The founder and chairman of Quest Apartment Hotels, Paul Constantinou AM, has been named the 2020 inductee to the Franchise Council of Australia’s Hall of Fame.
Members of the Hall of Fame are inducted for their embodiment of the values that underpin successful franchise operations and their contribution to ongoing success of the broader Australian franchising community.
“The FCA congratulates Paul on his induction as the 38th member of the Franchise Hall of Fame,” said Franchise Council of Australia CEO, Mary Aldred.
“Successful franchising is built on innovation and entrepreneurship and supporting franchisees to realise their own business success.
“Paul’s achievements in building Quest Apartment Hotels from humble beginnings into the international brand it is today, while helping hundreds of franchisees to achieve their business goals over the past 30 years, are a testament to the significant contribution he has made to Australian franchising,” said Aldred.
After beginning his career in the tourism and hospitality industry, Constantinou spotted a gap in the accommodation market for the extended-stay traveller, particularly those travelling for business.
He opened his first Quest Apartment Hotel in in Fitzroy, Melbourne, in 1988 and the first franchise quickly followed.
Quest Apartment Hotels is now the largest serviced apartment provider in Australasia.
In mid-2019 the business was awarded the country’s first 5-star franchise rating.
Constantinou credits Quest franchisees, and their constant commitment, passion and hard work for the brand’s success.
“The difference between an ordinary business and an extraordinary business is the extra you put in. The emotional connection our franchisees build and nurture with their clients, the authentic guest experience they deliver day-in, day-out – that is very hard to replicate.”
Constantinou acknowledges the importance of the franchisee-franchisor relationship in Quest’s success.
“Strong relationships between us as the franchisor and our franchisees is critical. In our experience, the strength of the relationship between Quest and the franchisee correlates to the performance of the franchise business. It’s important to convey to franchisees that we are just as committed to the end game as they are.
“What I believe is my most important achievement, and the one that I’ve most enjoyed, is working with people that aspire to business ownership but faced significant challenges, either due to finance or skillset.
“To watch the development of young people who had the passion to own a business. I have seen team members start in reception roles, progress to property managers, then become franchisees managing their own business – that is what truly makes me feel I’ve achieved something quite meaningful,” Constantinou said.
Constantinou started the Quest for a Cause initiative in 2005 to support local partnerships and charities. To date, Quest has donated more than $250,000 to charities around Australia.
As chairman, Constantinou has ensured Quest Apartment Hotels continues to elevate its corporate social responsibility. It has recently become a core supporter of organisations including Housing All Australians (providing shelter for the homeless), The Salvation Army and the Sony Foundation Australia (supporting youth health programs).
