The student becomes the master. As a new batch of Apprentices line up, former star Zeeshaan Shah undertakes £7 million hotel development
- Series 10 of The Apprentice launches 9pm Tuesday 14th October 2014 (BBC)
- Apprentice start Zeeshaan Shah heads up £7 million hotel development (One Capital)
- New ibis Styles Hotel, Greenwich Peninsula available to investors from £134,995 (One Investments)
- Millennials to account for 50% of global workforce in next four years (EY)
As the latest series of The Apprentice gets set to air on Tuesday 14th October at 9pm on BBC1, viewers across the UK are eagerly awaiting the new batch of candidates who have lined up ready to carry out Lord Sugar’s business whims as he winkles out his next protégé.
Meanwhile, former Apprentice star Zeeshaan Shah recalls the time he spent on the show.
“Being a candidate on The Apprentice really opened my eyes to the business world,” he states. “As CEO of my own property company I already had extensive experience of the international property and investment sector, but The Apprentice gave me the opportunity to understand the business world from a different perspective.”
Just 12 months after filming The Apprentice, Shah finds himself undertaking a hugely successful new hotel project as part of the £5 billion Greenwich Peninsula redevelopment.
Shah heads up London-based development and private equity firm One Capital, which is undertaking the development of the £7 million ibis Styles Hotel, Greenwich Peninsula through a joint venture with Cherif Investment Properties (the property development arm of the Beaverbrook Family Office).
Shah is delighted to be at the leading edge of such a prestigious new venture. He comments,
“The redevelopment of the Greenwich Peninsula is going to turn an already popular area into a truly world-class site and it’s wonderful to be at the forefront of such a venture. The ibis Styles Hotel, Greenwich Peninsula is expected to become one of Greenwich’s premier hotel venues, offering high end, stylishly designed accommodation at an extremely reasonable price.”
Full of enthusiasm for his new venture, Shah perfectly embodies his generation. Described by the EY Global Hospitality Insights 2014 report as ‘self-assured, optimistic, globally connected and curious,’ the Millennials are a generation that demands efficiency, speed and convenience. Defined as those born between 1980 and 2000 the Millennials account for around 1/3 of all business travel expenses, despite 20% of them only just entering their peak spending age and 40% yet to enter the fulltime workforce.
Millennials work hard and play hard. They expect a lot from the world and their hotel accommodation is no exception. Hotels can no longer opt for a choice between location, design, facilities and price – they must offer all of these and more in order to attract the attention of Millennials, who are projected by the EY report to account for 50% of all employees worldwide in the next four years.
The ibis Styles Hotel, Greenwich Peninsula has been designed with this demographic firmly in mind. Not only does it offer all of these aspects and more, it also provides Millennials (and other generations) with an excellent investment opportunity. Prices begin at just £134,995 for a double room, reaching £179,995 for a family suite, with rooms available through master agent One Investments. Accumulated returns are projected to reach up to 65.63% over five years, making this a highly attractive investment opportunities for those looking to be at the cutting edge of London’s future.
So as the new series of The Apprentice begins to air, does Shah have any regrets that he didn’t make it to the final of series nine?
“Absolutely not,” he says. “The Apprentice was a valuable experience, but since then I have followed my true passion – property investment. Presenting such a prestigious project as the ibis Styles Hotel, Greenwich Peninsula is more exciting than the boardroom could ever be. Sorry Lord Sugar!”
For more information please contact One Investments on +44 845 548 5454, infor@oneinvestments.co.uk or visit www.oneinvestments.co.uk.