DESTINY SCOTLAND GROUP
REAL ESTATE SALES & RENTALS
Welcome
Destiny Scotland Group provides investors with a management company to deliver higher
than average returns by concentrating on the short term rental market.
Thank you for your interest in the Destiny Scotland Group.
Destiny Scotland started out in 2005 with a few small properties let out year round
to visitors coming to Edinburgh. Whether it is by luck, perseverance or organic
growth we now manage a range of superb, unique buildings across Scotland’s
capital city.
The key to our success and our future growth is delivering the best possible service
to our guests. Our aim is to etch in the memory of guests that a Destiny Scotland
badge confirms quality, integrity and reliability.
This same philosophy is applied to our clients who own the buildings we manage.
We create strong partnerships based on trust to deliver consistent income to our
investors.
Our business is not rocket science. It is about a team of reliable, competent and
friendly people who understand what it means to provide an excellent standard of
service. By providing this service we hope to grow our business by reputation. “It
takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but you can lose it in a minute”.
Like the famous Stone of Destiny on which so many kings and queens have been
coronated, we aim to be here for many years to come. The stone sits amongst the
crown jewels in Edinburgh Castle. We believe our buildings are the crown jewels
of the property market in Scotland.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of our services detailed in this brochure I’d be
delighted to hear from you.
Best regards,
Andrew D. Landsburgh
Director
Scotland’s capital is and continues to be the main focus of the company.
We manage a high quality portfolio of unique conversion buildings where customers experience
living in contemporary yet traditional Edinburgh properties.
By using a number of marketing strategies we ensure our management portfolio has a better
than average occupancy. Destiny Scotland Group is a well-known serviced apartment brand
on a number of leisure Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com, Expedia and
Agoda.
The corporate market is an important client base and we have number of successful working
relationships to provide accommodation to some of Edinburgh’s largest employers. We own:
www.corporateletsedinburgh.co.uk – a strong web portal that focuses on the corporate
market in Edinburgh.
The main premise of the corporate strategy is to secure long term (1 – 3 month) bookings
directly at market level nightly rates (£60-£120 per night). This minimizes any commission to
third party agencies and reduces maintenance cost of linen and cleaning as a weekly service
is sufficient for these bookings.
Where there is a void, our operating system shows
availability on both our own websites which can be
booked directly online or through OTAs we use to
market. This Gross Distribution System has been
invested in to ensure real-time availability and
avoid any costly double bookings. It also
ensures a good supply of leisure bookings
when the corporate market is not delivering
the portfolio 100% occupancy.
Why Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is well-known as a popular tourist destination
and during the summer period occupancy levels are
some of the best in Europe. In addition, Edinburgh
attracts many visitors year-round for conferences, events and consultancy work.
Central properties in Edinburgh are always in high demand from both visitors and investors. In
our experience, many investors see Edinburgh as a safe haven for investment at a lower entry
price than London.
2
Management aspects & benefits
Management Portfolio
•
Using our knowledge and experience of the Edinburgh market,
Destiny Scotland can advise investors on the likely returns of a
certain site.
•
•
Furthermore, we only accept management of a site where we
believe there is strong demand for short term letting.
With this in mind, we strongly advise investors to open discussions
with us prior to any investment in this niche sector of the Edinburgh property market.
•
•
•
•
Serviced Apartments
vs
Holiday Lets
•
•
•
•
•
•
Serviced Apartments are a growing asset class and have grown in appeal to both
customers who use them and investors who own them. Due to the efficiency in reduced
management and marketing costs, serviced apartments provide far better returns than
owning individual holiday lets. In addition, owners do not get affected by traditional issues
with holiday lets such as untidy stairwells and entrances, complaints from neighbours and
issues with key entry systems.
Serviced Apartments appeal to both corporate visitors and holidaymakers. This breadth
of appeal provides owners with the best opportunity to achieve good occupancy and
therefore higher rental returns.
Marketing Benefits
•
•
•
•
Branding as a group gives us a larger online presence to attract potential guests and
corporate clients
The Group can cater to most requirements and shares all enquiries and therefore
occupancy between buildings
Our brand is specific to Scotland and the buildings we manage while contemporary
inside offer a very indigenous feel.
