“Executive Expat Life” Survey (Summary) - Hotel · PDF fileMEA properties upscale...

GfK Custom ResearchNorth America

Consumer Executive Expatriate Life Survey Sponsored by Marriott Executive Apartments Research

June 2008

© Copyright GfK Custom Research North America 2008. Proprietary and Confidential

“Executive Expat Life” Survey (Summary)

Sponsored by Marriott Executive Apartments

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June 2008

Background, Objectives, & Methodology

The MEA brand team asked GfK Custom Research North America to conduct research with 123 current guests and 68 recently departed past guests (within the last three months). The purpose of the research is to develop a picture of the guests who use the MEA properties, their stay at the hotel, and their experiences living and working outside their home for an extended period of time.

From April 9th to May 12th, 191 interviews were conducted with an online survey.

This report contains excerpts from the Executive Expatriate Life Survey, MEA Brand Assessment report by GfK Custom Research North America.

Marriott Executive Apartments is one of Marriott International’s extended stay brands. MEA properties upscale serviced apartments with hotel amenities, located in 16 cities around the world, all outside the United States. The MEA properties are designed for executive “expatriate” travelers who will be away from home for a month or more.

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June 2008

Methodology (continued)

Number of Interviews Per MEA Location: Completed # % Asia (Net) 144 75%

China (Subnet) 88 46% China - MEAs Palm Springs, Beijing 42 22% China - MEAs Union Square, Shanghai Pudong 30 16% China - MEAs Tomorrow Square, Shanghai 16 8%

South Korea - MEAs Yeouido Park Centre, Seoul 18 9% Thailand - MEAs Mayfair, Bangkok 16 8% Jakarta - MEAs The Mayflower, Jakarta 11 6% India - MEAs Lakeside Chalet, Mumbai 6 3% Japan - MEAs Atago Forest Tower, Tokyo 5 3%

Middle East (Net) 16 8% United Arab Emirates - MEAs Dubai Creek 9 5% United Arab Emirates - MEAs Dubai, Green Community 7 4%

South America Brazil - MEAs Sao Paulo 14 7%

Europe 12 6% Belgium - MEAs Brussels, European Quarter 7 4% Czech Republic - MEAs Longin Center, Prague 3 2% Hungary - MEAs Millennium Court, Budapest 2 1%

UK England - MEAs London, West India Quay 5 3%

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June 2008

Executive Summary

The most typical MEA guest is:MaleMarried with children (with 53% of respondents traveling with a spouse and 12% traveling with children)40 years or olderFamiliar with long term assignments (for 61%, not first long-term assignment) and current city (having visited nearly 11 times before)A permanent resident of North America or Asia, but considers self an expatriate

Overall, executive expat respondents identified three keys to success on a long-term assignment overseas: location, language, and maintaining a balance of cultural assimilation and connections with home.

Although there were inevitable challenges in the extended overseas assignment, 93% said that the positives outweighed the negatives, and 84% said they probably or definitely would accept another long-term overseas assignment.

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June 2008

Executive Summary (continued)

In general, guests consider language to be the biggest challenge of any long term assignment.

Nearly two of five guests learn or study the local language.Many respondents said that MEA staff helped them with local language and with tips on how to get around the city.

Other challenges of the long-term stay involved work challenges not related to lodging, limited time to explore the new country, staying connected to friends and family and adjusting to cultural differences.

Executive expats find a variety of ways to alleviate these challenges, many of which are facilitated by staying in an apartment-style lodging with hotel services:

Fixing foods that they like in their own kitchensMeeting local peopleSocializing with other executive expatsUsing video conferencing to stay connectedLearning a foreign language

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June 2008

Executive Summary (continued)

Serviced apartments (apartment-style hotels) like a Marriott Executive Apartments help alleviate challenges:

Central location/neighborhood (for safety and close proximity to work and transportation) In-room technology and full kitchenOverall appearance and home comforts like a good bed On-site fitness centers, swimming poolsKnowledgeable, friendly staff who help with language, directions, recommendations to local shopping areas and restaurants, and personalized service for unexpected needs Spacious suites and maid service

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June 2008

Respondents̕ Profile

D1, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10

Residence Marital StatusNorth America 40% Married 73%Asia 31% Not Married 27%Europe 19% HH Size

Gender 2 38%Male 84% 3+ 39%Female 16% Mean 2.5

Age Age of Kids18 – 29 5% 6 years or under 10%30 – 39 20% 7 – 12 10% 40 – 49 31% 13 – 17 6% 50 – 64 42% 18+ 36%65+ 2% No Children 35%Mean 46.9 Consider Self Expatriate

Yes 68%No 32%

Most guests are male (84%) and are married (73%).Two of five reside permanently in North America (40%).More than two of three consider themselves an expatriate (68%).The majority of guests are 40 years of age or older (75%).

