This month, SilverDoor celebrates 25 years of serving business travellers—a milestone that not only reflects how far we’ve come but also where we’re headed. From our beginnings in London in 2000 to supporting thousands of clients worldwide today, our commitment to outstanding service and client success has never wavered. As we mark this moment, we’re not just looking back at the relationships we’ve built—we’re looking forward to the opportunities ahead, continuing to innovate, evolve, and set new standards for the future of corporate accommodation.
| From a Small Start to Global Support
Over the past quarter-century, SilverDoor has grown from a small UK startup into a global leader in serviced apartments. We now provide access to serviced apartments in over 122 countries through partnerships with 2,300 property operators. By expanding our footprint (including new offices in Europe, Asia and the Americas), we've made sure that wherever our clients need to be, we have the local knowledge and options to help. Importantly, this growth has never changed our core focus – making our clients feel valued and supported no matter where they are.
From the very beginning, founders Marcus and Angie have nurtured a company culture that makes every member of our team across 7 global office proud. Team members aren’t just employees; they’re proudly dubbed “SilverDoorians.”
Angie Angell explains that the term is more than just a nickname. “To me, a SilverDoorian is a name to be proud of. It’s about team spirit, about wanting to succeed — whether in our own careers or by doing the best possible job for our clients,” she says.
This tight-knit culture has become a cornerstone of SilverDoor’s success. New hires quickly learn that being a SilverDoorian comes with a sense of belonging and responsibility. Over the years, this strong team spirit has fuelled innovation after innovation but always comes back to one core mantra – to deliver exceptional service with honesty, integrity and care.
Whether you're a FTSE 100 company or an independent contractor, our approach is the same: listen, understand, and deliver. Our clients know that when they reach out to SilverDoor, they'll get honest advice, tailored solutions, and a friendly expert who genuinely wants to help.
| A Client-Centric Philosophy
SilverDoor’s approach to service has always been personal and proactive. From day one, we've made it our mission to go above and beyond for every booking. Our account management team treats itself as an extension of our clients’ teams. We take personal ownership of each client’s accommodation programme, ensuring you always receive a familiar, personalised service. This hands-on, human touch means we get to know our clients’ preferences and priorities inside out, whether that means accommodation with room for your pets or a quiet workspace in which to meet that deadline while you’re travelling for business.
Being client-centric also means being there whenever help is needed. SilverDoor operates a truly 24/7 service – with strategically located offices across all global business regions, our team spans global time zones and is on call around the clock. Travel issues don't keep office hours, and neither do we. If an emergency arises at 3am or over a weekend, a SilverDoor agent will be available to assist.
Our legacy of service excellence is best illustrated by the stories and feedback from the people we’ve helped. Over 25 years, there have been countless moments where our team has stepped up to keep a client’s travel plans on track. Here are just a couple of examples that stand out:
| Accommodating Global Consulting Firm During a Major Sporting Event
The Challenge:
A prominent consulting firm needed to house 85 individuals in Paris for two months, during a major international sporting event. Accommodation was filling up fast, and rates were going through the roof. On top of that, the firm had strict internal processes for payments and onboarding.
The Approach:
- Negotiated Lower Deposits: Using our operator relationships, we managed to cut the deposit from 30% down to 10%, freeing up the client’s cash flow and reducing their risk.
- Rescheduled Payment Timelines: Instead of following standard billing cycles, we suggested staggered payment schedules that worked better with the client’s internal policies. No nasty lumps sums at awkward times.
- On-the-Ground Guidance: We didn’t just sort out contracts. We hosted pre-arrival workshops covering transport tips, local amenities, and any city-wide restrictions due to the event. That way, everyone arrived feeling prepared for the buzz of a major host city.
The Outcome:
By mixing flexible financial arrangements with hands-on support, we reduced deposit costs, lowered stress for travellers and ironed out operational hiccups. The experience ran so smoothly that the client later asked us to replicate it for a winter sporting event in Italy—proof positive that personalisation pays off in the long run.
