In April, when 38-year-old Raghu Valluri, manager of the Asia Business Intelligence Solutions in Intel’s Asia eBusiness group, relocated to Bangalore from Portland, Oregon, accommodation problems were the last thing on his mind. Straight off their flight, Valluri, his wife and their two children zoomed off to a serviced apartment complex recommended by colleagues, and with which his company had a business arrangement. The Halcyon 'hospitality condominiums' where

Smooth Transition

The demand for serviced residences has increased dramatically over the past two-three years in India, due mainly to major corporate expanding their presence here. High economic growth has resulted in the relocation of mid- to senior-level executives to booming destinations, including Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Building upon this, established international players in the serviced apartment business such as Oakwood, are all set to open shop here. "Oakwood Premier apartments-a five-star property-will open in Bangalore and Oakwood Residence in Pune between 2005-06," says Catherine McNabb, director of sales and marketing at Oakwood Asia-Pacific, Singapore. "We anticipate this demand to grow as multinationals continue to expand their operations throughout the sub-continent. Oakwood has received demand for accommodation in Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi and Hyderabad as well." Whether you are on a three-year contract, a training program, relocating, or just visiting a new city, luxury flats with the works may seem to be a more  attractive  option  than a  hotel-and for good reason. "Nearly  30  per  cent  of  our  guests  at

present are NRIs, who have come down to the city for one project or the other," says Rahul Singh, corporate marketing manager, Halcyon, Bangalore. "They always travel with their families, or have their families join them at the property-the condominium space offered by us is unparalleled in the industry which allows the entire family to be together, without interfering with each other. NRIs are discerning global travelers, and we feel that our concept  helps  them  reacclimatize  to  their  culture. " Guests

 

"Nearly 30 per cent of our guests at present are NRIs, who have come down to the city for one project or the other"                                                                                                                 Rahul Singh                                                                                                                 Halcyon, Bangalore

Service apartments come under what hospitality speak calls the 'extended stay' sector. At the top end of this sector are hotel suites. While being plush, hotel suites can be inordinately expensive, over-formal, and lacking in the warmth and personal touch of home. Next come the apartment hotels or 'apart hotels,' in which the serviced apartments are usually housed in a separate complex on the hotel premises. "The whole idea is to offer people a residential-style apartment with hotel-like amenities, including full kitchen and security facilities," says

you claustrophobic. The whole process of checking in and checking out of living in the place can wear you down," he adds. Unlike hotel rooms, service apartments offer a feel of home; besides they are very international, so NRIs would feel very much at home. An apartment hotel gives you a place you can just be-and be comfortable. Next   in  line  in  the  extended  stay  sector  are  the  ' serviced

Holiday Options

Next month, when Kokila Kaul comes with her daughter for a holiday in India, she wants to stay for a month in Jaipur, researching a personal project. A friend and her daughter will join them halfway through. Kaul has no immediate family in Jaipur, she is very particular about her tea and would like to have enough breathing space for everyone-she foresees the girls spending hours dressing up and dancing Rajasthani style in front of a mirror Says Kaul,

"I want my daughter to get a feel of the place rather than a cookie-cutter or designer hotel, but I would still  like  to  have  the space and the comforts that we are used to." NRI vacationers do not yet feature big on the registers of serviced apartments. "A major reason could be that apartment hotels are a relatively new phenomenon in India," says Menon. "There is not too much awareness about the product being available." The serviced apartments sector is unregulated, with no industry association or operating rules. Individual operators try to ensure the essentials and add on the extras. "Serviced apartments have been selling to corporate till now," observes Ahuja. "NRIs may see a few photographs on the website and may be skeptical about the services that would be offered on the ground." However, once here, they may be in for a pleasant  surprise .Ahuja Residency,  for  instance, provides

a full-time attendant with each apartment. While it does not have a health club, swimming pool or multi-cuisine restaurants, it arranges all these facilities for the guests through tie-ups

In August, the Taj Wellington Mews Luxury Residences  in  Mumbai  will be ready with the latest in in-room entertainment systems and wireless connectivity, as well as kitchen amenities and washing and drying facilities. "We are unique in the room configurations we are able to offer, from studio apartments through to four-bedroom and luxury penthouses," says John Gerrard, director of sales and marketing, luxury division, Taj Group of Hotels.

Your options are open-and they are really yours. When Ascot Hotels found that senior executives would rather just reheat and microwave or cook the odd breakfast, they made sure to provide a big refrigerator, microwave and toaster. At serviced apartments, you can happily have someone else take over all the chores of maintaining a house and get all the comfort of being serviced like at a hotel. "We provide the address with all the shabangs of a hotel and a high-end home," says Singh.

Bill Please

When you look at the room tariff of a serviced apartment, it may not seem as cost effective compared to a hotel of equivalent standard. Many serviced apartments give discounts on long stays or for certain categories of guests, such as senior citizens. It’s advisable to read the fine print on the facilities and your obligations on payments: most serviced apartments have built in electricity costs, but you have to   pay for your laundry and phone calls. The major saving is not in the average room rate of an apartment; it is the savings of utility and incidentals bills that makes a service apartment a      more     economically   pragmatic option. For instance, you could save on laundry services, considering that  a hotel can charge at least Rs 100 for laundering a shirt; at a service apartment it could be Rs 20. Meals-even endless cups of coffee-are also priced more realistically. Services are tailored and extras thrown in generously. So you could be getting a separate setup for the kids room, cartoon bed sheets, curtains, and a special kiddies menu. Single women could be getting special security arrangements. Guests in apart hotels get discounts on hotel facilities, such as the business center and health club. You could even be getting complimentary breakfast for your visitors. Space. Independence. Privacy. Security. Personalized attention. The feel of your own home. The conveniences of a hotel. As several more companies get ready to offer more serviced apartments, you might find even more reasons to use them.

SERVICED APARTMENTS

HOTELS

	Average room (residence) Average room size: 20-40 sq. meters			Size: 40-160 sq. meters
	Room types: Studio, One Bedroom, Two Bedroom, Three Bedroom, Villa			Room types: Standard, Deluxe, Suite
	Full-sized kitchen in every room			Minibar
	Furniture, floor plan designed for long term residency			Furniture, floor plan designed for short stays
	En suite washer/dryer & dry clean			Dry clean only
	Dining table			Dining table not available
	Living room			Living room not available except in suite hotels
	Residential atmosphere with limited restaurants and bars onsite			Commercial atmosphere with numerous restaurants and bars onsite
	Fitness centre/health club, swimming and other recreational amenities			Fitness centre/health club, swimming and other recreational amenities
	24 hour front desk at luxury properties; limited service at some brands			24 hour front desk
	Small meeting space and serviced offices; Business centers in some locations.			Large meeting space for MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions, weddings) and business facilities.
	Guest services designed to meet needs of long stay guests (school placement, doctor referrals, etc.)			Guest services designed to meet needs of short stay guests (travel planning, restaurant reservations)
	Clients are primarily business travelers, long stay expatriates and up scale local clientele.			Clients are predominantly business and holiday travelers, as well as those attending weddings and special events
	Rates lower than comparable hotels; discounts available for long stay			Standard hotel rack rate system; discounts available during "low season"
	Average length of stay: 60 days			Average length of stay: 2 days