Birmingham’s Park Regis is backing a hospitality industry-led initiative to help hotel booking agents and hoteliers alike understand the growing challenges within the serviced apartment sector.
Earlier this year the hotel welcomed more than 50 hospitality agents and suppliers, including leading serviced apartment operators, to an educational event hosted by the Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) – of which Park Regis is a member.
The ‘Alternative Accommodations’ event – which was chaired by Stockport-based Prestige Hotel Reservations’ MD Erica Livermore – aimed to educate HBAA members about the increasingly popular extended-stay accommodation sector.
Erica said: “Alternative Accommodations was an important event for us, highlighting the importance of a growing sector and we hope it enlightened both agents and venues on corporate clients’ buying behaviours and requirements. We will be taking this initiative forward by addressing the specific issues raised by agents including extended stay options and commission rates.”
Daniel Skermer, Group Sales Manager at Park Regis, said: “We’re told that the global supply of serviced apartments is expected to exceed one million this year. As a provider of long-stay accommodation, we understand the importance of staying up to date with industry news and best practice which is why we were delighted to host the Alternative Accommodations event and are fully supportive on this ongoing initiative.”
As well as being a member of the HBAA, Park Regis is also one of nine long-stay providers which forms the Birmingham Extended Stay Apartment Partnership (BESAP) – a strategic partnership designed to boost the region’s appeal to relocating national corporates and long-stay visitors.