Serviced apartments in Chengdu are welcoming more international players. In 2007, the Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu entered the market with 26 serviced residences. Since then, international operators have provided more modern and stylish options.
The Oakwood Residence Funder Chengdu held a soft opening in May last year and has now completed all its 237 apartments and facilities.
'There has been a tremendous increase in demand for serviced apartments because travellers now place more emphasis on comfort,' says Caroline Leong, director of marketing. 'They find this in serviced apartments, which offer not only the features of a hotel but also one's private home.'
Leong says increased investment in Chengdu has led to a surge in popularity of serviced apartments. 'We wanted to be among the first to service the market, especially with Oakwood's growing client base from its other properties in China.'
Ascott, which operates Somerset Riverview Chengdu, will open the 181-unit Ascott Financial City Chengdu in 2014. It will be part of the landmark 58-storey Chengdu Financial City twin-tower development comprising grade-A offices and entertainment facilities. It will offer units ranging from studios to four-bedroom apartments. Facilities will include a swimming pool, gymnasium, spa, sauna, children's playroom, business centre, meeting room and reading lounge.
'We are deepening our presence in high-growth cities such as Chengdu where foreign direct investment and tourism are expected to increase exponentially in the next few years,' says Lee Chee Koon, Ascott's managing director for north Asia.