Reservations - Cityzenbooking goes international

Launched in September 2009, Cityzenbooking, France's only real-time online booking site for urban tourist residences, intends to step up its international expansion. It will be expanding from four to six languages, with the forthcoming launch of versions in German and Chinese.

This policy is the result of an agreement signed in 2010 with Frasers Hospitality, which has a large portfolio of residences in Asia, as well as in Europe and the Middle East. Cityzenbooking already has more than 160 partnership agreements - with Frasers, but also Odalys, Ascott, Adagio, Lagrange, Citéa, Appart'City and Résidhome - and markets flats in 700 residences, two-thirds of which are in France, with the remainder mainly in the UK, Belgium and Spain. "Every month, we make between 2,000 and 4,000 bookings, which represents around 10,000 overnight stays".says Jean-François Ramé, co-founder and chairman of Cityzenbooking. He adds "our referencing is getting better every day and our customer loyalty rate is rising steadily"..

In addition to prioritising the growth of its offering abroad, Cityzenbooking wants to open up new distribution channels to reach business customers, who can stay for several weeks or even months in this type of accommodation. "The appart'hôtel is a product that perfectly meets the needs of independent travellers, as well as the wishes of companies looking for competitive rates compared to a hotel stay".says Jean-François Ramé.