At your service

At your service
Bala Chauhan
Deccan Herald

A concept that began servicing the needs of the corporate and business travellers to the City is now getting specialised. Serviced apartments, besides catering to the corporate clientele, most of who are men, are now gearing up to cater to women executives, who visit Bangalore on office or business work and need a decent and safe place to stay in.

The 12th Avenue on 100-Ft Road, Indiranagar, is promoted by Krishna Group and is aimed at the international traveller with a focus on women executives. “We will have women housekeepers, stewards and escorts for our female guests. Along with the other high end living and working facilities, we will also have a salon, which would open at 7 am to facilitate the guests to get ready for their work. There will be a reiki master to provide therapy to those who ask for it. We will also have baby care faculties handled by trained attendants,” says Sunil Kumar, managing partner of the group.

These facilities will be exclusive of the tariff, he adds.

The group already has Krish Homes comprising 12 serviced apartments with one to three bedrooms and 15 rooms.

Serviced apartments, which came into being a couple of years ago, have now picked up pace. There are around 15 to 20 branded groups, who have built serviced apartments registered under the Hotels & Restaurants Act.

The demand for these apartments is so huge that people are furnishing their flats and letting them out to short and long stay corporate travellers.

The concept behind a serviced apartment is simple. They are furnished residential apartments with back end support of food and beverage such as a restaurant, housekeeping, laundry, transport and work facilities. The additional benefits of a gym, sauna, jacuzzi and salon have been integrated keeping the international business traveller in mind.

The reason why serviced apartments are in great demand is that guests either find the hotels occupied or too expensive for a long stay of over a month to six months. And residential places are not available for less than 11 months. They hence find serviced apartment as the next best option, which offers class accommodation with all the basic amenities such as a fully-furnished room or an apartment with a well equipped kitchenette, living room, bedroom and rest room.

Every detail has been taken care to ensure the comfort of the guests, including their food, laundry, business and transport.

Shilton suites on Ulsoor Road is among the new entrants in the business. It has four categories of rooms - Penthouse, luxury suites, deluxe and studio apartments, and has a 24-hour coffee shop.

“Breakfast and Internet facilties are included in the tariff, which ranges from Rs 3,250 plus 12 per cent taxes to Rs 5,500 plus taxes,” says Andrea Mata, manager, sales and marketing, Shilton Suites. The Penthouse in these properties is an added attraction because it comes with the terrace, landscaping and a panoramic view of the City.

The tariff of the serviced rooms varies depending upon its size, facilties, ambience, location and the group.

Most of them also cater to outstation patients who need to stay in the City for their treatment. Some of them have also tied up with the airline companies, but the main business comes from the techies. IT’s driving hospitality.