At your service

Every incoming expatriate family has choices when it comes to accommodation. From hotels to condominium apartments to landed properties in the outer suburbs, there are a wide range of options to suit all tastes and budgets. The serviced apartment is certainly featured in many transition periods, providing newly arrived families with a temporary place to call home from the moment they land in-country. But this choice is often discarded when the search for something more permanent begins. That, residence operators say, is a shame – since serviced apartments offer the same, if not more, services and facilities than hotels or condominiums.

Add to this, the relaxed, but social atmospheres available, and you can see why more and more expatriates – and their families – are reconsidering the serviced apartment option. They provide stylish and practical accommodation on both long and short term arrangements, with a host of finishing touches to ensure every guest feels like number one.

Never a dull moment

No matter what the interest, sport or hobby, the typical serviced apartment in Singapore – and throughout Asia – will have something to offer. And best of all, these facilities are all located in the same building, just a short elevator ride from the guest’s home away from home.

Thierry Douin, Vice President and General Manager, Shangri-La Hotel (and Apartments), Singapore, says each residence will have a standard set of services to keep their guests relaxed, entertained and energised. “A typical serviced apartment offers housekeeping services, cable television, internet access, swimming pool and recreational facilities as well as arrival transfers, to name a few,” he says.

But then some residences will go one step further, to provide those special “extras” as a way of differentiating themselves from the increasingly competitive market. “On top of the usual services, Shangri-La Apartments provides added benefits such as extra cable (television) channels, and complimentary use of the Apartments’ business centre.”

Being attached to a five-star hotel, Shangri-La apartments can go even further, offering its guests the best of both worlds. Douin says the bar, dining and recreational facilities at the Shangri-La Hotel are also a hit with guests at the Shangri-La Apartments. “Among these privileges, guests are most appreciative of the convenience of 24-hour room service, access to the hotel’s restaurants, the security of the premises, the 24-hour gymnasium, and the 15 acres of landscaped gardens at the hotel,” he says.

Henrietta Chong, General Manager, Great World Singapore, describes the services and facilities available for her guests as “all-encompassing”. She points particularly at the residence’s recently refurbished gymnasium. Conveniently located on the second floor of the building, it offers the most modern and expansive range of any serviced apartment facility, she says. “It’s the envy of all condominium residents.” On the same level, Great World’s community swimming pool is also an envy-earning facility. At close to the size of an Olympic-distance pool, it is popular with guests of all ages and backgrounds.

Great World also distinguishes itself through its housekeeping arrangements – where “less is more” is the ruling mantra. Residents there enjoy cleaning and housekeeping services three times a week, rather than the daily service seen at many other hotels and serviced residences. Chong says this is because privacy is a number one priority for Great World and its guests. “This is their home,” she says. “And many residents prefer to have fewer intrusions.”

Staying active

Serviced apartments are also well known for the active social life they can bring to their guests. As the next HRM feature details, most residences offer a wide range of organised activities and events for their guests. These can range from simple swimming classes to tours of local tourism sites. There also events and classes for children and monthly theme parties for their parents.

Many of these events take advantage of the same facilities for which serviced apartments enjoy popular custom. Chong says she’s always pleased to see the different groups using the swimming pool, for example. Great World has also turned two of its apartment spaces into a special “Kids Lounge” with separate outdoor playground facilities.

The special touch

Every serviced apartment works to offer something a little different from the competition. Sometimes, just an enviable location can be enough, Douin saying that Shangri La Apartments’ close contact with Singapore’s famed shopping belt of Orchard makes it a clear winner for many guests and their families.

“For tourists and visitors, Shangri-La Apartments is a convenient five minute walk to Orchard Road, the country’s main shopping district,” he says. “They also enjoy the use of a complimentary scheduled shuttle service to the city.”

If staying at home, Shangri-La guests also enjoy access to the professional standard tennis court, barbecue facilities and a fully equipped business centre – just more advantages of being connected to the famous hotel of the same name.

Great World has its own special differentiating factor. It is one of the only serviced apartment residences offering space for pets. Indeed, Chong says the group welcomes them in all their shapes and sizes. One family apartment is even home to a Great Dane – one of the world’s largest breeds of dog!

“It’s a very unique concept in our industry,” Chong says. “(But) we welcome pets as part of the family.” In all, the complex currently houses around 30 dogs, with a smaller number of cats also housed there (Chong says both cats and dogs get along well with each other). As a further service, Great World has a handy pet information corner – with useful tips and advice on keeping pets happy and healthy. Pet owners can also access a specialist pet store in the adjacent Great World Shopping Centre.

Looking further ahead

Serviced apartments are always looking for that new edge to draw in more guests – in the inevitable marketing war between them and hotels and condominiums. Both Chong and Douin say that their best tools for this lie in the constant and comprehensive feedback that they receive from those that have stayed with them.

That was the basis for a complete refurbishment of ShangriLa Apartments just two years ago. “In 2007, Shangri-La Apartments underwent a refurbishment,” Douin says. “The apartment units now offer crisp, contemporary designs and furnishings.”

Such a response to guest surveys and feedback is nothing unusual. “Over the years, we have expanded our services and facilities to include complimentary broadband Internet access and a 24-hour gymnasium,” he added.

“We will continue to improve our services and facilities on an ongoing basis, bearing the evolving needs of our guests in mind.”

Chong says feedback is particularly important at this time, as she is seeing a change in demographics affecting the demand-side of the market. “The demographics have shifted to the emerging markets,” she says. As such, clients are becoming “more sophisticated” in their wants, needs and demands. Shangri-La will be adjusting its guest promise and style accordingly.

“Over the years, we’ve collected a great deal of feedback from our guests,” she says. That has resulted in such improvements as the upgraded gymnasium and swimming pool. “People became much more interested in health and lifestyle issues and we acted on that feedback.”