All the entries are in the for the 2017 Serviced Apartment Awards. Now it’s time for you, the Serviced Apartment News readers, to decide the people awards.
All the entries are in the for the 2017 Serviced Apartment Awards. Now it’s time for you, the Serviced Apartment News readers, to decide the winners of the Rising Star and Industry Inspiration categories.
Below is a summary of the four shortlisted industry figures for the Rising Star and Industry Inspiration categories. To read the full description and to cast your votes, click here.
Rising Star
• Nicolas Dubas, Cycas Hospitality
“Nicolas exemplifies the rising stars of Generation X and Y for the extended stay sector,” says culture coach for Cycas Hospitality, Janet Roberts. “The energy and love he has for his team and his role shines through in the excellent results achieved.” Part of the opening team at Staybridge Suites London – Stratford City in 2012, Nicolas has developed his career significantly. With a Masters in International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Nicolas started out as guest services representative. Quickly embracing the brand values and demonstrating commitment to the hotel’s long term success, Nicolas was promoted to his new role as rooms division manager in late 2016.
• Darin Karp, ReloQuest
Darin Karp has created an innovative technology that has transformed the way temporary accommodations are sourced. What Expedia.com brought to the travel industry, ReloQuest has brought to corporate housing and relocation. ReloQuest modernised an industry lacking a unified system, bringing benefits to everyone involved from the mobility professional and the assignee, to the supplier and the corporation. ReloQuest won the Most Innovative Use of Technology in Global Mobility at the FEM EMEA EMMA’S Awards 2016 in the UK. Darin achieved this validation in under two years. Darin’s impassioned dedication produced an intuitive, comprehensive software, which is further enhanced by his unyielding commitment to client service.
• Aga Rosinska, BridgeStreet
Aga Rosinska is a driven, dynamic, creative, thoughtful, and hard-working individual and a highly valued member of the BridgeStreet Global Hospitality team. Aga joined BridgeStreet in February 2014 as assistant manager and in May 2015 was promoted to general manager at Canary Wharf. As the youngest GM in the London market, Aga oversees 40 teammates and over 200 serviced apartments. She is considered an outstanding manager of people, leading by example without being afraid to roll up her sleeves to get the job done. This has inspired her team to help her succeed. Aga ensures that her team of enthusiastic professionals take advantage of the large range of training and development opportunities through the BridgeStreet “Passport to your Success” programme. This has resulted in a number of promotions for individuals within the business.
• Charlotte Winter, Blvd Suites
Charlotte is new to the world of serviced apartments. She comes to Blvd Suites Corporate Housing with a degree in International Business, speaks fluent Spanish and has managed some of the UK’s top retail stores on Oxford Street. Her experience, tenacity, drive and ambition are the very reason she is a rising star in this industry. Today she manages an entire branch single-handedly, and does it with ease and grace. Already she handles guest issues and requests with the poise and decision-making of a savvy veteran. Charlotte correctly settles these matters in a manner that brings a high degree of satisfaction from clients, and does so without involving other team members or asking leadership for endorsement of her intentions. Her “just do it” mind-set has allowed her to grow our UK branch from a start up in May 2016 to more than 40 apartments by July of 2016, and we continued to grow from there.
Industry Inspiration
• Guus Bakker, Frasers Hospitality
Guus Bakker is heading Frasers Hospitality division for Europe, Middle East and Africa including all the Fraser brands as well as Malmaison and Hotel du Vin brands. Guus launched Frasers UK operations in 2002 with the opening of three properties, growing it to its current size of 65 properties across three continents both in the hotel as the serviced apartment sector. Guus has over 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, starting off his career in the French Alps before moving to Paris and London where he was one the pioneers to launch the London operations for Citadines, at the time arguably the first branded International operator in the UK-market. He opened the current 4 Citadines properties in the mid 90’s and became Regional Director of Operations in Paris, before moving back to his beloved London to launch Frasers Hospitality UK for the Singapore-based operator. Guus has been one of the driving forces in the serviced apartment industry, putting the operators at the forefront of the action.
• Paul Constantinou, Quest Apartment Hotels
With more than 30 years experience in accommodation and hospitality, Quest chairman Paul Constantinou is a respected industry leader. Paul founded Quest over 25 years ago and has built the business to be the largest apartment hotel group in Australasia. It all came from great insight – the accommodation industry was failing to meet the needs of extended-stay business travellers. He recognised that business travellers want “a home away from home”. Today, Quest is in 150 locations throughout Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Paul says the business of running Quest is more than building businesses – it’s about inspiring people to meet their goals and ambitions. “It’s that strength of working together – our group has grown not by the individual successes of the people here, but our people working together as one. I have watched some of our young franchisees start in their early 20s. To see them achieve their dreams and ambitions is so rewarding,” he says.
• Anett Gregorious, Boardinghouse Consulting and Apartmentservice Germany
Anett Gregorius, proprietress of Apartmentservice, is without doubt one of the most prominent faces of the German serviced apartment segment. She started her career in 1999 and has since become one of the most renowned figures of the industry. She discovered a previously unknown segment for herself, revived it and made it popular in Germany. With competence, quality and entrepreneurial acumen as well as inventiveness and heart, she managed to drive forth an enormous boost in professionalisation in Germany. Due to her passionate interest in the topic she, as one of the first to deal with it, dedicated her diploma thesis to the development trends and significance of serviced apartments in the German accommodation market and then managed an apartment house. Shortly afterwards, Anett founded her company Boardinghouse Consulting in 1999 in order to advise investors and project developers and subsequently launched Apartmentservice, the first German agency to provide serviced apartments via an internet platform. At that time the segment in Germany was still in its infancy.
• Charlie McCrow, The Apartment Service
Charlie McCrow is a highly trusted and respected professional amongst his peers in the corporate housing and serviced apartment sector and the wider hospitality community. With a background in property development and construction, and in supporting the growth of the sector through active participation in industry associations and bodies, Charlie was also a founder member of the UK ‘s Association of Serviced Apartment Providers. Under his leadership, The Apartment Service is at the forefront of innovation in the sector. GSAIR, the Global Serviced Apartment Industry Report, (now in its 6th edition) was the first ‘educational’ publication that allowed investors, operators, corporates and their agents to share their knowledge and opinion of a growing and diverse global industry. The company has in the last three years also launched The TAS Alliance, providing a connected platform for operators globally to work together to create ‘end to end’ solutions for buyers.
To cast your votes for each category click here.</p
