Ascott Launches New Serviced Apartment Property in Tokyo

Ascott International, a worldwide provider of serviced apartments, is set to open the doors of its first Citadines property in Tokyo on March 1.

The new Citadines Tokyo Shinjuku serviced apartments will be located in the heart of Tokyo and within walking distance to the Shinjuku East area which is one of Tokyo’s prime urban centers. The Shinjuku East area is the prime entertainment and shopping hub in Tokyo with the Marunouchi and Toei Shinjuku subway stations within close proximity. Citadines Tokyo Shinjuku is conveniently situated near restaurants, supermarkets, shopping malls, the Shinjuku hospital and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.

The new serviced apartment property will offer 160 studio units with fully-equipped kitchens and access to a fitness facility 24 hours a day. Each unit contains high-speed Internet access, air conditioning, babysitting services, continental breakfast, dry cleaning, laundry service, LCD flat screen television, telephone, in-room safe, and convenient car parking. Move and Stay at www.moveandstay.jp has additional information on accommodations.

The property will provide housing for primarily Japanese clients due to the decrease in business travel by foreigners. The Japanese clients will be mostly leisure travelers who are choosing to vacation within Japan. Ascott predicts a 50 per cent occupancy rate for the Citadines Tokyo Shinjuku serviced apartments during its first month in business.

Ascott International is already operating two serviced apartment properties in Tokyo under the Somerset brand, the Somerset Azabu East and the Somerset Roppongi. Ascott is the world's largest international serviced apartment owner-operator with over 18,000 operating serviced apartment units in key cities of Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region, as well as about 7,000 units which are under development, making a total of close to 25,000 units.

The company operates three brands: Ascott, Somerset and Citadines. Its portfolio spans 67 cities in 22 countries, 15 of which are new cities in Ascott's portfolio where its serviced apartments are being developed. Ascott's properties are located in London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Barcelona in Europe; Singapore, Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong in Asia; Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in Australia, as well as Doha, Dubai and Manama in the Gulf region.

Sakura Group Reports Mixed Results from Commercial Property Investment

The Sakura Group. a Japanese real estate investment company, has reported mixed results from its operations according to the company’s Japanese executive director. The Sakura Group has invested more than 76 million dollars in a variety of projects over the past 13 years that range from commercial buildings and hotels, to serviced offices and serviced apartments.

Some of the projects by the Sakura Group have prospered while others are facing effects of the economic downturn according to the Sakura Group’s executive director. The properties that are prospering are the serviced office and serviced apartment projects with the hotel properties significantly falling behind.

The company’s other investment projects in Myanmar that include serviced offices and serviced apartments are doing well. These projects were established beginning in 1998. Downtown Yangon’s Sakura Tower, a 36 million dollar investment project, is one of the city’s most successful serviced office rental spaces. The Sakura Group has also invested in five additional condominiums and serviced apartment projects in Yangon which total of 25 million (US).

The serviced office occupancy in Sakura Tower is currently at 60pc of floor space and the demand for office space in this facility is rapidly increasing. Most of the clients in Sakura Tower are foreign oil and gas companies which usually continue to maintain office space during periods of economic downturn.

The serviced apartment properties are prospering with an occupancy rate of 99pc and the Sakura Group plans to raise rentals due to the increase in demand for this type of accommodation.

The Sakura Group has invested $15 in Bagan Thiri Pyitsaya Sakura Hotel since 1996 and the property is experiencing a loss due to the economic downturn as the economic climate is appearing to hit this sector very hard. The hotel was achieving steady profits until 2006-07 when profits began to decline and last year profits were down by 60 percent with occupancy rates running at 30 pc.

For additional information on serviced office and serviced apartment availability in Japan, log onto Move and Stay at www.moveandstay.jp.

St Martins Acquires Serviced Apartment Tower in Tokyo

St Martins, a leading UK-based property development and investment company for the Kuwaiti Investment Authority, recently acquired a luxury serviced apartment high rise residential tower in central Tokyo for Â¥13 billion ($142 million; €109 million). The 27-floor residential tower property acquisition represents the company’s first venture into Asia.

The serviced apartment property is known as the Lietocourt Arx Tower and is centrally located in Minato, Chuo-Ku which is near to the Nihonbashi and Ginza, Tokyo business and retail district. The building was previously owned by KK daVinci Advisors, a Tokyo-based fund manager, and consists of 281 serviced apartments which occupy over 29,701 square meters of space. The Lietocourt Arx Tower was constructed and completed by February of 2007.

