November 2007 eNEWS

Welcome New Members

Share the membership benefits of CHPA with your friends or colleagues who are not yet members of CHPA. Invite them to join CHPA at http://www.chpaonline.org/join/become_member.php and begin to receive the same great benefits. Please forward any potential CHPA members to membership@chpaonline.org .

The Partnership for the Homeless - Thank You!

"The Partnership for the Homeless would like to express its appreciation for the support we have received from your organization for our Furnish a Future (FaF) program, New York City's only free furniture bank. We certainly appreciate the article you ran on FaF in your newsletter, and that you invited our program Director to speak at the New York meeting, where he was warmly welcomed. We're also hopeful that , following the meeting, many CHPA members will commit to donating furniture and household goods to FaF. And as you know, one of your members, Premier Relocation Solutions, has been a long-term contributor to Furnish a Future.

Finally, your position on the illegal conversations of SRO apartments in New York City is also to be commended. The scarcity of low-cost housing options in our city requires a commitment to maintaining these buildings for residential use.

Once again, thank you for being such a good corporate "partner." We look forward to your continuing support in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Arnold S. Cohen

President & CEO

Members in the News...

Corporate Housing Solutions, Inc. Introduces A New Website

Corporate Housing Solutions has created a new website at http://www.CorporateHousingSolutions.com. Due to increasing business, the dynamic use of the internet to secure residential accommodations, and a demand for alternatives to hotel stays for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the company felt it was time for an updated way of presenting its services to customers.

Key improvements to the website include simplified searches for property types and clearly identified client profiles. These changes allow the website user to quickly access only that information which is pertinent to their needs. The most exciting addition to Corporate Housing Solutions' website is the offering of hotel alternatives for visitors coming to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver next August. Denver residents have been quick to pick up on this opportunity, and are eager to list their property as a housing choice for visitors to this unique event.

Delsuites Introduces Its New Signature Series

Delsuites Executive Class Accommodations, based in Toronto , Canada has added a new upscale level of accommodations to their existing inventory of quality corporate suites. The “Delsuites Signature Series” are located in Downtown Toronto at the company's newest location, Element, as well as in other preferred neighborhoods in the Greater Toronto Area including North York and Markham . Delsuites is currently exploring other locations around Toronto area to expand the Signature Series product.

The Delsuites Signature Series suites offer luxurious furnishings and linens, LCD TV's, premium HD cable, an executive workspace, complimentary daily newspaper and twice weekly housekeeping. " We wanted to differentiate ourselves from our competition by offering more than the standard corporate suite. This new upscale housing solution has been well received by our top clients “, according to Daniel Bar-Dayan, General Manager of Delsuites. “ We are offering the perfect upgrade for those senior level executives desiring the highest level of service and quality .”

A recent guest of Delsuites described The Element as “ gorgeous ” and the Delsuites Signature Series suites as “ beautifully decorated and furnished with very comfortable beds and linens ”. With their modern style, the Signature Series suites are the perfect option for someone looking for the comforts of home and the luxuries of a boutique hotel.

Furnished Quarters Appoints Matthew Damico As New Business Development Manager

Furnished Quarters has appointed Matthew Damico as New Business Development Manager for the New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey regions. Damico has more than 10 years of experience in the corporate housing industry. “To keep up with the phenomenal growth of Furnished Quarters, we wanted to make sure we hired a business development manager who knows the industry inside and out,” said Steve Brown, president of the company.

In his new role, he will be responsible for development and execution of strategic sales and national account acquisition as well as establishment of Furnished Quarters as the preferred brand within core markets. “Matthew Damico has a successful track record of growing two corporate housing start-up markets and improving productivity and performance. We are confident he will be an excellent addition to the corporate sales team in driving new business,” said Dene Nui, Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to joining Furnished Quarter, Damico served as Director of National Sales for Weichert Corporate Housing where he was instrumental in growing the company from zero to 800 units across the United States . Damico was a Senior Account Executive at Equity Corporate Housing where he built a start-up market in New York from zero to 75 units in less than two years before joining Weichert Corporate Housing. He has also held property management positions with Insignia/ESG and Avalon Properties.

Guest Rewards Program Introduced by Shamrock Corporate Housing

Shamrock Corporate Housing recently introduced a new guest rewards program for all South Florida properties. "Shamrock Rewards is one of corporate housing's most generous programs, allowing guests to earn and redeem points with their very first stay," says Adriana Chuman, Director of Sales and Marketing at Shamrock. "Rewards include American Express Gift Cards of varying amounts, all the way up to free stays of days, weeks - even two months free. We have quite a few returning guests, and we wanted to show our appreciation for their loyalty." Shamrock guests are enrolled automatically at check-in, and begin earning points right away.

