Les Citadines are one of the three brands of the Ascott International group which specialises in city-based hotel residences Рthe other two are Ascott and Somerset. The group, which started out in Singapore, now owns a total of 140 residences in 22 countries within Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Les Citadines alone operate 53 properties worldwide, of which 42 are based in Europe with France having the highest number Р16 residences in Paris and 17 elsewhere, including 4 in the Rh̫ne-Alpes.

We’ve been present in Lyon for the last 20 years, explains Chantal Derkmann, Regional Sales Director for Les Citadines. Our first residence, the Presqu’île, is located close to Rue Mercière. It offers 116 accommodation units and the second residence, on Rue Moncey close to La Part-Dieu, has 98 units. We also have a property at Ferney-Voltaire, offering 127 units, and another one next to the Préfecture de l’Isère in Grenoble, with 107 units .

Business clients and companies looking for alternative forms of accommodation to the usual hotel-type format are attracted by the concept that has been developed by Les Citadines. Our apartments go from a 25 m² bedsit studio to a two-room 40 m² option with a separate bedroom, explains Chantal Derkmann. Every apartment has its own kitchen area and a bathroom with separate WC. We offer a reception service, daily cleaning and change of linen, broadband access in each unit, a Wi-Fi area in the communal breakfast room, TV with satellite channels, breakfast served in the downstairs sitting room, an iron and ironing board in each apartment, a laundry room and ironing service, as well as car parking .

Whilst the residences themselves do not offer specific meeting space, in Lyon the company has set up a partnership agreement with the Regus Part-Dieu Plaza business centre located just next door to Les Citadines Part-Dieu, which has offices and several meeting rooms that can take up to 30 people.

Seminars make up 10% of our business clientele which itself represents 65% of our total occupancy, confirms Chantal Derkmann. It’s not our core activity, in fact we’re more of a complementary service to the traditional hotel format. Companies that book a minimum of eight rooms for the same dates with us are assured of preferential rates .

Group rates for 2010 range from 80 to 100 € for a studio sleeping one to two people and between 110 and 130 € for an apartment for one to four people at La Part-Dieu ; between 90 and 115 € for a studio and 120 to 145 € for an apartment at Lyon Presqu’île ; 75 to 100 € for a studio and 85 to 120 € for an apartment at the Grenoble property; between 90 and 115 € for a studio and 110 to 134 € for an apartment at Ferney-Voltaire. In 2008, the average occupancy rate in Europe was 77%, whilst it went down to 72% in 2009.