Quest Apartment Hotels has announced it is actively recruiting for new franchise business owners to take the lead at Quest Ballarat Station and Quest Wangaratta.
The two new apartment hotels, which opened in the fourth quarter of 2020, have to date been established and operated in-house by Quest, a strategy the company believes will give incoming franchisees the best chance of success.
“Obviously 2020 was a challenging period for the accommodation sector, but fortunately we have always been geared toward the domestic market, meaning we are getting back on our feet and trading in a more normalised way this year”, said Quest’s general manager of franchise operations, David Ridgeway.
“Quest would typically appoint a franchisee prior to the opening of any new hotel, but with the market as volatile as it was and constant border closures, we opted to operate these two businesses in-house, taking the time to ensure each property had an established customer base and was trading at optimal performance prior to having a franchisee take control, and now we have achieved that in both locations”.
Despite some remaining trepidation in the travel market due to ongoing border challenges, Quest Ballarat Station and Quest Wangaratta have strong fundamentals, with both businesses trading profitably thanks to strong corporate and leisure demand.
“Quest is specifically focussed on regional and suburban growth to cater to the corporate sector, but what has been particularly advantageous is the demand among the domestic leisure segment, with so many keen to experience all that’s on offer in great regional cities like Ballarat and Wangaratta.
“Our point of difference and something we pride ourselves on is our ability to deliver a truly local experience for guests thanks to our franchise business operators, who live and are involved in the local community.
“It’s more than just a job- our franchisees are personally invested, and that ultimately comes through in the guest experience we provide”.
Quest Apartment Hotels recruit franchisees from a variety of backgrounds, noting business acumen, hospitality expertise and experience in franchise ownership as favorable to selection.
“It’s a thorough process to join our franchise network of 160 Apartment hotels globally, but one we feel has real merit, evidenced by our tremendous network of operators around the country”.
The 77-room Quest Ballarat Station located on Nolan Street in Ballarat has yielded rates over $600 a night for a two-bedroom apartment on high-demand weekends.
“As part of the soon to be completed Goods Shed precinct being developed by Pellicano, right next to the train station, Quest Ballarat Station is perfectly poised to capture both weekend tourism, corporate travel throughout the work week, and service demand surrounding the community’s busy events calendar”, said Ridgeway.
Similarly, Quest Wangaratta has established itself as a veritable opportunity for a franchisee, with the 72-room hotel fully booked for the past six weekends straight.
“The Wangaratta Indoor Sport and Aquatic Centre just re-opened a couple of weeks ago, which is just one example of the activity that will drive ongoing tourism to the region, with the facility set to host elite training and major events”.
Interested parties can contact the Quest team to discuss franchising opportunities by clicking here.
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