We spoke with Adagio's Aparthotels International & Corporate Agency Sales Manager, Guillaume Gerard, about his move in to the serviced apartment sector and their plans for international expansion.
Having previously worked for PepsiCo, what influenced your decision to work for Adagio in the serviced apartment sector?
It was quite simple. I was working in a region of France that was very local to me, but I wanted an international experience. In the short term PepsiCo couldn’t offer me what I was looking for; whereas Adagio could provide what I needed in an international capacity. This is a sector that has endless opportunities around the world and it’s exciting to be a part of a business that’s seeing exponential growth year on year.
We hear Adagio are expanding into new areas around the world - can you tell us where?
We’re opening new properties around Europe and in other emerging markets. We currently have 100 Aparthotels and by 2016 we’ll have 150. In April, we’re opening a new property in Dubai, as well as a property in Abu Dhabi later in the year that we’re really looking forward to. Back in December, we opened a new property in Moscow, and more properties in Brazil. By 2016, we’ll have 30 more properties in Brazil and we’re planning to open another property in Russia. There are still more plans to expand in areas we don’t currently have a presence in, so keep an eye out for them. Until the dates of completion are finalised we’re unable to take bookings for these. We’ll let you know as soon as they’re available.
What would a business traveller look for in an Aparthotel?
The client wants to feel at home, especially when they’re staying in the same property for a long time. They don’t want to feel like they’re staying in a hotel. As well as privacy and flexibility, the right location with access to facilities is also extremely important for our clients. We have a keen eye for quality and implement standardisation across our apartments. This is so clients know what to expect, wherever they stay with us in the world.
