Singapore: Ascott has launched its Work in Residence initiative at participating properties worldwide, transforming selected apartments into work suites.
To extend its service offerings to guests, Ascott is also providing its Space-as-a-Service by exploring with multinational corporations, entrepreneurs and SMEs different possibilities to optimise the use of space in its properties. These range from hosting cloud kitchens and Starbucks coffee kiosks, to organising live streaming or fitness activities in its apartments, and serving as parcel collection hubs for convenient pick-up of online orders.
Kevin Goh, CapitaLand’s CEO for lodging and Ascott’s CEO, said: “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.”
Leong Teng Wui, Ascott’s chief development officer, said: “With the launch of Ascott’s Work in Residence, we are seizing opportunities on the rising telecommuting trend to offer a comprehensive solution for guests to live and work in a safe and private space. Ascott’s award-winning interior design service team will work with the properties and owners to leverage our deep design capabilities to reconfigure and customise Ascott’s spacious apartments, to not only provide a home away from home, but also create a conducive, productive and well-designed workspace for our guests.”
“Through Ascott’s Space-as-a-Service, we are exploring ways to offer more services to guests while further optimising the use of space at our properties and capitalising on our properties’ adaptability and central locations to further grow Ascott’s business. This adaptive use of space and menu of new services will create an even more productive, conducive and stimulating environment for our guests to live, work, play and innovate in our properties,” he added.
Work in Residence will allow guests, corporates and students seeking alternative location to work-from-home or study to book its conducive and self-contained work suites across more than 60 participating properties in more than 30 cities and over 10 countries.
Guests have the flexibility to choose either daily, weekly or monthly packages. Depending on the length of use and location, the work suites come with a dedicated workstation, regular housekeeping, complimentary coffee and tea or complimentary parking at selected serviced residences. Nespresso coffee machines are also available in selected apartments.
High-speed WiFi, wide-screen monitors, webcams for videoconferencing and Bluetooth speakers with microphones are available on demand. Task lights, wireless charging stand for tablets and mobile phones, adequate power plugs and USB charging ports, as well as a stationery kit are provided for guests. Guests can also choose from a range of services which include food delivery, grocery shopping, printing, concierge or book-a-chef for in-room dining.
The launch of Work in Residence follows a successful pilot, which garnered positive feedback from corporates and guests in countries such as Australia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Turkey.
The Space-as-a-Service initiative includes Starbucks kiosks with coffee at special rates, a Cloud kitchen and parcel collection hub, live streaming and fitness studios.
