Providing an alternative to hotels for business travellers is paying off for the property firm behind an award-winning mill conversion.

Demand for the luxury apartments from professionals and international business visitors has proved so strong that marketing company Vivo has made extra rooms available.

For the past three months the 22 serviced one and two-bedroom hotel apartments at the award-winning Victoria Mills complex in Shipley have achieved 93 per cent occupancy.

Newmason Properties, which developed the £70 million Victoria Mills complex, launched the hotel rooms ten months ago. Initially only a handful of the 447 apartments were made available but is now offering a larger number of rooms.

Guests have included international business visitors to companies such as digital TV technology firm Pace at Saltaire and greeting cards producer Hallmark in Bradford.

The apartments can be booked for a single night or for extended periods such as six months. Guests are offered services such as airport transfers, secure parking, 24-hour concierge services like dry cleaning, shopping and catering. They also have full use of Victoria Mills’ facilities including a beauty studio.

Jo Brown, Vivo manager, who has more than ten years’ experience in the hotel and leisure industry, said: “We’ve had a fantastic response from people who are totally bowled over by the whole Victoria Mills package – the location, facilities, security, atmosphere and the standard of service we offer to the individual apartments.

“They like how cost effective and flexible we are. Guests can choose the kind of stay they want and they don’t have to pay for services they’re not going to use.”