After Accor with Hotel Office, it's The Ascott Limited's turn to optimize the use of space in its properties. CapitaLand’s owned lodging business unit has launched its "Work in Residence" and "Space-as-a-Service" initiatives, transforming selected apartments into work and living spaces.

Work in Residence

Corporates and students who are seeking alternative location to work-from-home or study can now book a work suites across over 60 participating properties in more than 30 cities and over 10 countries. They have the flexibility to choose either daily, weekly or monthly packages.

To enhance the work-stay experience, task lights, wireless charging stand for tablets and mobile phones, as well as a stationery kit are provided for guests. They can also choose from a range of services which include food delivery, grocery shopping, printing, concierge or book-a-chef for in-room dining.

Space-as-a-Service

Ascott is optimising the use of space at its properties to enhance guest experience through:

• Self-service kiosks

Ascott has partnered with Nestlé to set up Starbucks self-service kiosks in the lobby of its Citadines-branded properties. Plans are in place to bring the self-service kiosks to the rest of the Citadines properties starting with China, Malaysia and Japan by the end of 2020 and Europe in 2021. 

• Cloud kitchen and parcel collection hub

Ascott is using the space at its properties to host cloud kitchens or as parcel collection hubs. In the Philippines, Somerset Alabang Manila is piloting the conversion of under-utilised spaces into a parcel collection hub where delivery firms can sort and store parcels.

• Live streaming and fitness studios

Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen and Somerset IOC Hangzhou have provided selected apartments for live streaming events and photoshoots for long-stay guests. Meanwhile, Ascott Raffles City Chengdu and Somerset Riverview Chengdu have converted some of their apartments into fitness studios where instructors can reserve them to conduct classes for the properties’ guests.

"Ascott’s strengths in the long-stay segment have bolstered our resilience against headwinds from the Covid-19 situation. Our record of securing 25 new properties in the first five months of 2020 as well as the addition of six new lyf properties in July are testament to the strong demand for our expertise and products. To ensure that Ascott remains a dominant lodging player in the new normal, we must be agile, continually adapt and develop new business strategies to future-ready our company. We are evolving our lodging products and services to cater to new customer segments, uncover alternative revenue streams as well as deliver greater value for our guests and business partners," said Kevin Goh, CapitaLand's CEO for Lodging and Ascott’s CEO.