The average age of an MEA guest is 47 years.

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June 2008

Respondents̕ Profile (continued)

D1, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10

Employment – Type of Company OccupationCorporation 69% Architecture/engineering 32%Government 12% Engineer* 25%Professional service firm 9% Business/financial 32%Self-Employed 3% Government/military 5%Int'l Agency 2% Advertising/media/marketing 5%Non-Profit 1% Computer/mathematical 3%Other 4% Sales 2%

Industry Legal 2%Professional services and corporation 78% Healthcare 2%Government (Net) Education 1%US Government (Subnet) 7% Sciences 1%Int’l Government (Subnet) 3% Community/social services -

Arts/entertainment/sports/media -Other (e.g. Automotive) 18%

The majority of guests work in either architecture/engineering or business/financial occupations.MEA guests are employed mostly by non-government corporations.

*Note: Engineer and Engineering Technician/Support

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June 2008

Language is the biggest challenge facing guests when on long-term assignment (37% try to learn the language in order to cope). The next biggest challenge is work.Connecting with others doesn’t appear to be considered a problem, most likely because guests have a support system at MEAs through the staff and meeting other expats.

Challenges of Long Stay Away from Home

37%

32%

28%

27%

24%

24%

21%

10%

51%

Considered Challenging

Q17, Q18, Q19A circle/box indicates an attribute is significantly above/below average at the 90% level of confidence

Language

Work challenges unrelated to accommodations

Limited time due to work to explore the new country

Staying connected with friends and family

Adjusting to cultural differences

Finding foods you like

Travel in new country

Connecting with others in the new country

Other

Rank Difficulty of Challenges

34

26

18

20

18

19

15

9

27

19

12

7

48

8

3

5

6

6

% Top % Top 3

Average 28%

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June 2008

Guest find comfort in fixing food in their own kitchen, meeting local people, socializing with other travelers, and connecting with family; all are mentioned as things done to alleviate challenges.Many of these top activities to alleviate challenges are services provided by MEAs.

Things Done To Alleviate Challenges

Things Done to Alleviate

Q17, Q18, Q19A circle/box indicates an attribute is significantly above/below average at the 90% level of confidence

Fixing foods you like in your own kitchen

Meeting local people

Socialize with other travelers

Use video conferencing to connect to friends and family

Learn or study a foreign language

Take frequent trips home

Bring food from home

Other

None

39%

39%

38%

37%

30%

27%

18%

3%

47%

Average 34%

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June 2008

Based on top three rank, location/neighborhood, followed by overall appearance and comfort are of top importance to guests.While not as important as location/neighborhood and appearance and comfort, several attributes rated highly: in-room technology, a full kitchen, a fitness center on site, a knowledgeable staff, spaciousness and maid service.Lower importance amenities include restaurants, the ability to customize apartment and social functions.

Importance Of Accommodation Amenities

80%

76%

73%

68%

64%

64%

63%

53%

28%

23%

16%

25%

82%

Considered Important Rank Importance

34

34

41

24

19

32

19

14

4

4

1

10

32

8

20

3

3

4

57

7

4

7

9

1

3

Location/neighborhood

In-room technology

Full kitchen

Overall appearance and comfort

Fitness center on site

Knowledgeable staff

Spaciousness

Maid service

Security staff

Restaurants

Ability to customize apartment

Social functions at the hotel

Other

% Top 1 % Top 3

Average 55%Q13, Q14A circle/box indicates an attribute is significantly above/below average at the 90% level of confidence

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June 2008

Likelihood of Another Long-Term Assignment

Likelihood of Accepting AnotherForeign Assignment

Q22, Q23, Q24

15%

47%

1%

37%

Definitely would accept

Probably would accept

Might/Might Not accept

Probably would not accept

Definitely would not accept

1%

84%

84% of guests definitely or probably would accept another extended foreign assignment.Not surprisingly then, nearly all guests indicate the positives of a long term assignment outweigh the negatives.Most guests indicate it takes one month or less to adjust during their stay.

Whether Positives Outweigh Negatives Of Extended Overseas Assignments

Yes 93%

No 7%

Time Taken To Adjust1 mo. or less (net) 68%2-6 mos. (net) 28%6 mos. + (net) 3%Never 2%

Mean (in weeks) 5.9

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June 2008

Benefits of Overseas Assignment

Benefits of Foreign Assignment

Q20, Q22, Q23, Q24A circle/box indicates an attribute is significantly above/below average at the 90% level of confidence

Cultural experiences in different country

Ability to travel during personal time

Financial benefits

Contacts and friendship

Long-term career opportunities

Other

None

65%

62%

59%

58%

4%

3%

85%

Average 56%

Cultural experiences are most frequently mentioned as a benefit of foreign assignment.Guests are also enthusiastic about traveling on personal time, financial benefits, contacts/friendships, and long-term career opportunities.

