Category: Ascott

Ascott holds Grand Launch of first international serviced residence in Bonifacio Global City

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Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila, the first international serviced residence in the Bonifacio Global City, recently formally opened its doors with a stellar Grand Launch held at its Grand Ballroom. The event was graced by the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr. and Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano who served as guests of honor. Also present to show their support were Ascott’s corporate accounts, foreign dignitaries and media.

Guests were welcomed by Ascott’s top management spearheaded by Ascott’s Regional General Manager for Philippines and Thailand, Arthur Gindap; and were taken on a property tour, providing a glimpse of Ascott’s luxurious studio and 1-bedroom units featuring exquisite art and accentuated with indigenous materials. Cocktails and the program proper with a lavish 6-course dinner later ensued. The program was highlighted by speeches from the guest of honor, DOT’s Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr. and Mr. Gindap who gave an overview of the Philippine cluster, its growth and the introduction of its 5th property – Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila. The event capped off with a ceremonial toasting heralding the property’s opening.

Ascott currently operates three brands: Ascott, Citadines and Somerset. The company first entered the Philippines with the inaugural of Somerset Millennium Makati in year 2000. To date, the Philippine cluster has grown to five properties, namely: Somerset Millennium Makati, Somerset Olympia, Ascott Makati, Citadines Salcedo Makati and now, the newly-opened Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila. Soon, the Philippine cluster will reach new milestones with the launch of two more properties – Citadines Millennium Ortigas and Somerset Alabang Manila.

Bonifacio Global City welcomes the first international serviced residence in the booming business district with the opening of Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila, which brings Ascott renowned service – a benchmark of impeccable service.

“The growth of the Bonifacio Global City has been phenomenal,” said Mr. Gindap. “In the past 5-7 years, this part of the city has seen the rise of major real-estate projects from high-end condominiums to commercial and business buildings, as well as retail and dining establishments. And Bonifacio Global City continues to thrive, contributing to the economic growth of Taguig. The Ascott group has been cognizant of the Bonifacio Global City’s booming economy and influx of foreign businesses that have established their offices here. Thus, to cater to these business travelers, Ascott saw the need for a luxurious international serviced residence to serve as their second home. This is why Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila is here today,” he concluded.

Ascott’s Next-Generation Serviced Residences Embrace IoT Technology

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CapitaLand’s wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is set to embrace the Internet of Things technology to design a next-generation serviced residence that will offer guests a seamless smart living experience. The technology will enable guests to control and manage devices within the serviced residence through a single application which connects personal and home devices — from refrigerators and washing machines to smart TVs, smartphones and even wearable devices — through an integrated platform and server.

To bring its vision of a next-generation serviced residence to life, Ascott has entered into an exclusive partnership with Samsung Asia Pte Ltd, a unit of Samsung Electronics (Samsung), to jointly develop Internet of Things-ready smart solutions customised for its serviced residences, making Ascott the first global serviced residence company to embrace smart home technologies. Ascott aims to test bed the new technologies at selected Ascott serviced residences by the first half of 2016, with plans to roll out to its properties across over 20 countries globally in phases.

In the new age Ascott serviced residence, guests will be able to use customised settings on their mobile devices or smart TV to control one or multiple devices simultaneously no matter where they are — turning on air conditioning or monitoring laundry cycle, for example — while inside or outside the serviced residence, or even while travelling abroad. By knowing when the day starts for the guests, the smart devices can even turn on the lights and heat up a coffee pot just in time. Guests can also use their smartphones to get real-time views of the serviced residence via in-built appliance cameras within an air conditioner or robot cleaner. In addition, Ascott’s housekeeping staff can be promptly notified when it is time to service appliances, keep the laundry or replace consumables.

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “As a global leader in serviced residences, Ascott continuously seeks to innovate and test new ideas to ensure that we remain at the forefront of the industry. The Internet of Things technology is on the brink of quick adoption and it will come at a speed we can barely imagine. It will enable us to gain real-time insights to better understand the lifestyle and preferences of our guests and to anticipate their needs. Ascott aims to transform these complex data into useful information to improve customer experience and operational efficiency.”

Ascott will work closely with Samsung to co-innovate and test customised hospitality solutions, with some initial development work done at Ascott’s Innovation Hub in Singapore before testing at its properties. Guests will get to try out the new smart technologies and appliances in specially designed Samsung Experience suites or residents’ lounges in selected Ascott properties for a trial period. In addition, Ascott will explore the application of automated technologies such as robotics at its serviced residences to enhance its employees’ productivity, so that they can focus on ensuring that guests have a memorable stay at its serviced residences.

Ascott’s Next-Generation Serviced Residences Embrace IoT Technology

PRNEWS Admin Leave a comment

CapitaLand’s wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is set to embrace the Internet of Things technology to design a next-generation serviced residence that will offer guests a seamless smart living experience. The technology will enable guests to control and manage devices within the serviced residence through a single application which connects personal and home devices — from refrigerators and washing machines to smart TVs, smartphones and even wearable devices — through an integrated platform and server.

To bring its vision of a next-generation serviced residence to life, Ascott has entered into an exclusive partnership with Samsung Asia Pte Ltd, a unit of Samsung Electronics (Samsung), to jointly develop Internet of Things-ready smart solutions customised for its serviced residences, making Ascott the first global serviced residence company to embrace smart home technologies. Ascott aims to test bed the new technologies at selected Ascott serviced residences by the first half of 2016, with plans to roll out to its properties across over 20 countries globally in phases.

In the new age Ascott serviced residence, guests will be able to use customised settings on their mobile devices or smart TV to control one or multiple devices simultaneously no matter where they are — turning on air conditioning or monitoring laundry cycle, for example — while inside or outside the serviced residence, or even while travelling abroad. By knowing when the day starts for the guests, the smart devices can even turn on the lights and heat up a coffee pot just in time. Guests can also use their smartphones to get real-time views of the serviced residence via in-built appliance cameras within an air conditioner or robot cleaner. In addition, Ascott’s housekeeping staff can be promptly notified when it is time to service appliances, keep the laundry or replace consumables.

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “As a global leader in serviced residences, Ascott continuously seeks to innovate and test new ideas to ensure that we remain at the forefront of the industry. The Internet of Things technology is on the brink of quick adoption and it will come at a speed we can barely imagine. It will enable us to gain real-time insights to better understand the lifestyle and preferences of our guests and to anticipate their needs. Ascott aims to transform these complex data into useful information to improve customer experience and operational efficiency.”

Ascott will work closely with Samsung to co-innovate and test customised hospitality solutions, with some initial development work done at Ascott’s Innovation Hub in Singapore before testing at its properties. Guests will get to try out the new smart technologies and appliances in specially designed Samsung Experience suites or residents’ lounges in selected Ascott properties for a trial period. In addition, Ascott will explore the application of automated technologies such as robotics at its serviced residences to enhance its employees’ productivity, so that they can focus on ensuring that guests have a memorable stay at its serviced residences.