"In addition to our Guest Rewards, we also offer Referral Rewards as part of the program," says Chuman. Guests that refer friends or coworkers to Shamrock will receive $50 for referring a weekly guest, and $200 for referring monthly guests. "Our guests are our top priority, and this is our way of saying Thank You."

BridgeStreet Worldwide Hosts Global Corporate Housing Alliance at Annual Conference

BridgeStreet Worldwide hosted its Annual Leadership Conference at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel from September 28 – October 1. The leadership team of BridgeStreet Worldwide along with representatives from BridgeStreet offices across the world, Global Alliance Partners and corporate housing industry Supplier Partners attended the conference.

The annual event combines a unique blend of world-renowned speakers and educational seminars, along with team building and networking opportunities. Throughout the four-day conference the focus was on the globalization of the industry, the expansion of the BridgeStreet Global Alliance to meet new locations for business travelers and the release of EasySource sm , BridgeStreet's web-based supplier management tool.

“The rise of globalization is hitting the corporate housing industry at light speed. This year's conference offered an opportunity to strengthen relationships between BridgeStreet and our Global Alliance Partners,” said Lee Curtis, president and CEO of BridgeStreet Worldwide. “We have set an aggressive agenda for continued global expansion which requires a commitment throughout the alliance. The annual conference really provides an open forum for leaders in the corporate housing industry to come together and collaborate on the direction of this hospitality segment.”

BridgeStreet's expansion is in response to a growing number of its multi-national clients with executives traveling overseas who were seeking longer-term accommodations of comparable quality to BridgeStreet's U.S. and UK accommodations. Through the BridgeStreet Global Alliance, all partners work in concert to deliver the very highest quality service with total consistency in presentation and communications. Further the Alliance itself contributes directly to the growth of the corporate housing/serviced apartments industry across the world.

“Our clients are seeking a global solution for all of their temporary housing needs. They seek quality and value along with flexible solutions, consolidated reporting and performance metrics,” said Curtis. “Through the BridgeStreet Global Alliance we developed a strong network of providers to service client needs. With the release of EasySource SM , we now have access to and metric the most complete group of corporate housing / serviced apartment suppliers across the globe. BridgeStreet Worldwide is the only corporate housing provider employing a fully integrated procurement management tool of this nature.” said Curtis.

The EasySource application uses the latest web technology to automate the supplier sourcing process and generate accountability metrics. “It was essential that we solve the corporate housing procurement problem for our clients while developing a shared platform for our Global Alliance Partners. EasySource has made life easier for clients while adding cohesiveness to the alliance program,” comments Jon Wohlfert, CTO of BridgeStreet Worldwide. “We are pleased to see how the EasySource sm technology has lead to the development of new partner relationships with both our clients and our Global Alliance members.”

ABODA Donates Furnishings For Transitional Housing

As part of its philosophy of serving its communities, ABODA has used its expertise in providing executives interim housing with all the comforts and amenities of home to provide the same for a very different audience—immigrant and refugee women and their families who are victims of domestic violence.

In a pilot program of the International District Housing Alliance (IDHA), a grassroots community group that focuses on interim and permanent housing for low-income and immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle's International District, in conjunction with several domestic violence agencies, the IDHA is providing transitional housing for immigrant and refugee families that are the victims of domestic violence whose situation is complicated by the fact that they speak little or no English and have no resources to help them.

“Since its founding, ABODA's leaders have infused the organization with a strong commitment to perform at the highest level, care for one another, and give back to those in need. Where there is such an obvious need, and ABODA's core business and extensive resources is a natural fit to assist, we could not refuse,” says Dave Caple, president and chief executive officer of ABODA.

ABODA has completely furnished five transitional housing units for the IDHA's program which has helped ease the stress for this vulnerable population but has done so in a way that has kept the family's dignity intact. According to Caroline James, IDHA housing program manager, ABODA has been “more than generous” providing the transitional town homes with everything “right down to the paper towels and toilet plungers.”

“These families come to us with only the clothes on their backs and under exceptional stress. We are indebted to ABODA for donating everything that makes a house a home, delivering and setting up the furnishings, and doing it all with warmth and class, treating our clients with the same professionalism and respect as they do their corporate clients,” says James.

