Freedom, privacy, conviviality. Between these three terms, thelong-stay hotels has decided to stop choosing. Until now urban residences The main advantage was that business travellers were free to organise their stay as they saw fit. Depending on their moods and desires at the time, they could explore the gastronomic scene of the cities where they were sent on mission; or, on the contrary, bored with the idea of yet another evening alone with themselves, they could take advantage of the intimacy of their flat to watch their favourite TV series or a high-stakes PSG-Real Madrid match.
Unlike traditional hotels, the kitchenette in the room allows nomadic executives to return to their home-like habits. In fact, this is the key point of this type of accommodation, in addition to significantly larger rooms. Or at least it used to be, because a third option is now brightening up the daily lives of solo travellers. A number of players in the long-stay hotel industry are shaking things up by transforming the lobbies residences in "living spacessays Karim MalakManaging Director ofAdagio Aparthotels. " For over ten years now, we've been offering business travellers a very practical form of accommodation. What we want to do today is to make their stay even more enjoyable, and to help them have a good time.. " The common thread running through this ambition is a complete rethink of the communal areas, designed by leading interior architects such as Kristian Gavoille, Valérie Garcia and Didier Versavel. The essence of this new concept, called The Circleis first and foremost a hybrid venue, part restaurant, part lounge, organised around a shared kitchen with a piano and table football.
Cheating loneliness
Business travellers, even if their flat has a kitchenette, are cordially invited to come down to the ground floor to escape their loneliness by sharing their evening with the other residents. This shared kitchen also offers the possibility of bring together several company employees The establishment can invite a chef from home to prepare the meal. " We want customers to make the place their own, come and cook here, organise impromptu concerts, etc.says Karim Malak. Thanks to this new concept, we are able to offer them a complete package, with a flat for their private sphere on the one hand and, on the other, a range of services for their personal needs. communal areas for social interaction" . To this end, themed aperitifs and dinners are organised on a regular basis in the residences where this concept is already deployed.
WeWork
The idea of encourage meetings in long-stay establishments is not entirely new. For a long time, it took the form of aperitifs organised by facility management to break the ice between customers and strengthen links with staff. In 2015, Residence Inn has also decided to give a boost to these "Social events through its concept of Residence Inn Mix. Grills and barbecues on Tuesdays, food trucks and dessert evenings on Wednesdays: the Marriott group's long-stay brand organises lively after-work events, enhanced this year by an extensive selection of top-of-the-range wines and, very much in vogue, regional craft beers. " We created these Residence Inn Mixes by listening to the expectations of the new generation of business travellers who are looking for a social experience during their long stays" explains Diane Mayer, Vice-President of Brand Management.
With the emergence of shared kitchens in residences, customers are becoming, in a way, playing a full part in the atmosphere of the holiday. This movement is not limited to Adagio. The Staybridge SuitesFor example, in February this year, IHG unveiled a redesigned version of the communal areas in these residences. In some cases, the changes are quite radical. Whereas the strength of the long-stay model lies largely in the kitchenette, Bridgestreet has decided, no more and no less, to do away with them and install only shared kitchens in its Studyo residencesAll this is combined with small bedrooms.
Large lobbies where customers can eat, work, listen to music... In short, they are free to do as they please, but all together.
In the same way, Lyfthe group's new brand Ascott which will make its debut at the end of the year at Shenzhen before appearing elsewhere in Asia, in SingaporeDalian and Cebu, will offer relatively small rooms combined with large major lobbies where customers can eat, work and listen to music. In short, they are free to make themselves at home - which is summed up by the acronym Lyf, for "live your own freedom -but all together.
Designed for millenials
As you can see, a concept like this isn't exactly for professionals in their prime. " Lyf was designed and designed for 20-30 year oldsexplains Nancy Faure, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Europe at Ascott, who points out that " half of all business travellers will come from the millenials generation at 2020. " Co-working, co-living, co-cooking: the trend is no longer towards intimate cocooning, but rather towards community of spirit.
These accommodation solutions are evolving towards a more relational, younger dimension. And, as a result, more dynamic.
In the United States, WeWorkknown worldwide for its loft-style shared workspaces, is reinventing the business version of the old-fashioned flat-share with its WeLive long-stay residences. Recently, Business Insider magazine went to meet WeLive Wall Street customers and showed them the very high profile of WeLive Wall Street. "Generation Y of its residents, such as a young recruit from a medical start-up who has been living there for over a year and prefers this solution to renting a flat. Other customers include two consultants working on an augmented reality project, who don't hesitate to take advantage of breakfasts in the communal kitchen to add to their address books or, better still, their order books.
