Leading UK lifestyle aparthotel brand Native Places has announced ambitious growth plans with the opening of five new hotels within the
next two years as part of its committed 2025 vision.
The expansion of operations will see Native Places open an additional property in London bringing the total to four design-led aparthotel in the capital city. New destinations within the UK are also on the horizon with planned openings in Birmingham, Cambridge, Cardiff, and Oxford being considered.
Native’s current portfolio includes six properties across London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. In Q4 2023, Native will be launching its seventh aparthotel and fourth property in London at one of the capital’s most historic locations. The King’s Wardrobe location, once a storehouse for the King’s state and ceremonial robes, will rebrand as Native St Paul’s.
The ambitious 2025 vision follows a successful year for the challenger brand which saw revenue up by 4% more than predicted in 2022 with direct bookings up 24.2% from 2021. Supporting these successes, Native also witnessed an increase in the average length of stay in 2022 from 1.5 days to 2.5-3 days, highlighting the need and desire for extended stays.
Olivia Immesi, managing director at Native Places, comments: “This is a very exciting time for Native Places as we expand operations further across the UK. The future of apart-hotels worldwide, and in particular in the UK, is significant. We are seeing pent-up demand for extended stays and it is our mission to provide travellers with a more integrated home-from-home experience that offers freedom and flexibility when our guests are travelling for work or hoping to relax in a larger space, during a long-term stay.”
Central to Native Places’ vision is to grow its sustainable commitment, with each site needing to align with the company’s dedicated programme of practical ESG initiatives including prioritizing the sustainability and environmental longevity of each building. Native Places is working towards the goal of becoming a B-Corp listed company as it consciously works to reduce its carbon emissions and build a green brand within the extended stay sector.
Naturally, staying in an aparthotel uses less energy, and Native’s mission is to reduce its carbon footprint even further by making sustainable considerations at every point of guest interaction. From working towards a BREEAM accreditation – the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for buildings – for all their apart-hotels, and using energy suppliers based on their efficiency rating, to using eco-friendly suppliers with a community-minded ethos. Native also recognises the big impact of small changes and looks for innovative ways to boost sustainability across each apartment including using Mitre Eco filling in their pillows, made from recycled plastic bottles, and recycled carpets with underlay made from old plastic.
As part of Native’s strategy for expansion, it aims to uncover one-of-a-kind properties in the marketplace that offers something unique. Shunning the cookie-cutter approach, Native ensures its properties keep their identity as part of its carefully considered rebranding.
“We want to give our guests a story worth sharing, whether it’s about historical architecture, interesting design, or a fascinating local community – we believe the best stories are found in the people and places we meet and experience. That’s why for each Native property, we celebrate the heritage of the building and we encourage our guests to live like a local and meet the creatives at the heart of the community”, comments Immesi.
Committed to bringing people together, Native Place’s mission is to be a fixed feature of the local community by connecting guests to each of the property’s neighbourhoods through offering eco-friendly alternatives, connection to original brands, and interactive resident events. Inclusive in its programming, Native supports and celebrates all communities and offers a consistent series of events across all of its properties. This has included hosting Manchester Pride in collaboration with celebrity Gok Wan, connecting artists with its artist-in-residence series, as well as supporting and promoting local businesses via its neighbourhood heroes.
Providing design-led apartments with the flexibility and space to entertain friends and family all of which boast fully equipped kitchens, makes staying at a Native Places apartment a more cost-effective way of experiencing a city. All of Native Place’s apartments feature a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and workspace; kitted out with everything guests need for maximum comfort and enjoyment, whatever the reason for their stay.
Native Places also creates dynamic spaces in which to welcome local residents. Counter in Native Edinburgh is an eclectic bar that is home to curated events and drinks, and the Mini Cini at Native Manchester is a 36-seat cinema showcasing cult classics, romcoms, and kids’ films and it is recognised as the world’s first dog-friendly cinema.
As part of its expansion plans, Native Places is also focusing on adding significant value to its fast-growing aparthotel portfolio by developing both convenient and experiential F&B concepts to match the evolving consumption habits of its guests. This follows the company’s successful performance for F&B in 2022 achieving 12% above budgeted revenues.
Immesi comments, “Looking forward we are placing greater investment to boost the value of a stay with us in order to attract the newer generation of guests. It is imperative for aparthotel and hotel brands to adapt and engage guests with F&B concepts that offer both convenience and experience, especially in response to the rise of food ordering apps.”
Earlier this year, Native Places launched ‘Brekkie in a Bag’ – a breakfast initiative where each guest receives a breakfast in a bag filled with freshly baked pastries, juice, and fruit, sourced from sustainable British suppliers, on each day of their stay, delivered to their aparthotel room or collected from reception at no extra cost. The launch followed a partnership with award-winning chef and food writer, Thomasina Miers OBE, who created three sustainable recipes exclusively for Native Place guests; designed to inspire guests to cook and make use of their fully equipped kitchen during their apartment stay.
With the extended stay market building positive momentum, Native Places will continue to pave the way as the leading lifestyle aparthotel brand as it expands across the UK with its commitment to provide accommodation for people searching for flexible and fully functioning spaces when they travel.
