The growth of the ‘staycation’ market – where business travellers add on a short leisure trip at the end of their work assignment – is one of the driving factors behind the success of the new Four Seasons Residences at Ten Trinity Square, London.

A historic location

The Residences opened last June and have been particularly popular with US visitors, as well as those from China, Hong Kong, Asia and the Middle East, says Vincent Hoogewijs, General Manager. Located in London’s most historic area, Ten Trinity Square has long been regarded as one of Britain’s finest architectural landmarks, recognised as a Grade II listed building. Originally opened in 1922, this was the headquarters of the Port of London Authority.The Four Seasons hotel is attached to the Residences and has 100 rooms. Guests at the Residences are able to use all the hotel facilities, including the fitness centre and spa, restaurants, bar, room service and a private members’ club.

The appeal to overseas visitors

“The Residences have great appeal with our overseas visitors,” Mr Hoogewijs says. “Our largest market is the US, followed by China, as Ten Trinity Square is Chinese-owned. We have a wide range of guests – some are here purely on business, others add on a leisure trip for a few extra days, and we also have families coming for a stay in the heart of London.”The Residences have a particular appeal for US guests because the hotel provides a 24/7 security service, something that this group of travellers finds reassuring. The brand is well known in the US and Canada as the first Four Seasons hotel to open was in Toronto.

Watch the Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square video

Discreet accommodation

The Residences also offer discreet and private entrances and exits, so that any guest who doesn’t want to attract attention can move around unhindered and without having to go through the hotel lobby. It is a short walk to the offices of the City and within easy access of Canary Wharf and the West End. As the ‘staycation’ market grows, and travellers look for apartment-based accommodation, the Residences offer a luxury option designed to appeal to C-suite, business owners, and high net worth individuals and their families.

Individual architectural quirks

Each of the Residences is individually designed around the architectural quirks of the building – something that Mr Hoogewijs says was a pleasure and a challenge for the designers.“Every residence we have is different,” he says. “The history of the building – and its importance in trade with Asia and the East – is reflected in the furnishings and design. When you live in them you feel that you are in a London that has real connections with the past – something that really appeals to our overseas guests.”The Residences are available to rent on a short or long-term basis. The hotel has seen a variety of different clients in the 12 months since they first opened. One sector that is growing is that of guests who attend nearby private hospitals for treatment, and who use the apartments to relax and recover in between appointments.

Spectacular views

The hotel is located adjacent to St. Katherine’s Dock, close to the Thames, and some of the penthouses include iconic views of both the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. The Residences have been designed to be a home-away-from- home experience that provides private accommodation for C-Suite and ultra-high net worth individuals and families. They are much larger than any other serviced apartment in London and provide a generous space for living and entertaining where guests can relax, entertain and do business.The hotel’s 24/7 concierge service is available, as is a private chef and nanny, for all guests in the Residences. The private members club, which has been voted as one of the best in London, is in partnership with Reignwood, Chateau Latour and Four Seasons Hotel and is located within the hotel. Each suite of rooms that make up the Residences has been individually designed by one of four highly regarded designers: Martin Kemp, David Linley, Richmond International and Fox Linton Interiors.Mr Hoogewijs says the summer brings leisure visitors, whilst the Residences are mainly used by business travellers over the winter. Many are global assignees who are in London for a specific project and may spend three months there. A significant number are Chinese business travellers who are in London for extended periods.

State-of-the-art communications

A particularly popular part of the concierge service is the Four Seasons Chat, available via WhatsApp, which enables guests to order food, book a restaurant table or ask for help with any issue via a messaging service.“For example, you could be at the theatre in the West End and ask for a meal to be ready for you when you return to your apartment at 10pm,” Mr Hoogewijs says, “We aim to respond to queries within a minute. You can chat with our concierge service and make any request. We find people prefer to use this method rather than making a phone call and we also have iPads in every Residence should guests wish to order room service when they are there.”Ten Trinity Square is part of the Reignwood Investments UK Ltd portfolio, which also includes Wentworth Club.  Founded in Thailand in 1984, Reignwood Group is a global Chinese enterprise with headquarters in Beijing and offices in Singapore, Thailand, Canada, the USA and UK. The Residences took eight several years to develop and build, and they have all the luxury of a hotel with the convenience of a large apartment with rooms which could be used for business meetings.Mr Hoogewijs says the concept of Residences within a hotel offering is part of a growing trend. “Eighty per cent of all projects within Four Seasons have Residences included,” he says, “They are incorporated into every new project, whether it is a city hotel or in a resort.”

Watch the Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square video

Eleonora Bortolato at the Festival of Global People

Eleonora Bortolato, Director of Residences, Hotel Four Seasons, Ten Trinity spoke at the Festival of Global People on Wednesday 15 May and shared her wide experience of the luxury hotel market and gave a presentation on The story behind the Four Seasons Hotel in the City, in which she explained how the hotel’s new suite of residences came to be built.Watch highlights from the 2019 Festival:

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