St Martins financed the acquisition with a bond issue to the Tokyo Star Bank Limited which was arranged through the Real Estate Finance department of Nikko Citigroup. The acquisition is the first of a series of investments by St Martin that are planned for this region. St. Martins has also been seeking investment opportunities in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, and Australia.

St Martins also plans serviced apartment property acquisitions in primary cities in Continental Europe and the United Kingdom and recently purchased a 23-floor serviced apartment tower in Central London for €500 million ($786 million).

St Martins is a leading development, investment and asset management company with a diverse portfolio in the UK, Europe and Australia. As the UK-based real estate investment vehicle of the State of Kuwait, St Martins has significant financial strength. The company has a track record in the property industry that dates back to 1924 and currently owns more than 1 million square meters of commercial property that includes serviced apartments.

St Martins now has a portfolio of over 80 properties consisting of serviced offices, serviced apartments, and residential facilities. The company headquarters are situated in its London Bridge City development with regional offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, Melbourne and Perth.
The Kuwait Investment Authority, a commodity sovereign wealth fund, was created in 1953 from oil revenues and was the world's first sovereign wealth fund to be launched. Its fund is estimated to be worth around $250 billion.

Move and Stay at www.moveandstay.jp has additional information on accommodation in Tokyo and throughout Japan.

Regus Offers Cutting Edge Business Center in Fukuoka

The Regus Group, a leading global provider of serviced office and virtual offices, recently opened a state-of-the-art business center in Fukuoka known as the Fukuoka Aqua Hakata. The new center is located in the Fukuoka-Asia Business zone and offers a wide variety of workplace solutions for businesses of all sizes.

Fukuoka Aqua Hakata provides serviced office space and virtual offices that meet the individual needs of multinational companies as well as small businesses. Clients also have access to state-of-the-art meeting rooms, professional administrative support services, and videoconferencing at a prestigious business address.

The business center in Fukuoka offers a variety of office rentals that include a full-time serviced office, branch office, project office, start-up office, team room, hot desking, workstation, or part-time virtual office. Clients can occupy the office space immediately in a cost effective flexible lease that does not contain any hidden costs and allows clients network access to all of the Regus serviced office locations worldwide. Network Access is a membership program that Regus offers to its serviced office and virtual office clients that provides unlimited network access to 950 business lounges in 400 major Regus city centers around the world.

The serviced offices in Fukuoka provide business clients with access to a receptionist and welcome area, telephone answering service, fully furnished meeting and videoconferencing rooms, multi-access T1 and telephone ports, on-site IT maintenance and support, digital telephony, three-point security system, high-speed Internet access, 24/7 availability, and mail delivery. Additionally, clients have access to printing, fax and scanning, as well as copying services.

Fukuoka is currently one of Japan’s ten most populated cities and is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture. The city has strong geographical and economical ties to China and Korea and serves as a gateway city to Japan. Fukuoka contains a significant establishment of industrial functions through Japanese and foreign corporations that are interested in doing business in Asia. The key industries in Fukuoka City are in the wholesale and retail sector and the growth rate of these industries ranks top in Japan. As a result the demand for serviced offices has increased with more companies seeking to establish a business presence in Japan.

To obtain additional information on office accommodations in Japan, log onto Move and Stay at www.moveandstay.jp .

Regus Opens 16th Serviced Office Center in Yokohama Sky Building

Regus Japan, a leading serviced office provider and an operation of the Regus Group, recently announced that it will be opening a serviced office center on the 20th floor of the Yokohama Sky Building located in the heart of Yokohama.

The new serviced office center, housed in a high end landmark building, will occupy 864 square meters of office space and offer 137 workstations, a board room, two conference rooms, and a state-of-the-art videoconferencing facility. Included in the rental is access to bilingual administrative support, a furnished reception area, and café. All serviced offices are equipped with high speed Internet access and digital telephone service which is managed by highly trained IT support personnel.

The new serviced office center is located within close proximity to JR Yokohama Station which is the railway hub of Kanagawa Prefecture. It is also located next to the MinatroMirai21 area which is expected to become one of the largest business districts in the Greater Tokyo area. The Yokohama City Air Terminal is nearby and connects with the Haneda Airport and Narita International Airport to global destinations.

Yokohama is Japan’s second largest city with a positive outlook on the growing economy. In response to the government’s effort to grow the economy, Regus has added the Yokohama Sky Building to its portfolio of serviced office properties worldwide.
The new facility will encourage businesses of all sizes to take up a presence in Yokohama with access to the highest quality serviced offices and amenities without the expensive price tag. It will also offer greater flexibility and mobility to its business clients as well as a great alternative to conventional office space leasing.

