The Ascott Limited (Ascott) is the world's largest international serviced residence owner-operator, with over 25,000 serviced apartment units across 69 cities in 22 countries in the Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region.
The company pioneered the serviced residence concept with the launch of Asia Pacific’s first international-class serviced residence in Singapore in 1984. It also established the world’s first pan-Asian serviced residence real estate investment trust, the Ascott Residence Trust, in 2006. Today, the company boasts a solid 26-year industry track record and three serviced residence brands – Ascott, Somerset and Citadines, that enjoy recognition worldwide.
Ascott has built a strong presence in Vietnam since entering the market in 1994 with its first serviced residence in the country, Somerset West Lake in Hanoi. Ascott pressently has more than 1,300 apartment units in eight properties across four cities – Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Danang.
Vietnam Business Forum conducted an interview with Mr Alfred Ong, Managing Director, Southeast Asia & Australia, The Ascott Limited.
What makes Ascott a well-known brand?
Ascott has enjoyed excellent brand equity because of our strong customer-centric approach.
We provide consistent service by having talented people with the right service attitude. Ascott also invests heavily in enhancing the capabilities of our staff and developing their potential. This helps ensure that we are able to deliver the high service standards that have defined our award-winning brand of service. Ascott is the only serviced residence company to have a dedicated training centre of its kind, the Ascott Centre for Excellence.
Besides, we are conscious of the need to continue to build on our backend systems to support our frontline staff. We have for example a global reservation system which can better serve our customers across the different countries and regions.
In addition, we have a strong Product & Technical Services team comprising specialists who establish the high quality standards required for our products, from design stage to specifications of furniture and fittings throughout the development process. The team ensures that high standards are maintained through rigorous audits that are conducted regularly at every property. We constantly look into the upgrading of our properties to create the best staying experience for our guests.
This customer-centric approach has enabled Ascott to receive many prestigious international awards for consecutive years. These include awards such as the Business Traveller Asia Pacific Awards, DestinAsian Readers' Choice Awards and TTG Travel Awards.
Ascott has also won numerous awards in Vietnam. We were awarded the Golden Dragon Award 2009 for ‘Best Service’ by the Ministry of Planning & Investment and Vietnam Economic Times. Ascott has won the prestigious award for four consecutive years. Our other awards include ‘Top 40 FDI Award’, ‘50 Best Employers in Vietnam’ and ‘Best Service in Serviced Apartments’.
Because of our strong track record and branding, travellers prefer to stay with us. Developers and investors also choose to partner us as they know that we will strive to help them achieve higher returns on their investments.
How does Ascott differentiate itself from competitors?
Ascott is one of the pioneers to make inroads into Vietnam in 1994 and we believe we have good knowledge of the market, having established a strong foothold as the largest international serviced residence owner-operator in the country.
At Ascott, our premium serviced residences combine the space, comfort and privacy of an apartment with the services of a quality hotel. But what truly differentiates us is our focus in providing our guests with a truly unique and memorable home-away-from-home experience.
At Ascott’s serviced residences, our residents do not just come back to an accommodation; they come home to familiar faces, welcoming surroundings and the assurance that their needs will be taken care of. Guests appreciate that Ascott understands their concerns. For instance, we know that travellers visiting the city for the first time will be concerned whether they can navigate in their new environment and for long-stay travellers, if they can assimilate into the local community. Thus, we help residents settle in quickly through residents’ programmes which include city tours and workshops on local culture. Such programmes also enable guests to make friends with other travellers.
More travellers are also choosing our serviced residences as an accommodation option because our properties are strategically located near the central business districts and tourist attractions of major cities. Fine restaurants and shopping malls are also nearby, offering business travellers plenty of options for after-work entertainment or networking.
With three award-winning brands of serviced residences - Ascott, Somerset and Citadines across 69 cities in 22 countries to cater to different lifestyle needs, travellers can experience the familiar home environment that Ascott provides no matter which country or city they travel to.
Will Ascott consider expanding into other parts of Vietnam?
We have extended our footprint to Danang in March this year with Somerset Danang Bay, the first international brand of serviced residence in Danang. Ascott will continue to look for opportunities to expand our presence and plan to increase our portfolio in Vietnam to 1,800 units by 2012.
Beyond Vietnam, what are your expansion plans in 2010?
We anticipate foreign direct investment and travel spending to take on an upward trend from 2010 as the economy recovers. To ride on the expected increase in demand, we will embark on our next phase of growth to extend Ascott’s global lead. We expect to open over 5,000 apartment units in 25 new properties worldwide by 2013. We will also continue to upgrade our hospitality capabilities and properties. We have launched a refurbishment programme for our properties in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, France and the United Kingdom.
This year, we plan to open more than 10 new properties in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. Our parent company, CapitaLand, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year and Ascott will offer our customers 10 special promotions at our 10 new properties as part of the celebrations.
What’s Ascott’s long-term goal?
In the longer term, Ascott will continue to take the lead in the international-class serviced residence industry. We aim to be at the forefront in setting new benchmarks for the industry and believe that the industry will progress to such an extent that when travellers look for an international-class accommodation, they will first think of serviced residences.
Vietnamese
