UOL Group, owner of the hotel group Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, embarks on the luxury extended stay business. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pan Pacific Hospitality, it will open its flagship property known as Pan Pacific Serviced Suites in April 2008. This marks a milestone for Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts as it now has an extended stay product that caters specifically to the needs of overseas professionals.

The first Pan Pacific Serviced Suites will debut in Singapore in early April 2008.

“Moving into the extended serviced accommodation is a logical extension of the brand as it is complementary to our current hotel accommodation offering. The timing of the launch could not be better as globalisation continues to drive business expansion into Asia with corresponding growth in business travel. With Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, we will be able to capture this demand which augurs well for the group’s strategic development plan that will see the brand grow extensively in the Pacific region,” said Mr Gwee Lian Kheng, Group President & CEO of UOL Group.

“We have undertaken research including focus groups with business travellers and decision makers to find out what they seek in an ideal accommodation during overseas postings. The research has identified a prime opportunity in the market for us, which is the offering of a differentiated stay experience that recreates a home advantage with local connection to the city so that overseas professionals will feel less of a foreigner,” added Mr Gwee.