Ascott expands European portfolio and enters Chelsea FC partnership

This article was written by HotelOwner. Click here to read the original article

The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment (CLI), has six new properties to its European portfolio.

The move marked the debut of The Unlimited Collection brand and expansion of the lyf brand in the region.

Building on a growing demand for Ascott’s suite of brands, these new signings will boost Ascott’s portfolio in Europe by 14% to about 8,000 units across six brands, and extend Ascott’s presence in the region to 29 cities from 24. The five new cities are Colmar in France, as well as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester and Manchester in the UK.

Mr Kevin Goh, chief executive officer for Ascott and CLI Lodging, said: “As a global tourism and business hub, Europe plays a key role in Ascott’s expansion plans. The diverse and dynamic nature of its hospitality sector offers plenty of scope for Ascott to drive more successful partnerships with owners.

“With five of the six new signings in Europe year to date being conversion projects, Ascott’s established suite of conversion capabilities has already been proven effective in gaining the confidence of property owners. We expect franchise management to be our next pillar of growth in Europe, where market conditions are conducive for this business segment. For our existing owners, we will continue to deliver sustained value by embarking on asset enhancement initiatives that elevate the stay experiences of guests.”

To further boost Ascott’s visibility in Europe and support its expansive global network, Ascott has entered a strategic multi-year partnership with Chelsea Football Club (Chelsea), becoming the official global hotels partner of the English Premier League club.

Ascott will also assume management of the 232-unit stadium hotels at London’s Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea, from the second half of 2024. To be rebranded as lyf Stamford Bridge London in 2025, the properties will be an “anchor showcase” of Ascott’s hospitality to Chelsea fans from around the world.

This partnership will see collaborative efforts in offering “money can’t buy” experiences for members of the Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) loyalty programme worldwide. These include exclusive access to matches at Stamford Bridge and VIP visits to The Blues Cobham Training Ground.

Ms Tan Bee Leng, chief commercial officer, Ascott, said: “The partnership taps on the strong synergy between Ascott and Chelsea as storied brands with global ambitions and extensive networks. As the Official Global Hotels Partner, Ascott will collaborate with Chelsea on a series of innovative marketing and promotional initiatives to engage with millions of football enthusiasts across Europe and beyond.

“Leveraging the club’s massive global fanbase of over 600 million people worldwide and its premier position in European football, the partnership will provide unparalleled opportunities for Ascott to bring together the worlds of hospitality and football to curate memorable fan engagement activities, exclusive offers for Chelsea supporters, and bespoke stay experiences at Ascott properties for fans and guests alike.”