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The leading source of information in the serviced apartment market world wide, for business, leisure and relocation purposes.

Issue 62           May 2007
Best Serviced Apartment Company 2007 !
The Apartment Service has received the accolade "Best Serviced Apartment Company 2007" at the

................................................................................................................................................ 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. More information about these apartments will follow in the next newsletter. +.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+ City Focus Brussels Brussels, more than 1000 years old, capital of Belgium and capital of Europe, housing the European Parliament and the council of the European Union. Brussels is bi-lingual, with French and Dutch (Flemish) spoken in equal amounts amongst the local population. Brussels has many touristic and cultural highlights to offer, such as the world famous "Manneken Pis", the bronze statue of a little boy peeing, on top of a fountain. Many legends are doing the rounds as to why he is there, but nobody actually knows for sure. An interesting fact is that he is often dressed and he has a "wardrobe" of more than 600 outfits, all preserved in the King´s Palace. Travel tip: Try to find out if Manneken Pis is receiving a new outfit during your stay: during that occasion he p**s beer instead of water. The central place in Brussels, ideal to start your exploration of the city is "De Groote Markt", or Market Square, arguably one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. And then there is "Mini Europe", The Atomium and the enormous variety of Belgian beers which can be consumed. Oh yes and for chocoholics amongst you, you can not leave Brussels without sampling the Belgian chocolates, with their rich, creamy, yummie taste. Now that your appetite has been suitably wetted, why not rent a serviced apartment for a long weekend to see for yourself this great city. We offer a large selection of apartments, all at competitive prices. Just give The Apartment Service a call on 020-89441444, or visit our website to make a booking and you could be in Brussels next weekend!   -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 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. .................................................................................................................................................. For more information and availability on any apartments please call reservations +44 (0)20 8944 1444 or click the link  Apartment Search ********************************************************************************************************************* News in May: EUROPE * The number of overseas visitors to London, rose by 9.4% last year to a total of 15.2 million. The largest increase in visitor numbers came from Europe (up 11.6% to 9.6 million), followed by the USA (up 5.2% to 2.4 million. And this year, with the start of the Tour de France coming to London and the first ever NFL American Football game played outside the USA, the figure could rise again. *Saco Apartments acquires the 35 Livingbase serviced apartments in Birmingham from regeneration specialist Argent. This strengthens their presence in the city * The top 5 travel retail markets (2005) are: + United Kingdom + Germany + Italy + Spain + France USA * The Lightstone Group has acquired Extended Stay Hotels from the Blackstone Group FAR EAST & AUSTRALIA * The Ascott Group introduces the Ascott brand to Makati in the Philipines. They now have four properties in total there. They are also planning an Ascott property in Singapore CBD, to open late 2008 * Bangalore is becoming more and more important for Indian and international business travel and serviced apartments are emerging as the perfect and cost effective alternative to hotel accommodation. Currently Bangalore has 600-800 serviced apartments, with a further 800-1000 under various stages of construction. There are at present no prominent apartment brands yet, but Oakwood and Ascott are expected to move in soon * Oakwood has opened up in Tokyo, what is the most luxurious serviced apartment residence in Japan to date. The Oakwood Premier Tokyo Midtown has 107 apartments * Oaks Hotels and Resorts have added 2 new serviced apartment blocks with a total of 532 units to their portfolio in Brisbane CBD, the Festival Towers and River City Apartments ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * COMPETITION TIME: We have received a large number of correct responses to the question posed in last month´s news-letter: Which airline has taken over all the regional routes from BA Connect to form the largest European regional airline company? The answer is: Flybe and the winner is: Sue Davies from Ian Allan Travel. Well done Sue!! Thank you to all who entered. There will be a new competition next month .................................................................................................................................................. Client Survey: Just 1 minute of your time will help us better understand your requirements. Please complete the survey here: Survey ............................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................. 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 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. 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. ............................................................................................................................................ 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 tasnews@apartment.co.uk 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Members of: The Corporate Housing Providers Association