ROOMS in the long-stay hotel offer more space.
photo: Courtesy of MaMaison

THE FIRST extended-stay hotel in Slovakia should open in Bratislava on December 1 this year.

The multi-facility hotel, part of the group of MaMaison Residences, will accommodate clients who are planning to live outside their own countries for long periods of time. Mostly it will cater to professionals, such as expatriate project managers, diplomats, film crews and families who have relocated to Slovakia, and envisage a protracted stay.

"A serviced apartment hotel is created and designed specifically for people who travel abroad for long periods of time, and who will be resident in one particular place. After we open our residence in Šuleková street [in Bratislava], it will be the first extended-stay hotel of its kind, not only in Bratislava but throughout Slovakia," said Rudolf Križan sales manager of MaMaison Residences.

Unlike short-stay hotels, the extended residential hotel usually does not have a conventional restaurant, but fully equipped apartments, including kitchens fitted with a fridge and dishwasher. Breakfasts and other meals, however, are available on request.

Guests can use a fitness gym and sauna, are provided with laundry; housekeeping services are available weekly or on request. A full range of business facilities are catered for, with access to fax machines, copiers and printers, as well as a meeting room.

"Regular short-stay hotels have to bear the costs of running an in-house restaurant, room service personnel, daily housekeeping bills, etc. All of which means the customer pays higher over-the-counter prices. It is the traditional guest-hotel arrangement.


COMFORT high on the agenda.
photo: Courtesy of MaMaison

"Our concept is different. Our structure of costs is set entirely for long-term residents. We provide housekeeping once a week or on a request, and for all services which are not available on the site are provided by outside partners. For example, there will be a menu in each guest book and meals will be delivered on a request," explained Križan.

Prices are also fixed according to the length of stay. A guest might find that a short stay in a serviced-apartment hotel might not be to his advantage compared with regular four-star hotels in Bratislava. The financial benefits accrue when the stay is prolonged.

MaMaison Residences put great stock on providing accommodation with a cosy atmosphere, emphasising the personal touch, without the hustle and bustle of a busy regular hotel. Their apartments are also larger than hotel rooms, with 32 apartments, of 33 to 75 square metres, designed by Jestico+Whiles. Guests will have access to 16 parking lots.

Two resident managers who live on site will be on hand to attend to the needs of guests, who will enjoy views of Bratislava castle and Slavín monument, being only a 10-minute walk from the city centre.

The owner of the building is the Central Union of Jewish Communities in the Slovak Republic. The Orco group, which is the mother company of MaMaison, has leased it for 30 years.

The outlay for the entire investment will exceed Sk130 million (€3.14 million) of which Sk70 million (€1.69 million) will be allocated for reconstruction and Sk15 million (€360,000) on fittings and equipment. The remainder will finance project development.

"The potential is very big. We have clients who have already shown interest in our serviced-apartment hotel here in Bratislava, even though it has not been completed yet. And as far as we know, no other similar project will be realised in Slovakia until 2006. But, of course, the competition never sleeps," added Križan.

Extended-stay hotels are not a new concept, and have existed abroad for some time. Slovakia, however, is the last of the Visegrad Four countries (Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland) to open such a hotel.

"The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development saw the potential for this project [MaMaison residences] in central Europe, and put up €10 million for the investment," concluded Križan.