Like WeLive, Lyf focuses on new economy entrepreneurs. " Start-ups who want to be in business mode at 200 % for three months can have access to a three- or four-bedroom space with a shared kitchen and meeting facilities." says Nancy Faure. The idea of these places where employees can spend days together concentrating on their project, where groups of friends or large families can get together without any problem, is gaining ground in the long-stay hotel industry. ElementLast year, the Marriott-Starwood chain presented a prototype of an almost identical space. The shadow ofAirbnb This new offer is intended as a response to this competition.
Extremist concepts
Travellers who are attached to their private domain can rest assured that these rather extreme concepts are - for the moment at least - not very representative of the bulk of the long-stay hotel offer. However, these examples show that these accommodation solutions are evolving towards a more relational, more youthful dimension. And, as a result, more dynamic.
After an upmarket phase that began at the start of the decade, the long-stay hotel sector is now taking a very lifestyle turn.
A few years ago, in 2012, Fraser Hospitality led the way with its Capri by Fraserwhich has appeared in many Asian cities. These residences, which are also present in Europe in Barcelona, Frankfurt, Berlin and soon in Leipzig, boastbe available 24/7. " Whether you want to exercise at midnight after a long day at work, take a midday break in the rooftop hot tub or communicate with your clients in a meeting room with state-of-the-art equipment, Capri by Fraser caters to the demands of a work & play lifestyle'" said Tony Ho, General Manager of Capri by Fraser Kuala Lumpur, when the hotel opened in 2014.
After a phase of upmarket expansion that began at the start of the decade, the long-stay hotel sector is now entering a period of very lifestyle turn. " As soon as we renovate a residence, we will work on this notion of life within the establishment. At the Citadines Barbican in London, for example, we have entered into a partnership with Sourced Market which, like Exki in France, offers fresh, organic seasonal dishes. Open to the public, the space occupies part of the lobby and welcomes residents and external visitors at all hours." explains Nancy Faure. Appart City, as part of a vast renovation plan launched last May, is also reviewing the atmosphere of its lobbies. " We will bring down the wallsremove the reception desks, add seats so that the ground floors are alive all day longsays François Sabatino, CEO of Appart City. Seeing the breakfast room plunged into darkness at 10.30am and already prepared for the next morning is a thing of the past. The lobby is transformed into a coworking space in the afternoon. In the evening, residents can enjoy a drink and dinner at the tables d'hôtes or, more intimately, in cosy, more secluded corners.. " The brand is also working on a food offer with charcuterie boards and a food corner. " Guests arriving at 11pm will be able to enjoy a meal and a glass of wine either in their room or in the lobby. All choices are possible" continues François Sabatino.
This desire to infuse a very contemporary spirit is not confined to the big names in the sector. In Munich, the SoulMade plays on a warm atmosphere in its huge living room - organised like a library and furnished with comfortable sofas - as in its rooms with walls covered in natural wood. In Canberra, the Nishi Apartments of the Ovolo group are both eco-friendly and arty, with works by young local talent on display in the lobby and in the bedrooms. The Roost in Philadelphia, for its part, aims to be the the perfect blend of boutique hotel and chic real estateand offers a host of practical services for travellers, including a e-concierge appThere are also free bicycles, a library where you can borrow books and a partnership with the VTC company. Lyft. The establishment even offers to entertain travellers' pets while they are away.
Because while residences are busy keeping up with the times, they are not forgetting their original function, which is to be very practical for their guests. While many establishments have set up a small grocery shop in their lobby where they can find the essentials - salads, pasta, wine, beer, toothpaste - the boom in home delivery of meals offers them new opportunities to satisfy the needs of travellers.
Maximum service
In this context, a player such as Odalys City has signed an agreement with Deliveroo which offers a wide range of partner restaurants. " This service is very popular with our customersexplains James Galland, Director of Odalys City. I've been travelling all day, I arrive late, I'm tired and I don't want to go out again: I order the dish I want. It's really very simple. We're looking at other digital services, why not with Uber. "
Long-stay hotels are more in vogue than ever? " I've seen this sector evolve from a minimum service to a very broad service, rather than a maximum." notes Guus BakkerCEO of Fraser Hospitality. In 1990, buyers from major companies looked at the extended-stay hotel sector with astonishment. Then they quickly embraced the model. Today, our residences are part of the hotel programme of companies that use our establishments in Europe, but also in Asia and Australia. For stays of more than three days, travellers are invited to use this type of accommodation to limit ancillary expenses such as restaurant costs. "
" For me, the hotel business is a bit like music, sums up James Galland. It's true that we're still attached to the vintage side of vynils, but once you've had a taste of digital sound, there's no going back. It's the same with residences. If you move your staff from a 25 m² studio with kitchenette to a 12 m² bedroom, it's a real headache.. " Duly noted.
Also in this dossier: Meet Cyril Aouizerate, founder of MOB Hotel
