The Ascott Limited (Ascott), CapitaLand Investment Limited’s (CLI) wholly owned lodging business unit, has unveiled a refresh of its fastest growing brand, Citadines, with 80 properties under development across 56 cities.

Ascott acquired the Citadines chain in Europe in 2004. It has since tripled its portfolio with 104 properties in operation, including its latest flagship property, Citadines Raffles Place Singapore, in the heart of the city’s financial district.

Every city is unique. Citadines, which means ‘city dwellers’ in French, strikes a chord with travellers who seek quality city living. With the tagline ‘For the Love of Cities’, Citadines offers travellers the comfort of a serviced residence and the flexibility of a hotel. The refreshed brand is anchored upon the commitment to provide guests with the best of city living while inspiring them to live, work and play in infinite ways.

With a sharpened brand purpose, guests can still look forward to the reliability that comes with the familiarity of Citadines hospitality, while at the same time collecting enjoyable memories of their stays as they immerse themselves in the different personalities of each and every city where Citadines is present. The refreshed Citadines brand seeks to consistently curate unique experiences and service offerings that best meet the needs of its guests.

Tan Bee Leng, Ascott’s Managing Director for Brand & Marketing, said: “Citadines is an important brand in Ascott’s portfolio and we look to aggressively expand its footprint in key cities around the world. We have always believed in the market potential of apart-hotel living. Supported by its design versatility, favourable guest demographics and resilient market fundamentals, the growth of the brand has been exponential. Over the past few years, the serviced apartment business has transformed. We have likewise pivoted our offerings towards a hybrid model that would not only allow us to offer the option of both hotel rooms and serviced residences, but also a robust programme that better caters to the lifestyle needs of our guests.

With the buoyant growth in both corporate and leisure travel across key markets, we are excited to bolster our expansion plans for Citadines. Especially as travel resumes, it is time for us to embark on a brand refresh for this fastest-growing brand. With the trajectory we’re seeing, we are confident to continue growing Citadines, which has one of the most extensive global footprints amongst aparthotel brands, to deliver value for both our guests and owners,” she said.

Presenting Citadines’ brand signatures

As part of the refreshed brand and its ambition to promote a well-balanced lifestyle, ‘activ∞’, will be a key brand signature across all Citadines properties. A curation of amenities and programmes to jumpstart city living, activ∞ will ensure guests can live, work and play seamlessly within the property and around the city. This includes resident events that are specially designed to activate the infinite possibilities of city living, fitness amenities and programmes that encourage an active lifestyle.

With the unveiling of the refreshed Citadines brand, guests can expect to experience the full suite of key brand signatures as properties progressively roll out all initiatives across regions including the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East by 2025.

A brand film titled ‘For The Love of Cities’, will roll out on various digital and social channels as part of the Citadines brand refresh. A regional TikTok campaign was kicked off on September 27, 2022, across eight markets: Australia, France, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Viet Nam.

In Viet Nam, Citadines is present in attractive tourist destinations and cities such as Citadines Marina Halong (Quang Ninh), Citadines Pearl Hoi An, Citadines Regency Sai Gon (HCM City), Citadines Bayfront Nha Trang and Citadines Central Binh Duong.

Citadines Marina Halong, Viet Nam

In the brand relaunch campaign in Vietnam, guests can experience Citadines-branded programmes through these main events and activities:

They include international Coffee Week: Citadines properties across Vietnam will organise a series of activities lasting from 01 to 07 October 2022, including serving daily free coffee and a series of coffee shows. At Citadines Regency Saigon and Citadines Central Binh Duong, guests can always enjoy a morning cup of coffee prepared by professional baristas and attend a Vietnamese drip coffee workshop with L'amant and N Concept. At Citadines Bayfront Nha Trang, guests will participate in a series of "coffee map assembling" activities during this special week.

And activ∞ programmes: guests can always receive the dedicated assistance of Citazens in exploring the city's beauty and popular dining and entertainment spots. At Ha Long Bay, the Citazens are always ready to be true local guides, supporting guests to fully enjoy their stay in the heritage city. In Hoi An, the Citazen team give guests advice on the right tours to discover the beauty of Hoi An, to check in "must-visit" spots, or suggest routes catering to every need on the romantic An Bang beach.