31/01/2008

January 08 serviced accommodation news

SACO has become one of the first serviced apartment companies to have its entire UK portfolio of owned and managed accommodation graded under the Quality in Tourism scheme operated by VisitBritain.

The company now has 11 properties nationwide rated as four-star standard, plus one three-star and one five-star. All were independently assessed in terms of quality, cleanliness and service.

SACO currently offers 10,000 apartments in 100 cities worldwide, including London, Paris, Amsterdam, New York and Sydney. The Cheval Group has been equally busy – Hyde Park Gate has now completed its multi-million pound refurbishment; Phoenix House recently won Silver for ‘Best Small Hotel’ at the Visit London Awards, and the company’s Gloucester Park Apartments have just been awarded 5 stars in the serviced apartment grading by Visit Britain.

Meanwhile, Roomservice has been purchased by CORT, the leading supplier of rental furniture and relocation services in the US, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. It will now be known as Roomservice by CORT. The company has confirmed that its management and staff will remain unaltered, with Roger Hollis continuing to serve as managing director.

The combination of the two businesses follows a long standing relationship between the two companies, which has seen Roomservice act as CORT’s preferred provider in the UK for the past six years. “This acquisition will provide CORT with a fully owned operation in the UK which will further strengthen its global network of furniture and relocation solutions” said Sue Kinsey, Account Manager.

Charles McCrow, Managing Director of The Apartment Service has been awarded first place in the Serviced Apartment Sector of the Power List of the ‘Most Influential People in Business Travel’ today. The Power List is an initiative of TTG Business. Charles McCrow has been involved in the serviced apartment sector since its origins in the UK and introduced Executive Roomspace to the UK market in 1997, the first brand in short-term corporate housing in fully furnished serviced apartments.

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