In this week’s Inside Scoop, we chat to Account Managers Sara Calvo and Gary Mahmet from The Apartment Service, who tell us how they’ve found the Olympics, how the current economic environment is affecting their business, and what SilverDoor do for them. We love a bit of inside information!
How have you seen the serviced apartment industry change over the past year?
Due to the Olympics it’s been an unpredictable year. People have been wary of coming into London because of it, and even wary of coming to the UK as a whole.
The beginning of the year was a bit scary. It was slow which worried us all a bit, but things really picked up and we are hoping that business will excel in the last two quarters of the year as people start to come over to London more after the Olympics have finished.
To what extent have the Olympics had an effect on your business?
It’s been business as usual for us really - as a company we decided not to ride on the back of it. We’ve ensured that both our agents and clients have been given the same level of service that they always have, and that their accommodation requirements have been met despite the Olympics.
Have you got any new properties due to open in the near future and if so what are your expectations for them?
We are adding more apartments to many of our current apartment buildings in various different locations including Guildford, Richmond, Staines and West Drayton. We’ve experienced a lot of demand in these areas and as we often have full occupancy we are gradually increasing the number of apartments we have there.
How is the current economic environment affecting your business?
I don’t think it really has; our figures have been really healthy. Corporate budgets can often be quite tight due to the current economic environment, and as a result companies are looking for a good deal. Serviced apartments are often the solution to their problem, as two people can share a spacious two bedroom, two bathroom apartment at a much lower price than the cost of two hotel rooms, yet still get more space.
Are you noticing any burning issues/trends that you would like to share?
People are becoming increasingly willing to share apartments with colleagues, often as a necessary compromise because many businesses have tight budgets. This is a trend that is being adopted by a lot of companies and one which is really beneficial to the serviced apartment industry, as we can offer companies something that hotels can’t.
What does SilverDoor do for your business?
You keep Gary in business! It’s really enjoyable to come and visit SilverDoor. It’s always good to see Chris and the team, and we have to say the coffee and biscuits are great!
We really want to organise some more overnight stays in our apartments so we can all get to know each other better. We’re almost an extension of one another and familiarisation between us all is really important.
We’ll hold you to that!
Look out for next week’s Inside Scoop with Doug Greenwood from Think, where he tells us all the benefits he’s seen from the Olympics and reveals that he prefers blondes to brunettes. As a brunette I tried not to take offence at this…
