Citadines London Barbican has reopened after a ”2.25m ($4.4m) refurbishment and features 127 fully-equipped serviced apartments.
Each features an LCD TV with in-built DVD player, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, low-energy lighting and free broadband internet access.
The Citadines brand is owned by the Ascott Group, which is investing ”7.23m ($14.25m) every year in its European portfolio, and has recently refurbished nine of them, including four in Paris.
The company is also spending ”24.7m ($48.7m) on its first Scottish property ” Citadines Edunburgh Quartermile ” with 107 studios and apartments, which should open in 2009.
In addition, Ascott has signed deals to build and operate three other Citadines: a 65-unit property in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia (bordering Russia and Turkey), scheduled for late 2008; a 146-apartment development in Munich, Germany for 2009, and a 120-unit residence in Aktau, western Kazakhstan, also for 2009.
Outside of Europe, contracts have been signed for eight residences, with one each in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Chennai and Singapore, three in Bangkok and one in Shanghai.
”We acquired Citadines Apart”hotels in 2004 and are committed to our development and investment plans for the future of the brand,” said Ascott vice president operations UK, Rebecca Hollants van Loocke.
”Coupled with the superb properties that we have re-launched over the past two years in France, this reopening of London Barbican, a critical area for Ascott International, is only the beginning.”
The Ascott Group has more than 19,500 serviced accommodations in cities throughout Asia, Europe and the Gulf region.