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NEW FROM THE APARTMENT SERVICE
The fully furnished and serviced apartment concept for (corporate) stays of one week or more, which is so successful in the UK with Roomspace Serviced Apartments (7 nights +) and Executive Roomspace (1 month +) is coming to Lisbon in Portugal.
In June we will open Santos River, 18 fully furnished and equipped serviced apartments in the heart of Lisbon which can be rented for 7 nights or more for business or leisure. With a selection of studio apartments, one bedrooms and two bedrooms, we can cater for any type of stay. For more information, please visit the website or send us an email.
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City Focus - Lisbon
Lisbon, the city of the 7 hills, is the capital of Portugal, blessed with natural beauty and steeped in fascinating history. Lisbon is the only European capital with both a coastline and a river, the river Tagus. It is the Western most city in continental Europe. Portuguese is the official language, but other languages are widely spoken. Lisbon has approximately 600.000 inhabitants. Portugal is in the same time zone as the UK.
1st November 1755, the future of Lisbon was changed forever, when a massive earthquake hit the city, which turned more than half the city into rubble. The tsunami that followed with waves as much as 50ft high, engulfed the city and thousands were swept away. But the people of Lisbon did not waste time and it did not take long to rebuild the city, stronger and better than ever.
Lisbon is now an important cultural and business centre with a daily hype of activity.
The Apartment Service opens the first (corporate) serviced apartments in the centre of Lisbon in June. Santos River Apartments will accommodate stays of one week or more.
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To our apartment managers: If you want your apartments to feature in one of the next issues of our news letter, please email Bard Vos to discuss the terms and conditions.
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For more information and availability on any apartments please call reservations +44 (0)20 8944 1444 or visit our website.
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News in June:
EUROPE
* Standards have been set for serviced apartments.
In conjunction with Visit Britain and Quality in Tourism, the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP) has won its campaign for a separate quality grading system in the serviced apartment industry. A first of its kind, not only in Europe but worldwide.
Previously there were no regulated standards for serviced apartments, meaning companies could choose to call themselves 5 star properties based on similar standards set for hotels, without an official grading.
All member companies of the ASAP have agreed to be assessed within the year, including Bridgestreet, Oakwood, City Apartments and Executive Roomspace, among others.
For more information, please contact the ASAP.
* In June 2007, the Cheval Group of serviced apartments celebrates its 25th anniversary, making it the longest established dedicated serviced apartment provider within the market. The group is also firmly established as Londonīs market leader in luxury serviced apartments.
Since opening its first Knightsbridge based property 25 years ago in June 1982, the Cheval group has successfully expanded and now boasts a portfolio of 6 individual properties across London, offering a total of 285 apartments.
*Staybridge Suites, the first major hotel brand to focus on the extended stay business guest in the UK, is to open a new hotel in Liverpool in early 2008.
* The Spires Group has opened a 24 suite aparthotel in Birmingham
* Scottish Apartments manage an apartment which was once lived in by one of the foremost philosophers in Western Philosophy, David Hume.
* Europeans are looking more and more to the internet for their travel arrangements. "Over 100 million Europeans accessed a travel site in March 2007. (half of the total online European population of 15 and over)
* "Online bookings for special interest holidays are booming", according to a report by TravelZest. In the top 10 of "niche" travel markets which are tipped to grow over the next 5 years, number 1 is occupied by "Learn a skill in the sun" (e.g. cooking, surfing, salsa dancing), number 2 is "Inner Self Escapes" (e.g. yoga, meditation and spas), number 3 is "Hobbies Abroad" (e.g. art, gardens and cycling) and number 8 in this list is the "Home from Home Hotel" (serviced apartment). Oh yes and number 10 is "Nip and Tuck tourism"
* Last but not least: The Wimbledon Championships start on the 25th June. Please contact our reservations team for the latest availability and rates for a serviced apartment in or around Wimbledon.
USA
*Marriott Execustay, the temporary housing brand of Marriott International Inc., is now the official corporate housing provider for the General Services Administration (GSA) in the USA. This is the first time that a corporate housing provider has been government approved. The contract is for 5 years (renewable) and is estimated to be worth appr. $5 million in sales annually
MIDDLE/FAR EAST & AUSTRALIA
* Dusit (www.dusit.com) is set to enter the rapidly expanding Residence/Serviced Apartment segment of the hospitality industry, both in Thailand and overseas. Especially the UAE is the target with The Dusit Residence on The Palm and The Dusit Residence in Dubai Marina in the end stages of development
WORLDWIDE
* Marriott will open 100 new hotels worldwide in the next 100 days to reach their target of 3000 hotels by the end of the year. 90% of the growth is in their extended stay brands such as Courtyard, Residence Inn and Town Place suites
MISCELLANEOUS
* The 7 Wonders of the World - Modern Version (as chosen by Teletext customers)
1. Sydney Opera House
2. Eiffel Tower - Paris
3. Burj Al Arab Hotel - Dubai
4. Statue of the Redeeming Christ in Rio de Janeiro
5. Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco
6. The Empire State Building - New York
7. The Channel Tunnel
TOP TEN MOST EXPENSIVE DESTINATIONS AS FAR AS ACCOMMODATION COSTS (RENT)
1.Hong Kong
2. Tokyo
3. New York
4. Moscow
5. Seoul
6. London
7. Mumbai
8. Shanghai
9. Caracas
10. Paris
* A New Media survey has found that travel companies are leading the way using new technologies to market their products. Social Media, such as MySpace and Gather.com and blogs (weblogs) and vlogs (video logs) are the biggest growth area for marketing. 100% of travel companies surveyed plan to invest in email marketing in the next year.
