The human touch at Fraser Residence Orchard
By Charlene Chin
/ EdgeProp Singapore |
SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - Fraser Residence Orchard, at 31 Paterson Road, is Frasers Hospitality’s latest addition to its serviced apartment offerings. Touted as its “Gold Standard” residences, the property welcomed its first guests in April this year. By its grand opening on Aug 23, it was already running at a 78% occupancy rate, shares Clara Beng, general manager at Frasers Hospitality.
Occupying 142,309 sq ft of land, Fraser Residence Orchard offers a total of 115 rooms from 280 to 3,660 sq ft. Unit types range from studio units, a range of one-bedroom choices, two-bedders as well as a four-bedroom penthouse. Prices start from around $330 for the studio units.
Frasers ran a month of trial stays before opening up the property. The group’s corporate guests, business partners, and over 40 relocation agents were invited to test out the facilities and stay in the rooms. “We also got everybody who is part of the Fraser cluster of serviced apartments to come in and try,” says Beng, referring to the sales team, management, administration and even the engineers. This was part of an effort to ensure that the team understands the product, she says.
Beng: It’s harder to offer services these days as it’s harder to get to know your residents (Credit: Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
Fraser Residence Orchard attracts high-flyers, receiving guests largely from consulates and embassies, and those working in the fintech, banking and finance industries. A main draw for them is “the privacy [and] unintrusive services” which Frasers offers, says Beng.
Before guests check in, Frasers staff ensure that each apartment is in tip-top condition “so that the minute they come in, it’s like their own home,’’ she says. The team also ensures that all home equipment is maintained and repaired while residents are not in their apartments. “We make sure that everything works before they come back,” explains Beng, comparing their service to magic elves that scurry around to ensure everything works behind the scenes.
Ensuring that residents feel at home outside their apartments is also a priority. One soft touch is setting out a dedicated area for a herb garden. “There are a lot of residents who like to get their fingers dirty, especially [if] they come from overseas,” says Beng, as these residents are used to having a backyard within their own home. They can grow herbs which can be freshly plucked for cooking, she adds. Ultimately, with all the attention paid to landscaping works, Frasers wants their guests to feel as though they’re “in an oasis”, Beng says.
View from the penthouse unit (Credit: Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
Shorter stays
The serviced apartment industry has changed over the years. Beng recalls that the stays were much longer two decades ago. “In those days, a long stay was defined as one year and above,” she notes. She remembers having had a guest who worked as an artist and stayed with Frasers for a decade. This guest was just one of many customers who stayed that long with Frasers, she says.
Due to cheaper air travel, a lot of companies do not send people overseas for such a long period of time anymore, she says. Now, expats sent abroad are likely to be high-level executives tasked to set up a company or department and stay for two years or so, she shares. The others are road warriors who are sent abroad to work on shorter-term projects, flying to and from their home country. “I have a guest who has stayed with me 200 times to date,” Beng shares. The guest flies to Singapore for the weekdays and back to Hong Kong every weekend.
Due to shorter stays, it is in fact “harder to offer services these days”, concedes Beng. “Because it’s very hard to get to know your residents [nowadays]. But when they are here for 10 years, there is no way you cannot know them,” she says.
Amenities at Fraser Residence Orchard include swimming pools, a jacuzzi, and barbecue facilities (Credit: Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
Changing with the times
As a result, Frasers has adapted to the times. The team now organises more focused, targeted events for different profiles of guests. “We recognise that the generation now has a lot of choices – they can do a lot of things over the weekend [and] they needn’t join you.” In the past, the team used to engage in larger-scale, grand events like gala dinner and dance for its long-stay residents. “Literally, the staff would have to learn how to dance… and then after that we had to invite the guests [to the event],” she recalls.
Invitation to community events are typically extended across all four of its serviced apartments in Singapore: Fraser Suites Singapore, Fraser Place Robertson Walk, Fraser Residence Singapore and Fraser Residence Orchard. “We have enough of a range to be able to attract certain groups of people, all across [the properties],” says Jastina Balen, director, group branding & communications, Frasers Hospitality. The events foster a network and community that in turn strengthen the Fraser brand.
For instance, the grand opening of Fraser Residence Orchard was attended by guests from Fraser Suites and Fraser Place, Beng shares. “They were all quite high-profile, ex-consulate people, and when they came, they realised that they all knew each other.”
There are also more intimate gatherings, such as a durian party, or the mooncake lantern walk held in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Festival, which took place on Sept 13 this year.
With the attention paid to landscaping works, Frasers wants their guests to feel as though they’re “in an oasis” (Credit: Samuel Isaac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
Services are key
Despite all the differences, some things remain constant. “All the residents love our housekeepers,” says Beng. “If you stay one month, two months, you will see the same ‘aunty’ every day. Our housekeepers are trained to be quite sensitive to guests’ needs without being intrusive.” Beng shares that they have a 95-yearold resident at a Frasers property who is living alone. “Her family will visit her during the weekends, but day to day, it is our housekeeper who looks out for her.”
Simple gestures that warm the hearts of residents, such as preparing their preferred food, or leaving fresh flowers in their bedroom before they check in, goes a long way. “People now say we’ve got data analytics [measuring] the customer journey, but actually it goes right back to the fundamentals of really knowing what your customer wants,” says Balen.
In 2020, Frasers will be implementing its dedicated app where all of guests can communicate with staff on the platform. Residents can be assured that behind each notification push is a commitment to bring the standard of service to the next level.
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