The Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP), the trade association for the Serviced Apartment industry, has unveiled plans to promote its Quality Assessment (QA) programme beyond members and direct to customers.
James Foice, managing director, said the decision was taken after a highly successful initial accreditation phase among ASAP’s members, “98% will have successfully completed the programme by November and the feedback has been tremendous.”
“Members recognise the importance of legal and statutory obligations, health and safety and that any property is accurately and appropriately marketed, and this provides a high level of confidence for guests booking a serviced apartment.”
Answering the question: “How do I know what I’m buying?”
Mr Foice explained that the number of options for customers seeking accommodation is mind-boggling, thanks in part to new sectors emerging as a result of the expansion of the digital economy, but that it’s often hard for people to know what they are getting for their money.
“Our members sell three million accommodation nights per year, generating £500m revenues, and our aim has been to create an internationally-recognised serviced apartment standard that answers the question: “How do I know what I am buying?”
“ASAP’s QA standard also has applications abroad, and I’m delighted that a major serviced apartment operator in Amsterdam, Your Amsterdam Housing, has joined the Association specifically to benefit from the QA initiative.”
‘Kitemark’ for wider serviced apartment sector
Mr Foice said that he had been in discussions with a number of agents wishing to support the accreditation scheme by only offering ASAP-accredited apartments to their clients.
We encourage agents, and indeed all other channels in this fast-growing sector, who wish to work with quality assured ASAP operators to contact us, as our long term aim is to make ASAP QA the ‘kitemark’ for the wider serviced apartment sector in the UK and beyond.
About ASAP
ASAP is the trade association for the UK serviced apartment sector. Its 74 members own and operate over 14,000 properties throughout the UK and Ireland, in every major city. The membership also includes a number of serviced apartment agencies. Founded in 2002, members range from large international companies to small independent operators so represent the full cross-section of the industry in the UK and now internationally.
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