UK: Developer Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has secured £553 million of financing, including an £80 million loan for two serviced apartment projects along West Lane. The two serviced apartment buildings are located at 3 and 15 West Lane.   Vertus, the BTR arm of CWG, added the two projects into its portfolio earlier this year. Designed by HTA Design, the buildings will provide 378 studio apartments available for short-to-medium stay. 3 and 15 West Lane are scheduled for completion in December 2024, opening doors for guest stays in January 2025. Becky Worthington, CFO at CWG, said: “These loans ..read more

Germany: Developer GBI Group has broke ground on its latest SMARTments connect project, located in Bielefeld. Scheduled to open by the end of 2025, SMARTments connect Bielefeld will offer 223 units with a communal kitchen on the top floor. Public spaces will be used for coworking, socialising and events. The property has a DGNB Gold pre-certification, and its energy-efficient design is combined with a photovoltaic system to utilise the building’s own electricity. Other sustainable features include a curtain wall cladding, which consists of 40 per cent recycled building material. It marks the s ..read more

EU: Technology-based apartment operator limehome has signed 800 units in Q1 2024, growing its portfolio by almost 14 per cent to 6,800 apartments. The majority of the new leases are located in Austria, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. In Graz, Austria, limehome has secured the Burggasse building. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the building’s façade consists of 43 fibreglass sculptures, depicting the mythological figure of Argus with one hundred eyes. Inside, 21 apartments have been in operation by limehome since mid-March 2024. In the city of Vitoria-Gastiez, capital of the Basque Country in Sp ..read more

UK: International Hospitality Media (IHM), a leading publisher and event organiser in the hospitality and real estate sectors, has announced major expansion and improvement to its flagship Urban Living Festival event. Hosted at Mary Ward House, close to the urban regeneration projects at London’s King’s Cross, the festival will take place on September 18 and 19 2024. Day one will consist of property tours of leading-edge assets across the living and hospitality sectors followed by a drinks reception, while day two will see a full day’s content covering numerous asset classes. In addition to th ..read more

Serviced Apartment News · Up close and personal: Mark Lewis, HotelREZ SAN editor Eloise Hanson speaks to Mark Lewis, CEO of HotelREZ, about distribution strategies, capturing business travel, and the importance of smart phones, AI and personalisation in the guest journey. They also talk about sci-fi books, Abba Voyage, and opening an animal sanctuary. The post Up close and personal: Mark Lewis, HotelREZ appeared first on Serviced Apartment News ..read more

US: The 30-acre apartment home development Ariva Luxury Residences in Las Vegas has launched a collection of extended stay apartments called Ariva Serviced Residences. Located in the south Las Vegas corridor on Las Vegas Boulevard, Ariva Serviced Residences are available for stays from 31 days or more. The residences range in size from one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as multi-bedroom penthouses. All open-concept residences come with fully equipped kitchens with Quartz countertops, as well as washers and dryers. Amenities include Frette bedding, Grown Alchemist bath products, Sma ..read more

The Netherlands: Hospitality operator The Ascott Limited has opened the second Citadines-branded aparthotel located in Amsterdam. The property – 17th-century weaver’s houses known as the Noordse Bos – was acquired by Ascott Serviced Residence Global Fund (ASRGF). It is located in the centre of the Weteringbuurt between the Spiegelgracht and Reguliersgracht. Hilary Lancaster of design studio FIG oversaw the project, renovating the site and rebranding it as Citadines Canal Amsterdam. It features 93 rooms and apartments, a fitness centre, lounge and honesty bar, as well as car parking with electr ..read more

UK: Family-owned real estate investor and developer Lamington Group has released its latest ESG report, detailing progress made in 2022. Lamington Group focuses on three main aspects when addressing sustainability within the company: net zero, circularity, and health and wellbeing. The report features progress made in 2022 across these three topics. In summary, Scope 1 and 2 emissions decreased by 21 per cent compared to the 2019 baseline. The decrease in Scope 1 was due to electrification, switching to renewables and the company vehicle switching to electric. The decrease in Scope 2 emissions ..read more

The Netherlands: The July, which rebranded from City ID in November 2023, has acquired the Holiday Inn Amsterdam South and will convert the site into its seventh aparthotel. The building, located at De Boelelaan 2, was designed by Dutch architects A.Bodon and J.H. Ploeger in the late 1960s.  All hotel rooms will be transformed into apartments with the addition of coworking spaces, wellness areas and more.  The building will be also become BREEAM certified. The July aims to run carbon neutral operations. “We are thrilled with this new milestone, our fourth property in Amsterdam a ..read more

UK: Serviced apartment operator Charles Hope has opened three properties in London, Leeds, and Birmingham, taking the portfolio to 19 properties and 273 units across the UK. Each new property offers a fully equipped kitchen, ensuite bathrooms and living areas. Additional amenities include communal lounge areas, gym facilities, and coworking areas.  London Greenford offers a mix of studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. The property also features a cinema, games room, coworking space, a gym, and rooftop terrace. Leeds Centre offers one and two-bedroom apartments , rooftop terraces, and a ..read more