Ascott 'takes over' from Mercure

Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Ascott International Management Private Limited, a Singapore- based serviced residence management company, took over the management of Mercure Grand Hotel and Residence in Surabaya as of Jan. 1, a company executive said in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday.

Allan Boadle, the Ascott Group's country general manager for Indonesia, said it had secured the contract to manage the development of the 519-unit hotel and serviced residence for the next five years.

The group has also renamed Mercure Hotel the Somerset Surabaya Hotel and Serviced Residence.

With the management contract, the Ascott, which claims to be the Asia-Pacific's largest serviced residence company, now operates 1,266 residence units in Indonesia.

In Jakarta, it manages the 198-unit The Ascott Jakarta and the 206-unit Somerset Grand Citra serviced residences and the 251- unit Country Woods corporate leasing property. In Surabaya, it also operates the 92-unit Somerset Puri Darmo serviced residence.

The Somerset Surabaya Hotel is owned by PT Deverindo Indograha Raya, which is a joint venture company between Sembcorp (Singapore) and PT Dharmala Land.

With the takeover of management, Boadle said nothing would change in terms of 300 staff members. "We just want to make facilities and services better for our guests. That's all," he added when asked about the management change.