Pictured: the recently-opened Citadines Raffles Place Singapore.

CapitaLand Investment Limited’s The Ascott Limited division has unveiled a refresh of its Citadines aparthotel brand, while it has 80 properties under development across 56 cities.

Ascott acquired the Citadines chain in Europe in 2004 and has since quadrupled its portfolio with 104 properties in operation, including its latest flagship property, Citadines Raffles Place Singapore.

City living

Citadines, which means ‘city dwellers’ in French, is aimed at travellers who seek quality city living, offering the comfort of a serviced residence combined with the flexibility of a hotel. The refreshed brand is anchored upon the commitment to provide guests with the best of city living while inspiring them to live, work and play in many ways.

The updated Citadines brand, with a tagline of ‘for the love of cities’ seeks to consistently curate unique experiences and service offerings that best meet the needs of its guests.

Exponential growth

Tan Bee Leng, Ascott’s MD for brand and marketing, said: “Citadines is an important brand in Ascott’s portfolio and we look to aggressively expand its footprint in key cities around the world. We have always believed in the market potential of aparthotel living. Supported by its design versatility, favourable guest demographics and resilient market fundamentals, the growth of the brand has been exponential.

“Over the past few years, the serviced apartment business has transformed. We have likewise pivoted our offerings towards a hybrid model that would not only allow us to offer the option of both hotel rooms and serviced residences, but also a robust programme that better caters to the lifestyle needs of our guests.

“With the buoyant growth in both corporate and leisure travel across key markets, we are excited to bolster our expansion plans for Citadines. Especially as travel resumes, it is timely for us to embark on a brand refresh for this fastest growing brand. With the trajectory we’re seeing, we are confident to continue growing Citadines, which has one of the most extensive global footprints amongst aparthotel brands, to deliver value for both our guests and owners.”

Brand signatures

As part of the refreshed brand and its ambition to promote a well-balanced lifestyle, ‘activ∞’, will be a key brand signature across all Citadines properties. A curation of amenities and programmes to jumpstart city living, activ∞ is intended to ensure guests can live, work and play seamlessly within the property and around the city. This includes resident events that are specially designed to activate the infinite possibilities of city living, fitness amenities and programmes that encourage an active lifestyle.

Other brand signature initiatives include the café check-in experience at Citadines Raffles Place Singapore, where guests will be greeted by an integrated reception incorporating the relaxing vibes of a café as they step into the lobby. At Citadines Bay City Manila in the Philippines, the social lounge has been revamped into a coffee bar, where guests can interact and chat over a cup of coffee.

Convertible features are also another brand signature that allows for the transformation of rooms and property spaces to suit the daily work and lifestyle needs of guests. At Citadines Raffles Place Singapore, guests seeking to prepare their meals or host a private meeting in a more social environment may take advantage of the residents’ kitchen, a private dining space which doubles up for both meetings and intimate dining events. A shared workspace at the lobby is fitted with varying seating arrangements including communal tables as well as barstools at high tables to ensure that different working styles are met.

Progressive roll-out

With the unveiling of the refreshed Citadines brand, the full suite of key brand signatures will appear as properties progressively roll out all initiatives across regions including the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East by 2025.

Projects currently in the pipeline for the brand include Citadines Toulouse, an 85-key development arriving in France next year; Citadines Walker North Sydney, a 252-room serviced residence site which will be part of a 48-storey integrated development heading to the major Australian city in Q2 2023; and Citadines North Pattaya, a 300-key property due to open in Thailand in Q3 2023.

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