Renowned as one of the biggest European serviced accommodation providers, Short Stay Group manage around five hundred properties across Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona. Since being founded in 2008, the message has always been clear; make guests feel at home, for both short or long stays.
Growing from a small business managing solely in Amsterdam, Short Stay, and their new aparthotel brand Yays, has continued to grow, but with an ambition. Currently managing five hundred properties, the company hope to oversee around two thousand apartments by 2020.
The partnership we have with Short Stay Group is exciting. Therefore, in this blog, we explore what it is about the company’s services and stock that make them so recognisable in the serviced apartment industry. We had a chat with Short Stay Group and Yays CEO Peter Heule. We ask about how they manage their corporate properties in such popular tourist destinations and the what the importance is behind European serviced accommodation for relocators.
You manage properties in Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam, all three being major tourist destinations in Europe. Would you say you have more tourists than corporate travellers booking stays with you?
“With Short Stay Group overall we tend to have a strong focus on both corporate and leisure travellers. Per brand and asset (location) there can be a different approach.”
“For Yays we have a big majority of leisure bookings, because of their locations and the Yays concept. Concierge boutique apartments on a hotel license give us the opportunity to sell from 1 night and offer fully equipped apartments.”
“Here we target mainly travellers that want to unlock a neighbourhood and genuinely want to learn more about a specific city by using the apartment as a home. With Short Stay Group we tend to focus more on corporate travellers that stay between 2 weeks and 2 months.
“For both brands, we see a growing demand for “bleisure” (the combination of business and leisure). Guests come in for business and then extend their stay with a holiday or just some days to learn more about the city.”
When comparing needs for leisure and corporate travellers, what will you focus on most?
“In general, travellers need the same thing. The feeling of being at home. We see a difference in usage of the apartments, where leisure and/or family travellers use the apartment more intensively.”
“They use the kitchen to cook (and not only use the microwave). Corporate travellers tend to use less, especially if their length of stay is below 7 nights.”
How often do you have to accommodate relocation clients and how is it different from your usual guests?
“Around 10% of our total product is rented out for relocation purposes. We expect this number to go up in the future. More and more travellers, especially with relocation guests, are choosing serviced apartments over standard hotel rooms.”
Do you think guests travelling for work prefer to be away from the main touristic attractions?
“The main reason for us to create the Yays brand is the strong belief that both corporate and leisure travellers have a demand for locations to stay outside the (touristic) city centre.”
“The perfect Yays location is just outside the touristic area, preferably in a genuine neighbourhood. This location is then the starting point from where to learn more about the city and even the country.”
Do you offer any specialist services for each of these cities?
“The most important service we offer is local knowledge and experience. The essence of doing this right is hiring the people that fit our vision of making people feel at home and making sure that they get the information and assistance for them to really unlock the neighbourhood.”
What does the future hold for Short Stay Group?
“Moving forward, Short Stay Group has the ambition to bring the Yays brand to all of the bigger European cities.”
“An exciting journey that will also help to give international travellers and people that are relocating across Europe the best possible experience in a new city.”
To find out more about the range of European serviced accommodation we have on offer, specifically in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris, get in contact with a member of the friendly SITU team. Or visit our website, www.staysitu.com.