• Appointed operator of Chelsea stadium hotels, which are to be rebranded as lyf Stamford Bridge London from H2 2025.
  • Marks debut of The Unlimited Collection brand and expansion of lyf brand with six new property signings in Europe

Middle East: The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the leading international lodging owner-operator in the Middle East, is proud to announce its global partnership with Chelsea Football Club as the Official Global Hotels Partner of the English Premier League Club. Ascott is also appointed as operator of the 232-unit stadium hotels under its lyf brand in Stamford Bridge in London from H2 2024.

Starting from July 2024, Ascott will represent the Chelsea Football Club as the Official Global Hotels Partner for the next four English Premier League seasons. The exciting partnership will also include the rebranding of stadium hotels in London as lyf in H2 2025, offering Chelsea fans in the Middle East region and across the world the opportunity to experience The Ascott Limited hospitality flair, while cheering on their favourite football team and players.

Vincent Miccolis, Managing Director for Middle East, Africa, Türkiye and India said: "We are thrilled to partner with Chelsea Football Club, enhancing our commitment to delivering exclusive hospitality experiences for members of Ascott Star Rewards. This partnership strengthens our presence in Europe and the Middle East, aligning with our global vision to expand and innovate in the hospitality sector. Ascott's ongoing expansion, including the debut of The Unlimited Collection and growth of our lyf brand, highlights our dedication to providing dynamic hospitality experiences to our guests from the Middle East region and worldwide.”

This partnership will see collaborative efforts in offering “money can’t buy” experiences for members of the Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) loyalty programme worldwide. These include exclusive access to matches at Stamford Bridge and VIP visits to The Blues Cobham Training Ground. The Ascott brand will also be displayed at Stamford Bridge for both Men and Women’s matches, as well as across Chelsea’s social and digital channels with engaging content for fans to enjoy. In line with Ascott’s commitment to bring Chelsea closer to its overseas fans, Ascott will become the presenting partner of Chelsea’s flagship international fan engagement event, the Famous CFC.

Leveraging the increasing importance that travelers place on exclusive experiences,  Ascott is organising a pipeline of global events for its ASR members as part of the Ascott Privilege Signatures programme. In July 2024, over 80 guests from across its platinum tier of ASR members and esteemed owners were welcomed to a stay at The Cavendish London and had a once in a lifetime experience at The Championships, Wimbledon 2024, where they enjoyed debenture/court access to view the Men’s and Women’s third round of finals.

Ascott also marks another significant milestone in the European market as it accelerates its global expansion strategy. This includes the addition of six new properties to its European portfolio, marking the debut of The Unlimited Collection brand and expansion of the lyf brand in Europe. Building on a growing demand for Ascott’s suite of brands, these new signings will boost Ascott’s portfolio by 14% to about 8,000 units across six brands and extend Ascott’s presence in the region to 29 cities from 24. The five new cities are Colmar in France, as well as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester and Manchester in the United Kingdom.

Mr Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer for Ascott and CLI Lodging said: “As a global tourism and business hub, Europe plays a key role in Ascott’s expansion plans. The diverse and dynamic nature of its hospitality sector offers plenty of scope for Ascott to drive more successful partnerships with owners. We will achieve this by leveraging Ascott’s flex-hybrid hotel-in-residence model, which is designed to meet the varying needs of owners and guests through a wide selection of brands and customised solutions, backed by experienced teams with deep local knowledge.”

“With five of the six new signings in Europe being conversion projects, Ascott’s established suite of conversion capabilities has already been proven as effective in gaining the confidence of property owners. We expect franchise management to be our next pillar of growth in Europe, where market conditions are conducive for this business segment. For our existing owners, we will continue to deliver sustained value by embarking on asset enhancement initiatives that elevate the stay experiences of guests,” concludes Mr Goh.

For further information on exclusive Chelsea experiences for ASR members, and Ascott’s new signings, property openings and asset enhancement initiatives please visit the DiscoverASR application or via: www.discoverasr.com/the-ascott-limited.

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About The Ascott Limited

Since pioneering Asia Pacific’s first international-class serviced residence with the opening of The Ascott Singapore in 1984, Ascott has grown to be a trusted hospitality company with over 950 properties globally. Headquartered in Singapore, Ascott’s presence extends across more than 220 cities in over 40 countries in Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the USA.

Ascott’s diversified accommodation offerings span serviced residences, coliving properties, hotels and independent senior living apartments, as well as student accommodation and rental housing. Its award-winning hospitality brands include Ascott, Citadines, lyf, Oakwood, Quest, Somerset, The Crest Collection, The Unlimited Collection, Preference, Fox, Harris, POP!, Vertu and Yello. Through Ascott Star Rewards (ASR), Ascott’s loyalty programme, members enjoy exclusive privileges and offers at participating properties.

A wholly owned business unit of CapitaLand Investment Limited, Ascott is a leading vertically-integrated lodging operator. Harnessing its extensive network of third-party owners and in-market expertise, Ascott grows fee-related earnings through its hospitality management and investment management capabilities. Ascott also expands its funds under management by growing its sponsored CapitaLand Ascott Trust and private funds.

This year, Ascott marks 40 years in hospitality service with the launch of Ascott Unlimited, a full year campaign that will offer Unlimited Opportunities, Unlimited Choices, Unlimited Freedom, and Unlimited Good. Navigating a future of unlimited possibilities against a backdrop of global change and evolving perspectives of travel, Ascott Unlimited marks Ascott’s ambitions to break new ground, and springboard to its next chapter of growth as a global hospitality company. Find out more about Ascott Unlimited at www.discoverasr.com/ascottunlimited.

For more information on Ascott and its sustainability programme, please visit www.discoverasr.com/the-ascott-limited. Alternatively, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.