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June 2008

Q25

Cultural Differences: Transportation, Work Etiquette, Logistics

♦ Experience using public transportation; how drivers drive in Shanghai.♦ Cultural differences and standards both in business and daily life.♦ Work environment and each country's work etiquette.♦ The difference is in daily life. Walking to the small grocery markets buying only what you can carry so shopping for groceries is a

daily job. Riding bicycles, walking, or taxis as transportation and not being able to drive. Things are not as convenient as what we are used to in our home country so it feels like a whole new lifestyle. An experience we will miss when we leave.

♦ The challenges that I tell my family about are my attempts to speak the language, traffic.... I also tell them about the great experiences walking or bicycling in and around Beijing.

♦ Getting used to the people at work was a challenge at the beginning, not anymore. I had to understand that things work quite different over here.

Food and Socializing: Differences vs. Home, Finding Familiar Items, Understanding Food Purchased

♦ Dining at restaurants and not getting anything close to what you thought you ordered.♦ Differences in food and cultural dining experiences.♦ Food, especially in China. ♦ Finding foods at reasonable costs that you are used to obtaining in the US. ♦ …many English speaking “expats” living in our complex have helped to make adjustments easier.

Language Barriers

♦ The language issues of working in a country where both the spoken and written language is so different to English.♦ It is very important to learn the local language before the assignment.♦ I tell them about the language barrier, that I need to have everything written in Chinese to show taxi drivers, most shops etc.♦ Survival without speaking local language.

Verbatim Comments About Challenges Of Long-Term Assignment Overseas

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June 2008

Advice To An Executive Expatriate Considering a Long-Term Assignment Overseas

Learn the Language

♦ Learn the language as soon as possible.♦ Take language lessons. Go to breakfast and meet other long-term guests at the Marriott - for both social and business

reasons.♦ Get a Vonage phone to stay in touch with your family, web cam if you have small children or grand children to see them

grow, Sling Box to watch American TV/news, explore the local streets, learn the language or at least attempt survival Chinese. Get a place where the expats gather for breakfast as it is helpful as a support system.

Learn the Basics of Language

♦ The Chinese are wonderful at assisting you in all regards and many times finding a colleague that can speak/understand English. However, learning a little Chinese is so beneficial as the majority do not know any English. Before I left for China, I purchased a book at Barnes and Noble entitled CHINESE in 10 minutes a day. This was a great start and the stickers/flash cards and other activities continue to help. I have also taken Survival Level 1 of a program called New Concept Mandarin. I had a private tutor for 3 hours a day for 11 days. Other friends have also taken this course in a small group setting and we are very pleased with our progress compared to others that have been tutored privately for over a year! We plan to take Levels 2 and 3 over the next few months. There is also an Immersion Guides publication called Mandarin Phrasebook which offers a very good introduction, covers a variety of topics, and has a small English/Chinese dictionary in the back. There are online activities which assist as well. The key is the desire to learn, repetition several times a week, preferably daily, using what you know in everyday situations, and patience!!

Focus on Location of Residence

♦ Stay with international brand to ensure high standard and safety.♦ …close to your work place… .♦ Better to choose to reside not too far from your office location to avoid bad traffic in the city.

Q26, Follow-up Interviews

Follow-up interviews were conducted with respondents who agreed to be re-contacted by their method of choice, email and/or telephone, at a later date so they could share an in-depth look at some of their experiences.

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June 2008

Advice To An Executive Expatriate Considering a Long-Term Assignment Overseas (continued)

Get to Know Area

♦ Get to know the staff. Introduce yourself.♦ 1. Find a personal driver who speaks English. 2. Find an apartment/house which is not too far from his office.

Keep in Touch With Family, Connecting

♦ Keeping In Touch W/Family, Friends and Other Travelers.♦ 1) Spend a lot of effort establishing social contacts early on in your assignment. 2) Make a list of the places you want to

see/things you want to do, often I've seen people leave an assignment after a year and they never did a lot of things that they wanted to. 3) Learn enough of the local language to get you home in a taxi. Bring maps/taxi cards with you at all times. 4) Bring a VOIP system such as Skype or Vonage… .

Connect with Other Expats

♦ Tour around the city and walk around to get comfortable. Talk to other expats to learn from their experience.♦ Find other expats and join in the local community♦ Get to know the other expats!♦ Talk to other expats or work colleagues to get as much information as possible from their experiences.

Practical Advice

♦ …Scan all your important documents before you leave for the assignment and keep them on your computer. You will often need to reference things such as lease agreements, mortgage papers, etc. and most people don't move with their file cabinet. …Bring a dozen passport photos with you, you end up using them quite a lot.



