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Serviced apartment for expatsfrom: BusinessWorld Vol. XIX, No. 7 Property & InfrastructureFor expatriate Darrell Wisbey, commercial director at major retailer Pilipinas Makro, Inc., everything is foreign, but he feels at home in his serviced residence apartment where he has been staying for a year.
"It feels more like I’m staying with my family instead of staying in a serviced apartment. The staff here is brilliant. They are just very attentive to every detail, whether it be in the collection of mail, incoming calls, messages. They are very, very good," Mr. Wisbey said. As one of the longest staying tenants of the Somerset Olympia in Makati City, Mr. Wisbey said this service apartment is "by far the best" compared to other places he has stayed over the past seven years of doing business in the country. "It sounds like I’m trying to advertise but that’s not it. In Singapore, I also stayed in another Somerset property. But the staff here is very attentive. They know you by name, they know your habits. There is caring. It is really the place I come home to from work," Mr. Wisbey said. The Ascott Group of Singapore took over the management of the then Olympia Courtyard Suites in 2002 and immediately refurbished what is now known as Somerset Olympia. The serviced residence has 134 stylish units packed with amenities for the traveling businessman. "We want our guests to have a home away from home. Our rooms are very comfortable. I also want Somerset Olympia to be known as tech-savvy, workmen friendly, stylish and contemporary. That is the personality we want to project to our clients," said resident manager Lew Yen Ping. Since connectivity is an essential tool to every businessman, every unit has broadband internet connection with separate data ports running as fast as 2,048 kilobytes per second, and all the common areas such as the restaurant, pool site and lobby are hot spots for wireless internet connection. "We understand that the new generation of business travelers need the internet. It also keeps them close to their families. In our business center we have webcams so they can see their family [on-line]," Ms. Lew said. Other room amenities include digital video disc/video compact disc players in selected units, fully equipped kitchen, utility area and maid’s room in two-bedroom units, and in-apartment electronic safe. Among the facilities and services are baby-sitting, car parking, laundry and dry cleaning, massage and reflexology, swimming pool, and conference room. Somerset Olympia also has scheduled residents program, a regular get-together for tenants to interact. Mr. Wisbey’s comments on the services of Somerset Olympia is justified by the preparations they take even before a guest arrives. "We have an especially dedicated staff who get to know the guests. They contact guests even before they check in so we would know what they need, like groceries upon arrival, because they can cook in the kitchen," Ms. Lew said. Since most of the guests are foreigners, Somerset makes sure that the residents blend well and do not remain a stranger in Metro Manila for long. Residents can learn about Pilipino and the culture with monthly language sessions and other cultural activities. There are also bi-monthly city tours and excursions. "We also provide a structured orientation program with security briefing so that the guests would understand the security situation in the country. We give them safety advice. We also have a security manager. In the city tours, they can see how beautiful Manila is and what they can do during the weekends. This sets us very different from other serviced properties," Ms. Lew said. The cultural exposure includes the monthly "Wow Event." Last month, guests were given the breakfast favorite pan de sal with a personal note from Ms. Lew telling the guests why the bread is part of the culture, and on how to eat it as well. "We offer service from the heart and we always go the extra mile. Last summer, we brought ice cream to our guests in the lobby. One time, we offered shoeshine services in the morning. Every month we have this ‘Wow Event.’ In August we will be giving our guests local delicacies. We always want to introduce something unique about the Philippines," Ms. Lew said. She said it has been a good year for Somerset, with occupancy climbing up to more than 80%. "This year has been very good for us, still very bullish. We think the Philippines has a lot of potential. Ascott is always expanding. We are looking at two or three more pro-jects here, maybe more in Ortigas and Alabang. We have to see the political situation." The Ascott Group has more than 14,500 serviced residence units in 40 cities in 17 countries. Its properties are in London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Barcelona, New Zealand, Melbourne, Sydney, Shanghai, Tokyo, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, and Dubai, among other major cities in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Gulf Region. Ascott, listed at the main board of the Singapore Stock Exchange, pioneered the branded luxury serviced residences in Asia Pacific when it started in 1984. Under its five-year program, the Ascott aims to have 25,000 serviced units by 2010 and improve its customer base by tapping the 1,000 largest multi-national companies as repeat customers. |
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