Mantra Group has launched a new program aimed at the longer-stay traveller at a time when the hotel sector is moving to offer more than just a room for the night.
Many operators in the sector have opted to offer more apartment-style rooms to cater for families and business people who prefer to do their own cooking and cleaning while enjoying the security of a hotel concierge and on-call amenities.
Mantra's new Live@Mantra initiative is aimed at the corporate sector, which includes people relocating from overseas and interstate-based directors and managers working on long-term projects.
The group owns and operates the Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree brands, which comprise more than 114 properties and 15,000 rooms under management.
Mantra Group chief executive Bob East said he was pleased with the group's financial performance overall, despite challenges across the tourism industry this year.
For the year to June, Mr East said, Mantra Group posted a 5 per cent earnings rise to $63 million before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) off the back of significant rate and occupancy growth in the leisure travel sector, consistent city-centre hotel performance and a growing network of properties in the Asia Pacific.
He said the group had been actively acquiring new properties in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 1000 rooms joining the network this financial year. Annual earnings have grown by more than $16 million over the past four years.
''Activity across CBD hotels has been largely flat across the industry, however, Mantra apartment hotel properties in all capital-city locations are performing on par with or ahead of the market,'' he said.
''Sydney was a standout example with 20 per cent growth in revenue per available room [RevPAR], across CBD and outer-Sydney hotels, for the final quarter.''
Mantra Group's director of corporate sales Kyle Wallwork said the Live@Mantra initiative was a result of research undertaken with relocation companies and clients from industries with a high ratio of long-stay requirements.
''Because of the nature of our apartment product, Mantra has always been top of mind for long-term stays,'' Mr Wallwork said.
''But growth in the long-term 28-plus-night accommodation market has seen a dramatic pick-up - for example, in the first quarter of 2013 we have confirmed nearly 40 per cent of the total room nights booked by long-term stays for the entire year in 2012.
''Industry feedback from relocation companies who assist 457 visa workers, clients from industries such as the mining resources sector, the legal industry and government departments, and travel management bookers with long-term stay needs provided us with an excellent blueprint for the Live@Mantra program and we were able to implement their requests from a service, rate and product perspective.''
