The Ascott Limited (Ascott) races ahead by securing contracts to manage six properties with more than 1,200 apartment units in China, on the back of record growth last year. The new properties entrench Ascott’s presence in Changsha, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Wuhan, while extending its footprint to two more cities – Handan and Xuzhou. Ascott is also poised to boost its fee income by opening an all-time high of more than 30 properties worldwide this year, of which 16 will be in China, as it further cements its leading position in the industry.
Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: “Ascott crossed the 50,000-unit milestone last year, and there will be no let-up in our efforts to build up Ascott’s global scale and accelerate our growth in 2017. By expanding our network, the management fees we get over time will strengthen Ascott’s earnings profile to deliver sustainable returns and drive return on equity. We clinched a record 10,000 units in 2016 and this is expected to contribute S$25 million to S$30 million of fee income to Ascott annually as the properties progressively open and stabilise. As we expand across our different brands to offer more accommodation choices and tailored experiences to our customers internationally, we are confident of achieving our global target of 80,000 units by 2020.”
Lee said: “In addition to management contracts, we will continue to seek acquisitions and franchises. We will also look at ways to strengthen our edge by transforming Ascott’s business, and forming strategic alliances with leading tech-players, property developers and capital partners. Having greater scale gives us a stronger negotiating power with partners and vendors. It will also enable us to better invest in capabilities such as technologies and new systems to enhance our competitiveness.”
