Like Home, But Better: How Ascott’s Oakwood Portfolio Is Redefining Bleisure Travel

Business or pleasure? With more than one in three business travelers hoping to fuse their business trips with leisure, leading global lodging operator The Ascott Limited (Ascott) knows the answer is both.

Besides extending business trips, the “work from anywhere” trend has also boosted bleisure travel, with remote working up 18% post-pandemic.

Known for its high standards and reliability, Oakwood has through the years established itself as a preferred brand among business travelers. As the lines between business and leisure travel continue to blur, there is a growing need for flexible, comfort-focused accommodation that caters to both segments of travelers. Here comes the Oakwood brand refresh, which puts blended travel at the center of its brand story, promising “better than home” experiences that allow jetsetters to work, stay and play without compromising comfort.

Attesting to the demand of a bleisure-focused hospitality offering, the Oakwood portfolio has grown more than 20% since its acquisition by Ascott in 2022, making it one of the fastest growing global brands in Ascott’s portfolio. Today, the Oakwood brand’s global footprint spans 83 properties across 15 countries and 47 cities.

We caught up with Tan Bee Leng, Chief Commercial Officer of Ascott, to find out more about the refreshed Oakwood experience: unmistakable brand signatures, unmissable destinations, and why Oakwood is like home, but better.

Tell us more about the refreshed Oakwood brand.

With the refreshed Oakwood, we have amplified and strengthened our key features so that guests can feel at home and recharge in comfort when they stay at Oakwood, whether for work or leisure.

This brand refresh, like the others we have done over the past two years, showcases Ascott’s flex-hybrid accommodation concept, which has proven resilient through and post-pandemic, and has increasingly become the preferred model in the lodging industry.

This is part of our flex-hybrid strategy, which enables us to meet our guests’ every need, regardless of their lifestyle, travel purpose, or length of stay – from short to extended periods. Our hotel-in-residence model and diverse room configurations mean we have something to suit a wide range of travelers, including business professionals, digital nomads, solo travelers, and those traveling with families and friends – all while enjoying the convenience of hotel-grade services, facilities and amenities.

We have refreshed the Oakwood brand positioning using Ascott’s Brand360 methodology, which takes an in-depth look at the guest journey, and aims to invigorate each touchpoint through sharpened brand stories and the introduction of signatures and programs unique to each brand. At the heart of it, what we really want to create are enhanced and differentiated experiences for guests to have truly unforgettable stays and to come back for more.

Comfort is key for modern bleisure travelers. What is the Oakwood brand of comfort?

The Oakwood brand of comfort is synonymous with wellness, with a restful night’s sleep, a productive workspace, and wholesome, hearty meals as requisites. Whether it is through in-the-know dining experiences, thoughtful amenities or personalized service, we strive to create a universal sense of comfort with a focus on mental wellness across all our properties.

From stepping into Oakroom, our “living room” lobbies where travelers feel immediately at home, to indulging in our specialty cocktails at Oakbar and comforting hot meals at Oakbrasserie or Oakbistro, Oakwood’s brand signatures are an effortless introduction to each destination. Our intriguing blend of the local and the familiar ensures guests can savor the taste of home and beyond, no matter where they are. Oakwood is also about modern luxury and unmistakable convenience. Our apartments and villas come with beautiful interiors, feel-at-home furniture and thoughtfully designed workspaces, which we refer to as the Oakdesk. Many of our apartments and villas also include fully equipped kitchens that allow guests to enjoy home on a plate by whipping up a home-cooked meal.

In addition to the familiar comforts integral to an Oakwood stay experience, guests can also immerse themselves in “All You Knead is Comfort,” a range of signature F&B programs that celebrate food as a source of comfort.

What are some of your favorite Oakwood destinations?

There are so many, but this comes to mind right away: an intimate, sundown barbecue with my family against the backdrop of Vietnam’s Bai Chay at Oakwood Ha Long, the brand’s first villa-only property. Exploring the emerald waters and towering limestone islands of the surrounding World Heritage Site was a well-deserved conclusion to a full week of conference calls.

A close second is returning to an expertly crafted Dassai cocktail at Oakwood Premier Tokyo after a long day of meetings in Tokyo’s business hub, and indulging in delicious meals, all from an apartment too comfortable to leave. These touches make every Oakwood stay feel like a homecoming.

Later in the year, I’m looking forward to checking out Oakwood Suites Chongli in China – a brand new ski resort set against dramatic mountains, which formed the backdrop of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Just-like-home breakfasts paired with perfect brews, before hitting the magnificent ski slopes of Taizicheng – that sounds like the perfect way to wrap an incredibly busy year.

Which Oakwood destinations are on the horizon, and what characteristics are you looking for?

As we continue to expand the Oakwood brand globally, we are also marking our first foray into exciting markets including Busan in South Korea, Batam and Bali in Indonesia, Penang and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, and Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Navi Mumbai in India. In each destination, we are exploring opportunities for distinctive openings that will redefine hospitality, offering a harmonious blend of professionalism and comfort.

We are always on the lookout for properties that offer a strategic location, strong market demand, and alignment with our brand values of comfort, quality and unparalleled service. Beyond that, we want to be in places where guests are at – and transform every stay from a trip to a memorable experience.

What’s next for The Ascott Limited?

To mark our 40th anniversary in the hospitality service in 2024, we are launching “Ascott Unlimited,” a full-year campaign for our guests, owners, partners and associates. An all-in-one microsite brings guests into the fold of our latest events, offers and happenings, while an interactive game gives them a chance to win stay vouchers and Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) points.

As we expand our presence as a global hospitality company and offer guests exceptional experiences in even more captivating destinations, we will continue to embrace innovation and make travel planning more personalized and seamless through enhanced app and web functionalities.

Loyalty members can also look forward to enhanced benefits and elevated experiences as the Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) program celebrates its fifth anniversary. Empowering our guests to explore and rewarding them with the flexibility to stay better, Ascott will also launch a privilege program this year, where members can enjoy exclusive experiential events held across our global destinations. This is a commitment to ensure our loyal guests Stay Rewarded with ASR.

Amidst our continued growth plans, we will remain mindful of the future of travel and committed to operating responsibly in the environments we are in with our Ascott CARES sustainability framework.