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FEATURED ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
Finding Home Away From Home
The Bizpat - not a traveller. Not an expat. But never at home.
By John Studd
As anyone who has spent a lot of time away on business is aware, there are nights when the hotel bar can be a lonely place. Strange city. Strange people. Strange culture. But there are things you can do to make sure that you are not forever a stranger in a strange land; there are ways to make it feel like you are always heading home.
One of the first things you have to do is get out of your rental car and take a walk around the city. Not only do most cities offer interesting architecture and beautiful parks, but getting around on foot is the best way to get yourself oriented with the local culture. As you are taking a look at your new surroundings, try to locate a good Irish pub in a respectable neighborhood, regardless of your predilection for drinking. When outside your own community there is still no better place to meet up with fellow bizpats and, more importantly, locals you know will be there the next time you come to town.
During my time abroad, I have collected dozens of centralized pubs where my presence is remembered and appreciated by the people who frequent the establishment. I have also been fortunate enough to bump into people I met in other cities and countries, and together we talk of the best places to go in each of the cities we have done business in. The trick is to find a well-located pub that is not merely a tourist trap but offers something to the local inhabitants, or those hanging around on extended stays, such as satellite sports and an amiable staff. You will find it much easier to roll back into town if you know you have friends waiting there when you arrive.
After establishing friendships with people in other towns, it is only a matter of time until you can organize dinners and card games. This is one of the advantages of corporate housing over hotels - it is easier to get a group of bizpats together for an evening of Texas Hold 'Em or simply a pot luck dinner celebrating an important holiday that might be taking place back home but has no relevance to the local population, such as Thanksgiving in the Czech Republic .
But there are some other ways as well to pass your free time when doing business away from home. One of the most popular, of course, is golf. At any golf club around the world there are always threesomes ready to add another golfer to their round. And the pace is obviously good for networking, or simply socializing with the natives.
Another interesting thing to do, available around most major cities, is to go horseback riding. This is an absolutely exquisite way to see some of the local countryside while getting to know your fellow riders. The first time I did this I was quite surprised at just how much fun I had, and how many other people I met there who were just as ignorant as I was about handling a horse.
The most important thing to remember when thinking about what to do when all the work's done is: get out of your hotel, and don't waste so much time surfing the web on your laptop. Spend some time at the local fitness centre, or spend an entire day getting pampered at a reputable health spa. Even taking in a local sporting event can be wildly entertaining when you are on your own. The possibilities are virtually endless. But learning how to effectively use your time for fun and socializing can make all the difference when passing time in a city so far from home.
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(Curious fact: The Canadian Police Basket Ball team recently stayed at the property for the World Police and Firemenīs Games and upon arrival requested to have an Aussie BBQ. They consumed 10kg of kangaroo in 5 days!)
And another one:
Both these offers (including the kangaroo), are subject to availability
For more information on both these apartments please contact our reservations team via 020-89441444, or via email resteam@apartment.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* COMPETITION TIME:
To celebrate the launch of our new apartments in Lisbon, Santos River Apartments, we would like to offer 2 free nights in these apartments to the company or individual who will make the first booking after the opening, which is planned for the end of June. (*)
I would also like to ask everyone who travels (frequently) to Lisbon to send me an email with your name, (company) details and contact details, for a chance to win a complimentary 2 night stay in Santos River Apartments.
(*) The person or company who makes the first booking, also needs to be subscribed to our newsletter
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Client Survey:
Just 1 minute of your time will help us better understand your requirements. Please complete the survey here: Survey
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.............................................................................................................................................. Executive Roomspace/Roomspace Serviced Apartments Availability Update:
Roomspace Serviced Apartments, minimum stay: 7 nights, offers the following locations for your accommodation needs: Birmingham, Brighton, Croydon, Epsom, Farnborough, Guildford, Leatherhead, London City, London Docklands, Southampton, Wimbledon. Special June availability in Reading. For more information please see RSA-Projection East and RSA-Projection West
Executive Roomspace, with minimum stays of 28 nights is available in a wide selection of locations. More information on them can be found on our website www.roomspace.com. Special June availability in Reading. Please visit ERS-Minster Court
All rates quoted are inclusive of all bills (excluding telephone and VAT) and a weekly service clean.
Please call 44 (0) 20 8944 1444 for more information or send an email to Tracy Barlow, Reservations Supervisor.
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Feedback:
We hope you enjoy this newsletter. Please send your feedback to tasnews@apartment.co.uk
............................................................................................................................................... Contact:
Bard Vos - Marketing
The Apartment Service,
5-6 Francis Grove,
London, SW19 4DT
Tel. +44 (0)20 8947 3003 (Marketing)
Tel. +44 (0)20 8944 1444 Fax.+44 (0) 208 944 6744 (Reservations)
If you do not wish to receive future Apartment Service Newsletters, you can unsubscribe from our mailing list using the Safe Unsubscribe option at the end of this e-mail.
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Members of:
 The Corporate Housing Providers Association
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June 2007 
