Of all the places in the world to offer corporate serviced apartments, Luxembourg remains an attractive destination. With its multi-national banks and Fortune Global 500 companies, the landlocked country sees an immense volume of inbound tourists, which makes it popular with accommodation providers.
Suite Home Sweet, a property operator we work with, knows this only too well and has gone out of its way to make the country its own by offering apartments all over Luxembourg.
We spoke to Thierry Arthaud, co-owner of Suite Home Sweet, who had lots to say about the company, including its future plans.
What does your role involve?
I’m the co-owner of SHS Suite Home Sweet and oversee our business operations in Luxembourg. I manage our apartments on both a long-term and a day-to-day basis, providing strategic insights on how we can grow as a company.
Talk us through your hospitality career
I come from a background of working for hotels, restaurants, wineries and spirit companies. I’ve owned various restaurants, including Bella Puglia and Brassiere du Strasbourg Orient Express and have also held down a career as a sommelier. On top of that, I have a degree in Restaurant and Food Services Management.
What’s the story behind SHS?
SHS began with eight apartments above a restaurant that I co-owned in Luxembourg. My partner and I saw an opportunity to turn the restaurant into an apartment building, and, before long, we were running at full capacity. That was two years ago, and, since then, we’ve continued to grow quickly.
We bankrolled the entire company ourselves without the help of loans and such, and are very proud of what we’ve achieved: offering quality accommodation in the centre of Luxembourg.
What are the defining features of an SHS property?
Our apartments are clean, spacious and fit-for-purpose, with flexible spaces for guests to work, play and relax as they desire. In following this approach, we give people the opportunity to freely express themselves in our apartments. Amongst other features, we’ve invested heavily in the quality of our beds. All SHS beds are king-sized or super king-sized, meaning you’ll never have a bad nights’ sleep in our apartments.
What makes SHS unique?
We pride ourselves on our fast response times. Most guest queries are looked after within an hour of us receiving them, with solutions provided promptly and professionally. As a small operator, we’re able to offer that all-important personal touch. I meet a lot of our guests face-to-face and get to know them at a personal level.
Why does SHS operate in Luxembourg specifically?
I’ve been living in Luxembourg for over 20 years now and see the country as a tremendous corporate hub. It’s an extremely diverse country, home to over 100 different nationalities, and a great place to start or grow a business. Many of the world’s largest banks and companies are based in Luxembourg and will continue to expand there in the years to come. For these reasons, it makes good business sense for us to operate there.
What are SHS’s growth plans for the future?
We’re opening new apartments every month, and plan to have 44 in place by the end of the year, followed by 200 in 2020. Our ambition is to rent apartment buildings and grow them from the ground up using the investment we’ve secured so far. Location-wise, we’re planning to open apartments in London, Jersey and Venice, as well as in Mauritius.
