FEATURE
Glasgow penthouse
the aparthotel sector as people have a route to market and OTA equivalent, is growing and the ability to satisfy the
“experienced and enjoyed” staying in because “they are so well recognised demand in certain areas of the country is
an apartment as opposed to a hotel, globally the inexperienced traveller is going to be quite tricky. You would have
and as such have looked to “safer and seeing Airbnb brand as the product and seen the occupancy rates are very high
more professionally run alternatives” - or that concerns us as you can imagine.” and of course the higher the occupancy
aparthotels. “With your typical Airbnb in
“It is not the Airbnb product they are
rate the more risky the business challenge
London you can’t rent it for more than three selling - it could be anyone’s. They have as you are going to disappoint customers if
months legally, they are not professionally no legitimisation for health and safety there is something taken offline. I think the
managed, you are staying in somebody’s responsibilities at all. Accessibility to the availability of stock is going to be a problem
home, and for some people that is internet and technology has allowed people if the industry continues to grow at the rate
appealing.” He adds: “There will always be to find alternative ways of staying - that is that it is.”
a market for that but for some other people really the boom of the sharing economy, and they want to know they are in a place that is we must claim part responsibility of that as to a “supply of opportunities, nailing the
professionally managed and fully compliant, the serviced apartment industry.” deals to open more buildings around the
Nixon agrees and believes it is down
UK”, but he feels as Native’s brand becomes
and that is where we come in.”
PROBLEMS FACING THE SECTOR better known more and more institutions will
part of Airbnb has played but is “cautious” According to ASAP and STR occupancy become “comfortable working with us”.
that people see it as a product rather rate in the sector totalled 81% in 2017, as than a home-sharing service. “I think that such one of the main problems facing the to is a shortage of a skilled workforce, similar
Airbnb has been a very major-visibility issue of the serviced apartment sector is to that currently facing hotels. Even though
medium, if you want to call it that, for whether supply can meet demand. Foice serviced apartments often do not have the
apartment-style living and we recognise believes the struggle will be finding the staff required to run a restaurant and room
that.” He argues Airbnb has “certainly space for new builds. service with high guest interaction levels,
Foice on the other hand accepts the
raised the profile” but believes it is only
November 2018
Foice explains: “I would say the demand
The second problem that Foice alludes
they still require staff such as housekeepers
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