Both corporate clients and visitors highlight the fact they feel more at home in our
apartments which are not purpose-built and offer a more unique experience than our
competitors.
Interaction with the marketing team to ensure the smooth running
of the building
Management of remote entry system consisting of setting guests
key codes, monitoring all check ins, check outs and all other access
activities
Available to speak to guests at all hours via call button at front door
of every building
Interaction with guests/ an element of meet and greet
Performance of regular maintenance checks
Carrying out minor maintenance works- e.g. light bulbs, fuses, boiler
pressure
Organisation of any major maintenance works- e.g. appliance
repairs, plumbing/wiring issues
Working closely with the cleaning team to ensure reviews and
standards are kept as high as possible
Supply of all consumables- shampoos, conditioners, tea, coffee,
biscuits, etc.
Management of utility contracts
Management of trade waste contracts
Management of Wifi broadband
Assisting guests with luggage storage before and after their stay
Apartment Furnishing Service
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fully furnish and equip property to
standard that will provide optimum
rental yield while offering good value
for money and significant life span of
goods
Provide itemised list of suggested goods
and accompanying mood board
Order goods on clients behalf
Accept delivery on clients behalf
Build furniture where required
Hang artwork and mirrors
Dress property ready for guest arrivals
Arrange professional photography
Services
•
•
•
•
•
3
Revenue Projection
Furniture Packs
Serviced Apartment Consultancy for Developers, Investors, and Banks
Entry Systems
Interior Design
Package Price Ranges
•
•
•
•
A bespoke inventory of goods will be drawn up for each
property, however as a general guide please see pricing
below which includes VAT and all fees: (as of 2014)
1 Bed apartment would cost around £9,000 - £12,000
2 Bed apartment would cost around £11,000 - £14,000
3 Bed apartment would cost around £14,000-£16,000
4
How we manage
revenue & occupancy
levels
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rental rates and availability updated daily to optimise
occupancy and revenue
Allocation of apartments split between leisure and corporate
clients to ensure occupancy levels are maximized year round
Competitive pricing structures in place, with comparable yearly growth
Proven track record for successfully taking new serviced apartment blocks to market
Strong corporate client base – repeat custom from leading financial, IT and business
consultancy companies
Rental payments are processed 7 days prior to arrival to reduce loss of revenue for
cancellations
High quality reservation software used to manage reservations
Strong leisure client base - high customer review scores maintained across all buildings on
online travel agents (OTA’s)
Marketing strategies in place to encourage repeat business
Keyless electronic entry system to ensure a smooth self-check-in procedure
High level of contact with guest before during and after stay via email to keep them fully
informed of our procedures
Rent Pooling
•
•
•
Added Extras
Using one company for linen/cleaning
•
•
•
•
•
•
One contractor for managing cleaning and
laundry
Hotel linen rental
In house carpet and window cleaning
Working in full integration with Destiny Scotland’s
software system
Providing cleaning teams 365 days per year
Dedicated cleaners per site working full time
Local Touches for Guests
•
•
•
•
Hampers including locally sourced products
Dry Cleaning
Wine/Whisky/Champagne
Discount vouchers for local restaurants/bars
Pooling the rent together across an entire building is an effective way of safe guarding your
investment.
With the seasonal nature of the leisure market in Edinburgh, the split between leisure and
corporate allocation is vital for optimizing occupancy. Rental pooling is an efficient and fair
way to ensure that your investment generates an income comparable with the rest of the
building.
Pooling the rent enables us to secure longer corporate bookings on lower nightly rates,
which in turn enables us to fill any gaps with higher priced shorter leisure stays.
Accounting
•
•
•
Processing of all major credit cards (Amex, Mastercard, Visa) for rental payments and
damage deposits.
Responding to all payment queries prior, during and post guest’s visit.
Ensuring good credit terms and updated invoicing procedures for all corporate clients.
•
VAT invoice templates for those VAT registered clients.
• Small business bonus rates relief applications
•
5
Non-resident tax applications and disclosures
• Monthly statements
7
6
Q-Residence
Property Description: Beautifully restored luxury one and two
bedroom apartments located on Queen Street with stunning
views of the Firth of Forth and Queen St Gardens. The one
bedroom apartments have a king size bed and the two
bedrooms have one king and one double size bed. The lounge
comes with a double sofa bed in each apartment, dining area
for 6 people and separate kitchen with entrance from the
lounge.
