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SUSTAINED GROWTH in the number of serviced apartments is creating employment opportunities in Hong Kong.

As a regional business hub and entrepot for China, Hong Kong has seen this branch of the rental market expand to cope with Asia's increasing number of expatriates.

The terms of expatriate executive packages have changed and the duration of foreign executive stays has shortened, so the demand for serviced apartments has increased.

Employment opportunities at these residences have expanded in parallel with that demand and the trend looks set to continue because major players in the industry expect further growth.

Visitors favour a hotel for brief stays, but for a period of a month or more many prefer a residence that feels more like a home.

And serviced apartments aim to provide just that.

A serviced apartment is a hybrid of a hotel room and a home, incorporating the comforts of one's own apartment - such as a kitchen and appliances - with the services of a hotel, without the commitment of a long-term lease. Though the hotel and serviced apartment industry overlap considerably in staff responsibilities and even career paths, important differences remain in job responsibilities.

'We are competing with hotels at the same level, especially as Disney and other hotels come on board, but we offer more of a boutique service, similar to that of the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, as part of our philosophy of family values,' said Shama Group chief operating officer Deanne Siqueira.

Named after the Sanskrit word for 'tranquil', Shama is a family-owned business founded in 1993.

The group has since enjoyed consistent growth.

Shama Group operates five serviced apartment buildings in major shopping and residential areas on Hong Kong Island.

Savills and Swire Properties Management have diversified property portfolios, including hotels. But unlike Shama, they do not see any likelihood of intense competition between hotels and serviced apartments.

Edina Wong, senior director of Savills Residential Leasing, said: 'Of course, there will be overlapping and competition at times.

'But the needs of visitors who stay in a serviced apartment are different from those who choose to live in hotels, so the competition is not great.'

Swire Properties, one of the larger players in Hong Kong's property and hospitality industry, takes a different approach from Shama. The company's serviced apartments at Pacific Place, the newly redesigned Parkside and the Atrium, share the same building as the Conrad and JW Marriott Hotels, respectively. Swire claims that the Atrium, set up in 1989, was Hong Kong's first serviced-apartment complex.

Savills Residential Leasing, a part of Savills (Hong Kong), provides newcomers to Hong Kong with orientation advice and property consultation. Savills operates the Gateway in Tsim Sha Tsui and was formed by the merger of First Pacific Davies and Savills in 1998.

While the market is growing, long-term visitors are becoming more shrewd.

Swire leasing manager Jeremy Landorn said: 'We have noticed a trend towards advanced communications options as well as dining and entertainment at home.'

The increased demand for better technology in serviced apartments has also been noted by Ms Siqueira at Shama.

Shama's most recent project is a complex in Mid-Levels, and plans are on the drawing board for a sixth building.

The company is also eyeing Macau, Shanghai, Beijing and Japan as potential locations for overseas expansion.

'With an occupancy rate of about 90 per cent, we are growing. Prospects for career development are rosy,' said Ms Siqueira.

Swire Properties is also in expansion mode. It opened the west wing of Parkside late last year, and the east wing is scheduled for completion soon.

Doris Chu, head of human resources and administration at Swire, said: 'We are optimistic that the market will continue to drive a strong demand for quality people with proper qualifications and relevant experience.'

When Swire needed to hire people it always looked for those with experience working in hotels, with language skills and those who had a commitment to service, Ms Chu said.

'It is preferable for someone new to the industry to have acquired education and training in hospitality management,' she said.

Like the major hotel chains, serviced apartment providers also offer a wide range of on-the-job and rotation training to management and front-office staff.

While the jury may be out on the competition between serviced apartments and hotels for customers, the battle for staff and managers may be an entirely different field of conflict.

View from the floor

Serviced apartment sector is growing, consistently driving employment opportunities

Hotel and hospitality sector experience preferred for new employees

The needs of visitors in serviced apartments are different from those in hotels and so job responsibilities will also differ

Attention to individual customer's changing needs is of critical importance for employees



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