Low-key operation, huge market, but still needs to be "legitimized" - The "family inn" popular in Western countries has quietly infiltrated Guangzhou. According to the Yangcheng Evening News reporter, this kind of accommodation is gradually gaining popularity online. However, a person in charge told the reporter that due to its "ambiguous identity", it cannot yet be widely promoted.
Flexible services, more easily accepted by "Gweilo" (Cantonese for foreigners)
Ms. Han is one of the responsible persons of "Wisa International Business Self-service Apartment". But on her business card, the printed English website is marked as "Canton House Hotel (Guangzhou Family Inn)". She told the reporter: "Yes, we are a 'family inn' specifically targeting foreigners."
According to Ms. Han's introduction, "Wisa" has signed agreements with the owners of seven or eight suites in a certain real estate development on Dongfeng East Road. They are mainly provided for short-term rental to foreigners coming to Guangzhou. "But we are different from ordinary rental intermediaries," Ms. Han told the reporter. Some of the housing sources are operated by the company itself. In addition to renting to foreign guests, "Wisa" also helps tenants with daily cleaning, car rental, room booking, ticket booking, food delivery and other related services. Of course, these services are not provided in places similar to hotel lobbies, but mainly through telephone.
The reporter learned that due to the often different locations and supply-demand situations of the housing sources, the prices of "family inns" also adopt a "market-driven" approach. Taking Baitie Family Inn as an example, the lowest price is 30 yuan/day.
Accompanying housekeeping services, landlords are happy to rent out
It is understood that there may already be five or six concentrated operating institutions of different forms of "family inns" in Guangzhou. The housing sources are mainly concentrated in convenient transportation and well-equipped residential areas such as Tianhe North, the former Dongshan District, etc., such as Dongfeng Plaza, Tianyu Garden, etc., and some residential areas in Panyu also have distribution. According to Ms. Han's introduction, when foreigners look for "family inns" in Guangzhou, apart from basic elements such as environment and location, they also care about whether they can access the Internet and the condition of the bathroom. Usually, they require Western-style bathrooms, prefer higher floors, and have relatively high requirements for views. She said that some foreign tourists are very interested in Guangzhou's Xiguan mansions and want to rent them for a short term, but currently, the demand is not large and the housing sources are not many.
Introduction shows that since "family inns" generally have accompanying housekeeping and cleaning services, for some landlords who want to rent out their houses but are worried that tenants will use the house too much, renting it as a "family inn" is a good choice, especially for some relatively high-end residential areas. Ms. Han introduced that after distributing a batch of materials, she would immediately receive many replies.
Standardized management, or to "relieve pressure" for the Asian Games
It is understood that with the development of small-sized apartments in Guangzhou's real estate market and the promotion of "property-style hotels" by real estate developers, the market for "family inns" in Guangzhou is also expanding. The reporter learned that at present, some operators of "family inns" are operating under the guise of "intermediaries", and few directly use the name and brand of "family inn".
Why is this? According to the reporter's investigation, according to relevant regulations, the approval of "foreign-related hotels" must go through the Foreign Affairs Office. Currently, the main customer base for Guangzhou's "family inns" are foreigners. Calling it an "inn" or "hotel" would affect operations. In fact, the tourism management department of Guangzhou City has not yet issued relevant regulations regarding this kind of "family inn", which is currently in a management vacuum.
The reporter learned that this kind of concentrated operation of "family inns", or self-service apartments, has already reached a considerable scale in cities like Shanghai and Chengdu. Hangzhou's "Luggage Guest" is also a relatively famous one. Industry insiders analyzed that "family inns" can play a good regulatory role in the hotel market. They can meet the accommodation demand during peak seasons, switch to long-term rentals during off-seasons, and avoid the operating pressure of vacancies. For Guangzhou to solve the accommodation problem during the Asian Games period, it will be of great help. People in the hotel industry suggest that if Guangzhou can quickly introduce relevant measures to strengthen standardized management, it will be beneficial to guide it onto a normal development track.