Get ready for the first of many SilverDoor ‘Inside Scoops’, in which our property operators reveal their deepest and darkest secrets. Well, almost. Actually, not really. But close enough - it is a business meeting after all.
This week, Matthew Bieszczad, Senior Sales Manager at 51 Buckingham Gate, divulges the differences between hotels and serviced apartments, and how they have one client who has been staying with them for 10 years. Now that’s a home from home!
In your opinion, what’s the main difference between hotels and serviced apartments?
Serviced apartments offer value, flexibility, comfort, a full kitchen and privacy; together, they all create a feeling of home. At 51 Buckingham Gate, every single apartment has a maid and a butler service to give you the best of both worlds.
A serviced apartment is like having a temporary home - perfect for families.
What is the average length of stay for an individual staying in a 51 Buckingham Gate serviced apartment?
It is very seasonal. In the summer it is about four weeks, but then we have one client who has been living in one of our apartments for ten years.
Would you say the market is mostly corporate or leisure?
For us it’s leisure. The environment that 51 Buckingham Gate has created is based on comfort; however, there is a healthy mix and the number of corporate clients we provide accommodation for is certainly increasing.
2012 has been an important year for Britain. How has this affected your business?
Having the Olympics held in London has been great for exposure. It has put the industry in the spotlight and SilverDoor has given us great exposure in terms of marketing, and provided a lot of enquiries we wouldn’t have received otherwise. We were also able to approach certain markets that were not available to us before the Olympics.
And how about after the Olympics?
After the Olympics we are all going to collapse and have a long holiday! No, in all seriousness the way forward is to build on the platform the Olympics gave us. We are going to have to be very creative, and work with our business partners to sustain the excitement about London. It will be challenging but not impossible. We will also look at potential markets that we have not focused on before.
What do you think are the benefits of working with an agency such as SilverDoor?
The very obvious benefit is that you have a fabulous database of clients. Your understanding of the clientele is much greater than ours. It is great to have information from SilverDoor prior to the visit, to understand the clientele’s specific needs. SilverDoor brings more enquiries and gives us a greater understanding of whom we are targeting.
Look out for next week’s inside scoop with Sara and Gary from The Apartment Service, where they reveal what effect the Olympics has had on their business.
