EU: Aparthotel operator Staycity has reported a return to pre-pandemic levels of corporate business and is responding to the demand with the introduction of a new room type.
In June 2023, Tuesday and Wednesday room nights showed a 10 per cent increase on June 2019. Overall, the group’s managed business segment has seen a like-for-like rise of 93 per cent on room nights year-to-date.
Staycity attributes the growth to its structural reorganisation, having created additional roles and departments within its commercial sales team as well as targeting new areas of business.
In response to the demand, Staycity has introduced a new room type – a 24 square-metre studio which offers additional storage space, a dedicated work area, and a fully-fitted kitchen. Over time, Staycity anticipates this category to account for 40 per cent of the company’s inventory.
Paula Mullaney, chief commercial officer at Staycity, said: “It’s fantastic to see our business travellers return, albeit with different needs and booking patterns. For example, our corporate guests are no longer willing to share apartments. They are also looking for separate work desks to dining tables to support working from the apartment. The length of stay has increased by 35 per cent from 2.3 days to 3.1 days on average, suggesting that when they are travelling, they are fitting more in. The booking window has also changed with business travellers’ booking in the eight-to-14 day window increasing by 86 per cent versus 2019.”
Staycity currently operates 6,000 keys across its Staycity Aparthotel and Wilde brands with a total of 32 properties. The company is expected to reach a turnover in 2023 of €230 million, up from €202 million in 2022.
The group has properties in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the UK with new developments opening over the next 18 months in The Netherlands (Amsterdam) and Portugal (Lisbon and Porto).