Facilities: Linen/Towels, TV, DVD, WIFI, I-pod Docking Station,
Oven, Refrigerator, Freezer, Toaster, Kettle, Iron, Ironing Board,
Microwave, Keypad Entry System, Washing Machine/Dryer,
Dishwasher, Hairdryer, Cot upon Request
Results: These stunning properties have received excellent
reviews both from our corporate and leisure guests. Comfortably
accommodating four to six guests, the properties are extremely
popular for families and group stays. Our average occupancy
rate for April 2013 - April 2014 was 89% with a low of 73% in
January and a high of 100% in August. The occupancy rate
fluctuates due to the high volume of leisure guests over the
year.
Booking.com Rating: 9.2
St Andrew Square Apartments
Property Description: Situated in the heart of Edinburgh, just 2 minutes’ walk from Waverley
Railway Station, Destiny Scotland - St Andrew Square Apartments is a luxury accommodation.
Each apartment features a modern shower room, an open plan, fully fitted kitchen and a sofa.
A wide range of restaurants, bars, cafes and shops are located directly outside of the property.
The historic Royal Mile is located less than 10 minutes’ walk from the apartments and the iconic
Edinburgh Castle is a 14-minute walk. Edinburgh Airport is less than 8 miles away and there is a
regular bus service to and from the airport, stopping 5 minutes’ walk from the apartments.
Facilities: Linen/Towels, Flat Screen TV, DVD, WIFI, Oven,
Refrigerator, Freezer, Toaster, Kettle, Iron, Ironing Board,
Microwave, Keypad Entry System, Hairdryer,
dishwasher, Washing Machine/Dryer, Cot
upon Request, Lift from 1st Floor
Results: These stunning properties have
received excellent reviews both from
our corporate and leisure guests.
Comfortably accommodating two
to four guests, the properties are
extremely popular for couples and
corporate stays. Our average
occupancy rate for April 2013
- April 2014 was 87% with a
low of 72% in January and a
high of 100% in August. The
occupancy rate fluctuates
due to the high volume of
leisure guests over the year.
8
7
Booking.com Rating: 8.9
9
8
Malt House Apartments
Property Description: A stunning refurbishment of a Grade
B listed former whisky bonded warehouse, situated in
Edinburgh’s bustling West End. The Malt House features a
mix of two bedroom and one bedroom studio apartments,
available for both short term and long term tourist or
corporate lets. These properties include a state of the art
keypad entry system that allows 24-hour secure access
and provides a seamless check-in/check-out process
with no keys changing hands. All apartments have king
size beds, as well as sofa-beds in the lounge to allow for
extra guest space. All towels and bed linen are provided.
The interior features exposed cast iron columns and
original wooden beams to create a very contemporary
feel, while integrating the latest technology to allow for
an extremely comfortable stay.
A quiet, yet extremely convenient location provides the
ideal home for both the business and leisure visitor. The
Malt House is easily accessible from Haymarket train
station and is less than a minute walk from the tram stop
and the Airlink bus stop, providing very quick and easy
connections to Edinburgh airport and the rail network.
Facilities: Linen/Towels, Flat
Screen TV, DVD, WIFI, I-pod
Docking Station, Oven,
Refrigerator, Freezer, Toaster,
Kettle, Iron, Ironing Board,
Microwave, Keypad Entry
System, Hairdryer, Safe,
Dishwasher, Washing Machine/
Dryer, Shower, Gas Heating, Cot
upon Request
Results: These unique properties have received excellent
reviews from leisure guests including a Tripadvisor certificate
of excellence. The properties are extremely popular with
corporate guests due to the excellent proximity to the financial
district of Edinburgh. Our average occupancy rate for April
2013 - April 2014 was 90% with a low of 86% in February and a
high of 97% in October. The occupancy rate is more consistent
or static in this property due to the majority of guests coming
from the corporate sector.
Booking.com Rating: 9.1
10
9
11
85 Hanover St
85 Hanover Street
Edinburgh
EH2 1EJ
0131 629 3888
[email protected]
DESTINY SCOTLAND GROUP
REAL ESTATE SALES & RENTALS