prime location in a residential district only minutes away from the famed shopping belt of Orchard Road. “The apartments are styled after the functionality of hotel accommodation but with the warmth and comforts of home,” shares Douin. Beyond the comfort, the ambience, definitely, has a role to play too, he feels.
In line with the concept of paradise in Shangri-La, bougainvillea planters can be found hanging from each large balcony to give apartment interiors a bright and sunny appeal, he says. Warm colours run throughout each apartment, and all curtains, bedcovers, upholstery, carpets and even cushions have been carefully picked to blend harmoniously with each other. High ceilings and chandeliers further enhance the overall elegance of each unit and tasteful paintings adorn the walls. While the interiors provide a warm and homelike atmosphere, the Serviced Apartment lobby nevertheless gives residents and guests a grand sense of arrival. Large traditional crystal chandeliers hang in the two storey high lobby which features floor to ceiling glass panels, making the abundant greenery outside seem part of the lobby. A delightful feature within the grounds is a koi pond which can be viewed from either the lobby or an adjoining gazebo.
Further amenities include a two-tier swimming pool and Jacuzzi, tennis court, BBQ pits, launderette, business centre and meeting room. In-room features include local/IDD and DID lines, facsimile, cable television, entertainment centre, personal in-room safe and a fully equipped kitchen, keeping up to the standards of most serviced apartments. Beyond that, Douin informs us, residents enjoy signing privileges at Shangri-La Hotel, its award-winning restaurants and bars, as well as free membership at the hotel’s health club.
Similarly, with an occupancy rate of 90% business has been very good for the Great World Serviced Apartments too. It has recently completed renovations costing over S$17 million, and to further improve on the facilities has created new indoor and outdoor play areas for children. “In addition to our already wide offering of recreational facilities unsurpassed by any other serviced apartment development in Singapore. In addition, we have also seen exciting new changes in tenant profiles at the Great World City Shopping Mall within our complex, which today offers probably the best selection of family-oriented shops and retail outlets in the River Valley and Central districts. We pride ourselves in being the tallest and largest serviced apartment development in Singapore, offering the widest range of types of apartments (both in sizes and layouts), as well as featuring the best range of amenities, recreational facilities, and shopping/retail options available to any serviced apartment in Singapore. Not to forget our near-Olympic sized swimming pool, the largest of its kind amongst serviced apartments here in Singapore. Primarily due to our size, we house more than 800 expatriate residents daily in our 302 apartments; made up of more than 40 different nationalities, we probably are the only serviced apartment in Singapore that is serviced by school buses of all the international schools here in Singapore,” says Tan Kim Seng, general manager, Great World Serviced Apartments.
Also, at 90% occupancy rate, the Park Avenue Suites, provides many interesting facilities beyond the usual perimeters of comfort. Its latest attractions include a recent Duck tour for tenants and upcoming poolside party for tenants in Dec’06. In addition, tenants are given free movie vouchers and free entry to the Zoo if they stay with Park Avenue Suites for one month and above, Anita Kwan, vice president, Park Avenue Suites, shares.
Providing good service is key
Similarly, it is boom time for business across Asia for Oakwood Residence properties. Oakwood’s occupancy rates throughout Asia average 90%, says Robert Philips, director, sales and marketing, Oakwood Asia Pacific.
“There is a passion to be the best at Oakwood, and each of our brands has unique new features designed to delight our guests,” Philips says. He enumerates the features of each brand: “Our newest Oakwood Premier luxury properties have large and beautifully tiled drench showers which are like having a spa in your own apartment. Our Oakwood Residence properties have family-friendly features such as children’s playground and large living rooms for entertaining. The forward-looking Oakwood Apartments –such as our new location in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district – have features such as a Bose stereo with an iPod docking station.”
Oakwood’s staff is trained to care for long-stay guests, Philips says. “Our staff become friends with our customers; we learn their names and their birthdays and take care of their needs. We also sponsor numerous group activities for residents. At the same time, we respect our guests’ privacy and want them to relax once they are in their home. Housekeeping does not come knocking on your door at night unless you have requested it.”
After facilities in Singapore, Manila, Tokyo, Seoul, Guangzhou and Bangkok, Oakwood is currently opening serviced apartments throughout India in cities such as Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune to cater to the increasingly mobile workforce.
As winner of the Excellent Service Award (EXSA), Park Avunue Suites also believes in continously upgrading its service standards to attract more tenants, by providing training to staff at all levels to provide its customers a warm and unforgettable experience, shares Kwan.
So, the next time your employee goes on an extended business trip, make sure you select the perfect housing option at a price that is both affordable and cost effective. Don’t forget, a serviced apartment can be just another name for your employee’s ‘home’ away from home.