New build property opens in Perth

New build property opens in Perth
By admin


Singaporean firm Frasers Hospitality has confirmed further Australian expansion is on its agenda, as it officially opened its third property in Perth.

The site of the new 236-suite Frasers Suites in East Perth, overlooking the WACA cricket ground and the Swan River, was acquired by Frasers in 1998 with its development delayed by the onset of the global financial crisis.

However, the property is now operational and has seen average occupancies of around 85% and average stays of around 3.5 nights since its soft launch in October.

Frasers general manager Australia, Matthew Rubie, highlighted the ongoing development of the surrounding area – a residential project that will include a number of new bars and restaurants – and the proximity to the CBD as drawcards for the property.

Although, he admitted Perth’s renowned room shortage had also worked to its advantage.

“The market here is such that you open the doors and they come,” Rubie told Travel Today.

However, the firm has resisted the temptation to crank up prices to match those seen elsewhere in the city.

“We need to establish a rapport and build our client base first,” he said, adding its competitive introductory rates and new high end facilities make its value proposition increasingly attractive to potential visitors.

The property offers the first "Gold-Standard" serviced residences to be built in Perth in over a decade, he added. 

In addition, free wifi throughout the property and its location within the city’s Free-Transit Zone have proved popular with the corporate visitors that make up around 70% of its clientele.

It also has a range of configurable meeting rooms and meeting packages which offer customised service and an assigned co-ordinator, and close proximity to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Frasers brand is a “household name” in Singapore and across Asia, Rubie explained. So he expects the property to see good visitation from those markets. But he stressed domestic travellers will be its core target market, with the firm working with the key retail consortia to promote the brand which is less well-known locally.

Frasers will also launch individual mobile-enabled websites for each of the three properties in the coming months to grow their profiles, with a ramping up of its social media strategy to follow as it seeks to grow bookings through that channel.

Meanwhile, Rubie confirmed the firm is searching for additional opportunities, with Australia considered a priority market. The brand has had a Sydney location since 2007, and launched in Melbourne in October last year.

“Australia is a target because it’s increasingly seen as a good place to come and do business,” he said. “Expansion is something we want to look at seriously”.

He highlighted a Brisbane property as a possibility, although he also would like to grow Frasers’ presence in the cities in which it is already located.

 

 

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