(LONDON) â aparto, the student accommodation platform fully owned by international real estate firm Hines, is delighted to have won the award for Best Customer Service at the National Student Housing Awards (NSHA).
In a strong category, alongside Fresh, Hello Student, The Student Housing Company and Ulster University, aparto won the Best Customer Service award due to excellent service delivery and a market-leading experience programme placing its student residents at the front and centre of every action it takes. In addition, Michael Hogan won the Accommodation Hero award for his work at Beckett House, Dublin which recognises staff excellence and going above and beyond for residents.
Voted by students for students, the NSHA are uniquely respected in the industry with the awards based on 100% direct feedback from tens of thousands of home and international students across the UK and Ireland, in place of judging panels.
In what continues to be a challenging year, in light of the global pandemic, for the purpose-built student accommodation sector (PBSA), aparto was shortlisted in a total of six categories - Best Private Halls, Best Customer Service, Best Environmental Management, Best Student Wellbeing, Best Individual Accommodation and Best Learning Environment for The Combworks in Aberdeen - and received four Accommodation Hero nominations for staff excellence. This is a testament to the platformâs ongoing mission to create a home experience that supports students during a key period in their lives.
apartoâs state-of-the-art residences span 13 locations across the UK and Ireland, with two new sites launched in Milan, Italy today offering award winning amenities, a first-class operational service including a revered experience and wellbeing programme, alongside genuine community creation. In addition, aparto made a ground-breaking step in April 2021 by joining forces with Kooth to become one of the first PBSA providers in the UK and Ireland to partner with Kooth plc. The Kooth platform provides free, safe and anonymous access to counselling, drop-in chats, content and self-help tools, 365 days a year for all aparto residents.
In the UK and Ireland, aparto has long been recognised as an exceptional provider of student accommodation, with a track record of outstanding support for students and the provision of a welcoming, communal atmosphere which empowers residents to get the most out of university. As a result, aparto has achieved a market-leading Net Promoter Score (NPS) three years in a row, which is also measured by the NSHA. aparto's NPS score this year was +33, with the average in the PBSA sector standing at +9. In terms of service delivery, aparto is competing with much-loved consumer brands in technology and retail for the NPS.
Tom Rix, Managing Director â Operations at aparto, added:
âItâs an honour to receive the Best Customer Service award and be recognised for the third year in a row by the National Student Housing Awards. The award win is testament to the consistently high level of service we provide our residents, and our experience driven ethos is championed by our teams, who continually provide support and guidance to both current and potential residents.
âFittingly, our staff also received four separate nominations from our residents recognising their outstanding individual achievements. Weâre delighted for Michael Hogan for his work at Beckett House. Together, the award win and hero nominations mirror the strength and commitment of our teams operating across the UK and Ireland to ensure we continue to provide a market-leading service with a best-in-class experience and wellbeing programme alongside fantastic amenities.â
About aparto
aparto is Hinesâ student accommodation platform, which comprises c100 staff running 13 sites across the UK and Ireland, and two newly launched sites in Italy. Its vision is to be the leading student living operator in Europe, with a special focus on great service and genuine community creation. The platform creates a residential experience tailored to each assetâs unique location including hosting on-site events and networking, operations and design services, a wide range of amenity provision and extensive health and safety management.
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About Hines
Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 255 cities in 27 countries. Hines oversees investment assets under management valued at approximately $83.6 billionÂč. In addition, Hines provides third-party property-level services to more than 367 properties totalling 138.3 million square feet. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired approximately 1,486 properties, totalling over 492 million square feet. The firm has more than 171 developments currently underway around the world. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a foundational commitment to ESG, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organisations in the world.
Since entering Europe in 1991, Hines has grown its European platform to include offices in 16 cities as well as a presence in 62 cities in 13 countries. Hines oversees investment assets under management valued at approximately âŹ21.7 billion and provides third-party property-level services totalling 3.9 million square meters in Europe, in Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Visit www.hines.com for more information.
1. Includes both the global Hines organisation as well as RIA AUM as of 30 June 2021.
About National Student Housing Awards
The 2021 National Student Housing Awards are based exclusively on direct feedback from over 30,000 students across 200 universities and colleges. With no written nominations and no âexpertâ judges, the National Student Housing Awards are uniquely credible and highly prized.
Data for the awards are collected through the Global Student Living Index (UK & Ireland). Registration to participate in the next wave of the Global Student Living Index, running 1st October to 30th November 2021, is now open.