Currently, the city of Yokohama is working to transform its business environment to accommodate more corporate businesses through various taxation and grant opportunities which will result in an economic impact of approximately JPY 1 trillion and the creation of over 57,000 jobs over the next ten year cycle.

Regus currently has 1000 serviced office locations in 400 cities across 70 countries and is recognized as a global leader in the serviced office industry. Additional information on space availability can be obtained from Move and Stay at http://www.moveandstay.jp/

Regus Group Opens Serviced Office Center in Shinbashi Tokyu Building

The Regus Group, a worldwide serviced office provider, recently announced the opening of its 17th center in the Shinbashi Tokyu Building in Tokyo.
The new serviced office facility occupies 1,242 square meters of office space and is capable of accommodating up to 210 people. The Shinbashi center offers spacious board rooms, conference rooms, a furnished reception area with bilingual administrative support, and a café area. The serviced offices are fully equipped with high-speed Internet access and digital telephone service that is managed by a highly trained IT support team.

The Shinbashi serviced office center is located near Shiodome which is one of the newest business districts in Tokyo. The redevelopment of the new business district has been ongoing since 2002 and the Shinbashi Center will offer easy access to Shinbashi Station and several major train and subway lines. The center is also within close proximity to Narita Airport from the Tokyo Station and Haneda Airport via Hamamatsucho Station.

The new Shinbashi serviced office center will provide business clients with extreme accessibility and cost efficiency by offering businesses the ability to establish a business presence in a prime location without the price tag. Businesses can better manage their finances and focus on daily business operations instead of worrying about financing capital. Rental terms are flexible from one month to twelve months or longer with no upfront capital expenditure. The rental terms are written in a simple one page agreement with no hidden costs.

Regus is renowned for offering dependable office solutions and professional support to its business clients by providing a cost effective alternative to conventional office space leasing and a new style of work that allows client to be mobile. You can inquire about space availability in the Shinbashi serviced office center by contacting Move and Stay at www.moveandstay.jp .

The Regus Group currently has 1000 serviced office centers in 400 cities across 70 countries with 110 in the Asia Pacific. The company also recently launched its Regus BusinessWorld Membership Program which provides members with free access to its serviced office centers throughout the world.

Over 400,000 clients a day such as Google, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, Nokia, and Accenture, join thousands of growing small and medium sized businesses that benefit from outsourcing their office and workplace needs from Regus Group serviced office facilities.

Servcorp Offers Virtual Offices and Hotdesking in Osaka’s Financial District

Servcorp, an Australian-based global provider of serviced offices, is offering serviced offices, virtual offices, hottedesking, and state-of-the-art meeting space in its Edobori Center Building located in the heart of Osaka’s financial and law district.

The elegant Edobori Center Building is a twent-two floor landmark serviced office facility that houses a diverse tenant list that includes IT, entertainment, and cosmetic industry clientele among many others. The facility is located in the core of Osaka which is the second largest commercial center in Japan and well recognized for the stock trade.

The Edobori serviced office facility contains the unique Servcorp technology that includes Smart Office broadband Internet access, IP telephony, a unified massaging system, and hottdesking for remote access, online, booking, and online invoicing. Clients can choose from state-of-the-art fully serviced offices to fully-equipped virtual offices with access to corporate boardrooms and meeting rooms and an Executive Business Lounge. Space availability information can be obtained from Move and Stay at www.moveandstay.jp .

The Edobori Center Building is located within the Osaka Train Station, the Kansai Airport neighboring business facilities and office buildings. The facility contains easy access to renowned restaurants and shops and includes an on-site spa consisting of a medical spa, sauna and hot springs and salon. Nearby to points of interest, the Edibori serviced office facility is conveniently located near five star hotels, the Umeda Sky Building, River Cruise to Osaka Castle, Universal Studios Japan, the Kaiyukan Aquarium, and Tempozan Harbour Village.

Servcorp is a leading global provider of serviced and virtual office solutions. The company was established in 1978 in Sydney, Australia and is public listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (SRV). Since then Servcorp has come to mean a global network of exceptional serviced office facilities and hold an exceptional portfolio of five star properties. Today, Servcorp clients enjoy the most advanced information technology and telecommunications state-of-the-art with Cisco IP Communications technology.

Information on office space availability in Osaka and throughout Japan is available at Move and Stay by logging onto www.moveandstay.jp .