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| Providing a Warm Welcome for a Professional Services Firm’s New Hires
The Challenge
Having worked with us for long-term accommodation in the past, a global professional services firm decided to enlist our help for their new-hire programme across the UK and Ireland. This came with tight rate caps, multiple locations, heavy data protection requirements and a desire to measure (and hopefully reduce) their carbon footprint.
The Approach
- Consistent Savings Below Rate Caps: We used our property-sourcing know-how to lock in rates below the firm’s caps in every city. In London alone, they saved almost 30% against the average market rate.
- Robust Data Security & Compliance: We integrated their new-hire programme into our SilverDoor Connect platform, reassuring them that personal and financial data was secure and aligned with their global policies.
- Sustainability Tracking & Reporting: The client preferred to use eco-friendly apartments and wanted reliable, transparent carbon usage reports, so we worked with our operators to define the carbon cost of a night’s stay, ensuring each new hire was placed somewhere that matched their environmental goals.
The Outcome
In 2023, the firm’s total savings across the UK and Ireland reached several hundred thousand pounds. Even more importantly, they could show stakeholders (and new hires) that their accommodation approach supported their wider environmental commitments. By marrying cost efficiency, data security and sustainability, we showed that one trusted partner can cover all the bases of modern business travel.
Each of these stories, and many more, have a common thread – SilverDoor people who genuinely care. Our team doesn’t clock out at 5 PM when a client is in trouble. We don’t say “not our problem” when faced with an unusual request. This culture of going the extra mile has defined our brand for 25 years. It’s the reason clients know they can rely on us, and its why new clients often come through referrals from happy customers.
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| Evolving to Meet the Needs of the Modern Traveller
While personal service is at the heart of what we do, we've also evolved continuously to meet the changing needs of modern business travel. Technology has been a big part of that evolution. In 2018 we launched our online booking and management platform, to give clients more control and convenience in managing their accommodation programmes.
With our OBT, clients can make and modify bookings online, track their travellers’ accommodation in real time, chat directly with our team from any device, and access detailed reports on spend and compliance. Importantly, we designed these tools to complement our high-touch service, not replace it. Clients enjoy the efficiency of a digital platform and the reassurance of knowing an account manager is just a call away to provide advice or handle anything complex. This blend of tech innovation and human support has made our service both agile and dependable.
Today, whether it's a one-night stay for a meeting or a one-year assignment overseas, SilverDoor can arrange the ideal accommodation. And as sustainability has become a priority in corporate travel, we've introduced initiatives like our Carbon Calculator to help clients choose greener options. By staying attuned to what business travellers and mobility teams care about, we aim to be not just a supplier, but a forward-thinking partner.
When clients talk to SilverDoor, they get a warm, human conversation – not a scripted call centre response or a hard sell or an AI prompt.
| Looking Ahead: The Next 25 Years
Reaching 25 years is a proud achievement for the SilverDoor family, but in many ways it feels like we're just getting started. Business travel is always evolving, and we’re excited to keep evolving with it. As we look to the future, our mission remains clear – to set the standard for client excellence in corporate accommodation. That means continually finding new ways to make life easier for our clients. It might be through adopting new technology, expanding into emerging destinations, or coming up with creative solutions to save costs without compromising on quality. It definitely means keeping our team motivated and skilled, because ultimately, it's our people who make the real difference.
Most of all, we know that we owe our success to the trust and support of our clients and partners. To every client who has worked with SilverDoor over the past 25 years: thank you. Thank you for challenging us with your requirements, for your honest feedback, and for trusting us through the years. Your input has shaped our company at every turn – pushing us to be better, faster, and more responsive, and inspiring us to reach new heights.
As we celebrate this 25th anniversary, we're more energised than ever to continue doing what we do best, opening doors to a world of opportunity for businesses and their people.
