Young Welsh entrepreneurs create a 'home from home' in Belfast

A Welsh family of young entrepreneurs have expanded their Cardiff-based business and set up their luxury serviced apartment company in Belfast, tapping into the market's need for more affordable high-quality accommodation.

acityabode, the brainchild of Cardiff-born sister and brothers, Alex, 23, Ross, 27 and Paul Gazzard, 29, now offers business travellers and visitors to Cardiff and Belfast, an affordable alternative to luxury hotel accommodation, providing apartments in prime city-centre locations.
 

acityabode recently moved its head office from Bute Street to larger office accommodation in The Maltings, Splott, due to steady growth in business. Its aim is to become the largest provider of first class serviced accommodation in the UK, with robust plans in place to generate further sustainable growth through its brand, people and product.
 

The apartments, which also include penthouses with breathtaking views across Cardiff and Belfast, are kitted out with high-specification interiors, and are said to offer consumers and businesses ‘a home from home’ experience.
 

Commenting on the decision to expand in the face of the current economic climate and the impact it is having on the service sector and hotel industry, Alex said: “Many good businesses have expanded in the face of a recession and thrived as a result. Following the recent report that hotels are struggling to attract visitors, we believe serviced accommodation is the next big thing in tourism, quite literally, the new way to stay, as businesses and consumers expect more for their money. Belfast is also the perfect location to develop the acityabode brand. Expansion across other popular cities in the UK is also on the cards, however, Cardiff will remain the hub of all activity due to its excellent location and transport links to the other major cities across the UK and the world”.

Paul commented: “We identified the need for a product in Belfast and set out to satisfy it. We also felt confident to set up the business their, amidst a recession, as we feel that now is the time that people will evaluate products and services and demand value for money. Our serviced apartments are equivalent to luxury, high-specification accommodation but at a fraction of the price, perfect for frugal businesses and visitors to the city.”
 

Ross added: “We are a young and dynamic business, passionate about what we do and eager to build the acityabode brand by focusing on our basic values. Our ethos is simple, we want to do things differently and add edge to our service, whilst keeping the consumer at the core of the business.”
 

Alex, who recently graduated from Warwick University with a degree in Microbiology, will be head up the Cardiff office, whilst Paul will lead the Belfast division. Ross, who comes from an engineering back round, will act as the operations director for acityabode group, overseeing IT functions, day to day property maintenance and reservations.
 

acityabode currently offer serviced apartments and penthouses in Cardiff hot spots such as Century Wharf in Cardiff Bay, Landmark place in the centre and The Vicarage in Pontcanna. 

For further information on this press release, please contact freshbaked PR at pr@freshbaked.co.uk. freshbaked PR is a Cardiff based public relations agency which represents a number of private and public sector organisations in the Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol business communities, as well as Newport in south Wales, home of golf’s 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel. For clients based in Cardiff PR agency services are provided from the Head Office in The Maltings.