The Ascott Limited group will deploy its top-of-the-range brand Ascott in Europe, with a residence due to open in Frankfurt's business district at the end of 2022. Until now, the world leader in long-stay hotels has relied mainly on its mid-range Citadines brand, as well as on the luxurious Crest Collection with a third establishment La Clef recently opened near the Champs-Elysées. Developed in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, this chain of elegant establishments, which was once based in London, has added a new string to the bow of the Singaporean group. "With the signing of this new residence, we are breaking new ground. one step further the development of The Ascott Limited in Europe with the launch of our Ascott brand in Germany, where the Citadines brand has already been established for over 16 years"explains Kevin Goh, CEO of Ascott Limited.
Located on the banks of the River Main, just a stone's throw from the headquarters of Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, the Ascott Riverpark Tower Frankfurt, designed by Rosen Architekten, will also be close to the conference centre and within walking distance of Frankfurt Central Station. As part of the Riverpark Tower and Suites mixed-use development, it will offer 100 units over five floors, as well as a spa and fitness room of over 150 m².
"Germany is a key market for Ascott's growth, where there are already four Citadines residences and The Madison Hamburg, totalling more than 700 homes in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich."says Ngor Houai Lee, Managing Director Europe at Ascott. This development is in line with the group's objective of double in size in the next five years, both worldwide and in Europe, where Ascott aims to have 10,000 residences in 100 establishments by 2023. Following the recent opening of Citadines Sloterdijk Station Amsterdam, the brand is planning a new residence in London's Islington district this year. Two other Citadines are also in the pipeline in Nantes and Strasbourgscheduled for 2019 and 2020 respectively.
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At the same time, the Ascott group has launched a new version of the brand, Citadines Connectaimed at short stays. In addition to studios ranging from 18 to 21 m², the establishments in this range will have a technological aspect, with smartphone keys, check-in terminals, intelligent washing machines and TVs for easy streaming. Takeaway food and drink counters will also be available to customers, in addition to meeting spaces and 'Refresh and Recharge' areas, equipped with USB charging points, lockers and showers. "Building on the global popularity of the Citadines brand which focuses on the extended stay market, we are introducing the Citadines Connect sub-brand to capturing the short-stay segment"said Alfred Ong, Head of Global Operations at Ascott.
The brand, which is aimed at business travellers on the move, is expected in major business metropolises such as Paris, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, as well as in South-East Asia. Already, two residences have been announced to carry this new brand, the Citadines Connect Fifth Avenue in New York and, from next May, the Citadines Connect Sydney Airport, currently operating under the name Felix Hotel. In the future, the Temple Bar Hotel in Dublin and the Domain Hotel Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley should also be rebranded as Citadines Connect.
