Urban Rest rebounding with self-isolation package
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Urban Rest rebounding with self-isolation package
Corporate accommodation provider Urban Rest has managed to turn around a decline in occupancy through targeting self-isolating guests.
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Arc by Crown GroupArc by Crown Group is included in the Urban Rest Apartment options.
As hotels began welcoming overseas arrivals for quarantine purposes on the weekend, it was business as usual for Urban Rest Apartments.
The corporate accommodation provider has been taking self-isolation bookings for the past two weeks as part of a new package offering heavily discounted rates to travellers returning from overseas, as well as local families.
With residences such as York & George in Sydney’s CBD, all Urban Rest properties offer full kitchens, internal laundries and large living spaces as standard, with food hampers and additional sanitising and cleaning equipment available for those in self-isolation.
Source: Urban Rest
Urban Rest founder and Managing Director David Whelan told WILLIAMS MEDIA the automated nature of the accommodation meant it was well suited to house self-isolating guests.
"Traditionally, we don't operate with front desk staff," he said.
"Instead, we will have facilities set up so guests can collect the keys themselves, so we haven't been as impacted as other places.
"Our cleaners have obviously had to be more diligent in between stays and focused more on areas that people usually touch."
Under the COVID-19 self-isolation package, properties available in Urban Rest’s portfolio start from prices as low as $120 per night.
Launched in 2017 by Mr Whelan, Urban Rest has rapidly grown its portfolio of high-quality serviced apartments and houses to five cities in Australia, with apartments in Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, as well as an expansion to New Zealand on the horizon.
Source: Urban Rest
As with many operators, the brand experienced a sharp drop in occupancy as a result of the pandemic, with levels declining by more than 50 per cent.
Mr Whelan credited the self-isolation package with helping the business to rebound after a difficult period.
"We went from about 80 per cent occupancy to about 10 or 12 per cent in the space of a week, which was pretty painful," he said.
"Now it is beginning to turn around a bit because everyone that was going to leave has left and the majority of people that are coming are staying anywhere from 2-3 weeks to two months at a time.
"We expect that the proportion of people coming solely for self-isolation will increase over the next couple of weeks, particularly with the new rules that have been implemented in relation to overseas arrivals."
Click here to find out more about Urban Rest.
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