The Creative Industries have grown to become a major part of the South Wales landscape – creating world-class TV and Film productions, nurturing exciting talent across many different skillsets, and generating £360 million for the Cardiff Capital Region economy.

Alex Priestley, Founder and Co-Director of Blue Palm Apartments, embraced the market opportunity to offer high-quality serviced accommodation to senior figures in the global TV and Film industry: providing a home-from-home to professionals who choose our region as the perfect location to create some of the most magical productions that appear on our screens …

“We saw the need for high-quality serviced accommodation, tailored to a discerning and aesthetically-minded clientele”

“Based on our experience in the industry, we realised that there was a need for high-quality serviced accommodation, tailored to a discerning and aesthetically-minded group of people who work long hours on intensive projects – and need to come back to a tasteful, comfortable and well-equipped home-away-from-home after they’ve wrapped for the day. I reached out to Allison Dowzell at Screen Alliance Wales and Penny Skuse at Wales Screen, as well as a few other senior figures in the industry, and all of them said, “Great idea – go for it!” So my business partner Camila and I set up Blue Palm Apartments in early 2019, bringing together my experience in property and passion for the creative industries. Allison in particular has been hugely supportive, recommending our properties to clients and putting us in touch with local production houses.

“There’s record investment in our Creative Industries and we need to literally accommodate that”

  “Over the past couple of years South Wales has accommodated landmark shows such as His Dark Materials, A Discovery of Witches, Industry, Gavin & Stacey, Brave New World, Apostle, War of the World’s, Sex Education, Hinterland – as well as long-running favourites like Doctor Who and Casualty. We’re currently scaling up our operation by acquiring new properties, giving a broader range of options to our clients. Our business plan demands that we choose judiciously, as some of our clients move to Cardiff for 6 months or more. It’s so important that they’re in a good location to enjoy their life away from work. Simply being able to walk to a good bakery and pick up some fresh bread can make all the difference.

“Even as a young business we play an important part in the local supply chain”

 “Quality accommodation plays an important role in the viability of a city being considered for a large-scale production. As a company, we’re learning and adapting all the time, always looking to improve the quality of the service we provide based on the feedback we receive from clients. The way we see it, we’re representing our industry and our city when people choose to stay with us, so it’s not something we take lightly.

“The Welsh government should be applauded for its vision and ambition”

 “That’s one of the reasons why the Welsh Government should be applauded for its ambition and imagination in nurturing the Creative Industries. It brings so much to us as a nation – and creates a ripple effect throughout the economy. Even a relatively young business of our size plays an important part in the local economy – employing local services such as maintenance, cleaning and laundry. All of it has a positive impact downstream, and we’re proud to play our part.

“Our clients tell me that the future looks bright for the industry in our region”

“As our client-base continues to grow, the future looks bright, despite the pandemic. The feedback we get from clients is that this region has built a reputation as a great place to produce – with brilliant crews, great facilities and a wonderful geography. It’s our vision to make sure that Blue Palm Apartments adds to that experience, providing a high-quality accommodation option to the people who come here to make it all happen.”

To find out more about Blue Palm’s excellent range of apartments, visit www.bluepalmproperty.co.uk.