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June 2008

Stay in MEA for Social Community

♦ We actually joke about the MEA being a dorm as we have become close friends even in the short time that I have been here. Several have lived here over a year and others have arrived in the last 12 months. We eat breakfast together daily... husbands earlier as they go to work. We plan outings, exercise, shop, carpool, golf, and eat dinner together several times a week. We have had barbeques, Bunko nights, and Chicken Foot (dominoes) games in the common area at the MEA. Several are coming and going over the next two months, but we will continue the large gatherings for Fourth of July and in August especially for the Olympics. We also socialize with others living in the suburbs or at other apartments in our complex and surrounding area. We go to Happy Hour on Friday's, plan trips to sight see, walk the wall, attend sporting events, plays, church, and try out new restaurants. The group is largely expats from the States, but we have Brazilian, British, Australian, Italian, Norwegian, Indian, and Chinese! What a group!

Assimilate into the Culture

♦ China is a cash society so do not plan on using Western credit cards for most items. It's important to create a good foreign bank account that does business in China (like CITI Bank) to overcome cash problems. Chinese people are warm and friendly and will go out of their way to help if you make the first effort. Do not be an ugly American type! Western styles of business are admired in China but are not adapted to Chinese businesses. Learn Chinese business ways and try to blend both business ways but slowly and positive manner. Patient is a virtue in China! Be patient, caring and a teacher if you want to succeed in China.

♦ Be open to the cultural differences. Accept the differences in work ethics, structure and pace.♦ Learn the language; explore the community and city; try local food; use public transportation if possible. ♦ Be patient, don't have unrealistic expectations. Relationships take time, change comes slowly.♦ Get out as much as you can, even if it's tough. Get to know the city. Buy Tess Johnston's walking books and walk her

routes. There is history in Shanghai, but you have to find it.




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June 2008

Safety/Medical

♦ Bring OTC (over the counter) medications from home that you are used to; antihistamines, cough drops, ibuprofen, vitamins, antibiotic cream, etc. Some stationary supplies are hard to find; slash folders, laminate sheets, etc. Don't expect to find the selection here you do at home.

♦ Personal security first.




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June 2008

MEA Current and Future DistributionMEA Current and Future Distribution16 locations open today, 15 locations in the pipeline!

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MEA PROPERTIESMEA PROPERTIES##

1. European Quarter, Brussels - Belgium 2. Sao Paulo MEA - Brazil 3. Palm Springs, Beijing - China 4. Tomorrow Square, Shanghai - China 5. Union Square, Shanghai Pudong - China 6. Longin Center, Prague - Czech Republic 7. Millennium Court, Budapest - Hungary 8. Lakeside Chalet, Mumbai - India

9. The Mayflower, Jakarta - Indonesia 10. Atago Forest Tower, Tokyo - Japan 11. Atyrau MEA - Kazakhstan 12. Yeouido Park Centre, Seoul - South Korea 13. Mayfair, Bangkok - Thailand 14. Dubai Creek, Dubai - UAE15. Dubai Green Community, Dubai - UAE16. West India Quay, London - United Kingdom

a. Bahrain - Manama ('08) b. Sathorn Vista, Bangkok - Thailand ('08) c. Sukhumvit Park, Bangkok - Thailand ('08) d. Sharjah - UAE ('08) e. Sandalwood, Beijing - China ('09)f. Gurgaon - India ('09)

g. Doha, Qatar ('09) h. The Galaxy, Guangzhou - China ('10) i. Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad - India ('10) j. Jeddah - Saudi Arabia ('10)

k. Dubai Health Care City - UAE ('10) l. Lifestyle City, Dubai - UAE ('10)

m. Nile Dolphin, Cairo - Egypt ('11) n. Damman - Saudi Arabia ('11) o. Benchasiri Place, Bangkok - Thailand ('11)

MEA PROPERTIES OPENING SOONMEA PROPERTIES OPENING SOONaa 22

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MEA PROPERTIESMEA PROPERTIES## MEA PROPERTIESMEA PROPERTIES####





a. Bahrain - Manama ('08) b. Sathorn Vista, Bangkok - Thailand ('08) c. Sukhumvit Park, Bangkok - Thailand ('08) d. Sharjah - UAE ('08) e. Sandalwood, Beijing - China ('09)f. Gurgaon - India ('09)

g. Doha, Qatar ('09) h. The Galaxy, Guangzhou - China ('10) i. Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad - India ('10) j. Jeddah - Saudi Arabia ('10)

k. Dubai Health Care City - UAE ('10) l. Lifestyle City, Dubai - UAE ('10)

m. Nile Dolphin, Cairo - Egypt ('11) n. Damman - Saudi Arabia ('11) o. Benchasiri Place, Bangkok - Thailand ('11)

MEA PROPERTIES OPENING SOONMEA PROPERTIES OPENING SOONaa MEA PROPERTIES OPENING SOONMEA PROPERTIES OPENING SOONaaaa

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