Winner of the 2019 Relocate Award for Best Serviced Apartment Provider/Global

Above: Jessica Allday, Sabrina Carparelli & Helia Lotzfeldt, SACO

Award Winner: SACO The Serviced Apartment Company

Rewarding companies and people pushing the boundaries of the possible to rethink global mobility solutions, this category recognises the role of short- term accommodation for successful relocations and international assignments.

SACO’s latest Relocate Award win suggests it is well on the road to achieving its mission of reshaping hospitality. A one- stop-shop for companies looking for global relocation assistance, SACO’s agile approach is directly supporting assignees and their employers around the world in finding the right accommodation, who are benefiting from SACO’s expanding network.

“Our entry this year was a little bit different to previous years,” explained Sabrina Carparelli, senior business development manager at SACO. “This year, we focused much more on how we are connecting with our clients on a human level, how we take care of assignees and what it means for us to be a supplier of such an important service to the relocation industry.”

The judges concurred: “SACO’s continued focus on guest satisfaction, underpinned by its investment in personal development through ongoing training, an apprenticeship scheme and the introduction of well-being and cultural initiatives for its guests, has enabled the company to continue to deliver a truly excellent service for its clients.”

Going the extra mile with its agile, empathetic approach

Most importantly, SACO’s clients agree. As well as increasing the number of apartments across Europe, SACO has grown its guest satisfaction ratings by close to three percentage points this year by delivering what clients are looking for through tailored brands to key market segments.

One of the many agile approaches SACO is adopting is employed by design-led aparthotel brand, Locke, which runs the China Ready programme. Newly relocated guests who speak Mandarin as their preferred first language have information guides and apartment collateral readily available to them, supported by hosts who have received cultural training and who speak Mandarin to welcome them.

SACO also has a global supply team
charged with the sole aim of sourcing exactly the right kind of accommodation for each client
organisation and its assignees. In one case, this has seen business with a client increase by an extraordinary 373%.

Facing the future with confidence 

SACO’s successful approach is underpinned by its extensive internal training programme, You Are the Difference, which is critical for a sector like hospitality that is facing urgent skills shortages.

Alongside apprenticeships and initiatives to help people aspire and grow in the company, this encourages colleagues to put themselves in their guests’ shoes, helping to create a rewarding, healthy and enjoyable workplace that’s been given the stamp of approval by the Best Places To Work accreditation programme.

The next five years look to be just as exciting for SACO and the serviced apartment sector as a whole. The company, a pioneer in serviced accommodation for more than 20 years, was recently taken over by Brookfield Asset Management.

“As a result of that acquisition, we are expanding throughout Europe with a plan to be five times bigger than we are now in five years’ time,” explained Carparelli, reflecting wider vitality in the sector.

A dedicated team of up to 20 people from all levels and locations across the business are also working closely together to manage and implement changes in regards to key issues, such as the environment and diversity, and to inspire colleagues to engage in SACO values so as to achieve the goal of being the best serviced-apartment provider globally.

“We are delighted to have won this award and I think we worked very hard to win it. We have opened new buildings, worked on our service delivery and lots of additional things we do for our clients. We’ll continue to do a good job,” added Carparelli.

www.sacoapartments.com