Joining GHA Discovery as the first European serviced apartment operator is a notable milestone. What impact do you expect this partnership to have on both guest engagement and brand visibility?

We are proud to be the first of our kind to join GHA Discovery, which has more members per room than any other loyalty scheme in the sector. Guests increasingly expect a loyalty programme as part of their stay and, as we expand around the world, GHA Discovery offers the potential to raise our profile, while also delivering valued guest feedback.

GHA Discovery is the only loyalty scheme run by hotels, for hotels, encouraging direct bookings as well as providing additional marketing support and access to new markets and 30 million new customers. It will allow us to learn more about our guests and help to personalise their stays and deliver the memorable experiences which create a lifetime of loyalty.

From Lexham Gardens in London to Expo City Dubai, your portfolio reflects a diversity of locations and guest demographics. How do you tailor each property to meet local market expectations while maintaining brand consistency?

We are delighted that we have a high level of loyalty and repeat bookings amongst our customers around the world and, as we grow, seeing so many familiar faces at our properties is a testament to our success in creating a consistent product.

All of our serviced apartments offer the same high level of service in luxurious settings around the world and we ensure that our teams are embedded in the local community and able to share recommendations with our guests to help them feel part of their surroundings. Our food and beverage spaces are also leased or managed by local partners, ensuring that guests can enjoy an authentic experience when they stay.

In terms of operations, what innovations or efficiencies has Cheval Collection introduced to ensure its properties deliver both luxury and sustainability?

We are currently taking part in a five-year plan to support our sustainable beliefs with action, including a series of targets around key focus areas, including waste monitoring, carbon emissions.

Working with partners who monitor our progress to ensure its rigour, we have implemented changes such as ensuring that all electricity is procured from renewable energy, all new properties are specified to be 100% LED (with older properties retrofitted) and all mechanical and electrical plants are monitored by building energy management systems, which are  optimised to achieve maximum efficiency to reduce energy. Our work in this area is ongoing and we look forward to implementing further innovations.

As investor interest grows in the serviced apartment sector, what are the key trends you're observing, and how is Cheval positioned to capitalise on them?

Serviced apartments are now being considered in the same space as hotels for investors and, as the sector shows its resilience, particularly in the luxury segment, we are having more and more conversations in dynamic locations.

Flexibility is a key trend and, as owners ourselves we are able to empathise with the needs of investors, who are looking to a partner with both the heritage of a long-standing brand and the understanding that one size does not fit all when it comes to management agreements.

We are also seeing a growing drive towards conversions, led by owners and investors moving their portfolios away from other asset classes, including offices, and towards a model where they can enjoy both income and asset appreciation. Serviced apartments have proved their resilience, now they are proving their place as an asset to meet modern investment demands.