Ascott Buys Hotel in Silicon Valley, California

Ascott is investing S$81.5 million to acquire and refurbish The Domain Hotel, a freehold hotel in Silicon Valley, California.

The 136-unit hotel will continue to operate as it undergoes refurbishment in phases before being rebranded to Citadines Cupertino Sunnyvale in 4Q 2018.

This will be Ascott’s second Citadines-branded property in the U.S., following its acquisition of Hotel Central Fifth Avenue New York in May.

The property is Ascott’s fourth acquisition in the U.S. within five months, a country where Ascott has more than tripled last year’s portfolio to over 2,900 units in the country.

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are acquiring Ascott’s first property in Silicon Valley which will allow us to invest in one of the most desirable property markets in the U.S. Silicon Valley has a high growth economy and is home to  some of the world’s biggest and leading technology companies and multinational corporations, generating significant demand for accommodation. Our recent majority-stake acquisition of Synergy Global Housing in the U.S. will also enable Ascott to capitalise on its strong customer base of Fortune 500 companies and major Silicon Valley technology firms. Together with Ascott’s five properties in the U.S., we are in a good position to capture this ready pool of corporate clients and offer them more accommodation options in this highly sought-after location.”

The Domain Hotel is situated along Sunnyvale’s primary thoroughfare, El Camino Real, that leads to San Francisco City and San Jose.

The property is surrounded by numerous renowned corporations and startups including Apple’s new US$5 billion headquarter campus, which will accommodate more than 12,000 employees, Google, Amazon, Adobe, Intel, Netflix, Nvidia, PayPal and Telsa Motors.

The property attracts a good mix of both corporate and leisure travellers. The hotel is near San Jose McEnery and Santa Clara convention centres, and attractions such as Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, The Tech Museum of Innovation, and The Computer History Museum.

A range of retail, dining and entertainment outlets can also be found at Santana Row, Westfield Valley Fair and Levi's Stadium. Tertiary institutions in the vicinity include Stanford University, Santa Clara University and San Jose State University.

The Domain Hotel has a range of deluxe rooms as well as suites that provide separate living, dining and work areas. Some units also come with private balconies.

Facilities include an outdoor heated pool, whirlpool with cabanas, bar, restaurant, fitness centre, 24-hour business centre, meeting rooms, grab-and-go food and beverage counter, as well as complimentary high speed Wi-Fi, parking and shuttle service to companies.

“Citadines is our fastest-growing brand with close to 20,000 units in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. By stepping up our Citadines presence in the U.S., we will increase its reach to American travellers, our third largest source market, and cross sell to our properties outside the U.S. As we get closer to surpassing our target of 80,000 units globally by 2020, we will continue to seek opportunities in the U.S. in cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC,” Mr Lee added.

See latest HD Video Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Ascott, California, Citadines.