The IDHA program, which began last year and has been operating for approximately 18 months, has had 10-12 families move through the five transitional housing units, each staying for six to seven months—enough time to transition them into permanent housing, according to James. Because of the program's exceptional success, eight more housing units will be added in early 2009. Immigrant and refugee populations served are primarily from the regions of eastern Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

Corporate Housing Leader, ABODA, Promotes Key Executives to Manage National Sales

ABODA announced that it has promoted senior vice president Gary Ciabotti to head national sales and marketing initiatives and has expanded responsibilities for vice president Lynn Green to lead day-to-day national sales team operations in addition to her role as general manager for the company's Boston regional office.

”ABODA's national corporate housing division has experienced a 300-percent growth in business in the past year. In response, we have promoted these two outstanding executives into positions of increased leadership to manage our growing business and staff,” says Dave Caple, president and chief executive officer of ABODA.

Ciabotti joined ABODA in September of 2005 as a senior vice president in charge of east coast operations and national sales following the company's acquisition of his company, east coast based Corporate Housing Options (CHO). Ciabotti has over 20 years of experience in the corporate housing industry and a deep-rooted knowledge and commitment to providing integrated and effective corporate housing solutions.

Green brings over 10 years of experience in corporate housing. She joined ABODA in September of 2005 as vice president in charge of Boston operations. In her position at ABODA, she is responsible for evaluating systems and implementing service standards. Previously, she held several positions at CHO.

Scottsdale 's Short Term Housing Solutions Expands Regional Service Base with Houston Based National Corporate Suites Merger

Short Term Housing Solutions, LLC announces its recent merger with Houston based National Corporate Suites, Inc. expanding its offerings and presence in the wholesale corporate housing marketplace.

Combined, the company offers more than 350 “A” units throughout 75 communities in the Southwest and Texas markets. The company's use of its extensive on-line reservation systems provides its guests and corporate partners the ability to process their reservations and conveniently manage their accounts from their desktop. This use of technology increases Short Term Housing Solutions' ability to service multiple communities from one centralized location allowing for ease of entrance into new communities and regional markets.

“The expanded inventory and broader regional coverage the merger between National Corporate Suites and Short Term Housing Solutions brings, allows us to better serve our existing clients and positions us to provide greater opportunities throughout the wholesale corporate housing market”, says Andy Blalock, Short Term Housing Solution's president.

Merged, the two entities create greater depth and service opportunities for the wholesale corporate housing industry. “The expanded reach this merger creates is only part of the story,” said Blalock. He continued, “Combined, the new management team brings more than 40 years experience under one roof.” Confident of the merger's success he added, “Both companies have similar business and service values, quality control and experience – and we have a history of doing business together.”

The founder of National Corporate Suites is also excited about the merger. “During the negotiation process, it was clear that our business models were in-line with one another and we had similar foresight for future expansion,” said Jessica Holcomb, National Corporate Suites founder. “Being a part of this ‘service-minded' team is a perfect fit for our operation. Our combined skills and experience bring significant expertise and gives us a solid presence in the marketplace,” Holcomb continued.

Marriott ExecuStay Honors Top Francise Companies At Annual Conference

Marriott ExecuStay honored its top franchisees for 2007 at its fifth annual franchisee conference held Oct. 14-16, 2007 at the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa in Jalisco, Mexico. The Partnership Circle Award, the highest honor Marriott presents to its owners and franchise partners, was awarded to Suite Options of Wichita, KS and accepted by co-owners Bill Jackson and Piper Ayala. This award is presented to the organization that most exemplifies Marriott's vision of hospitality. “The Suite Options franchise is thrilled to receive the 2007 Marriott ExecuStay Partnership Circle Award. Our entire team played a part in winning this award," said Piper Ayala.

The Customer Service Excellence award, in recognition of outstanding performance and dedication to customer service satisfaction, went to Commonwealth Corporates, Inc. of Richmond , VA. The Operational Excellence award, in recognition of outstanding achievement in apartment quality and brand standards review, went to Mainsail Housing of Tampa, FL. The Goldmine Champion award, in recognition of leadership in the adoption of the Goldmine customer relationship management system, went to Summit Accommodations of Phoenix, AZ. The Cross Market Leader award, in recognition of leadership in cultivating relationships with accounts with outbound business potential, went to Executive Lodging/CSM Lodging of Minneapolis, MN. The Brand Essence Award, in recognition of the franchisee who imparts our core vision to our guests - Live Like a Local ®, went to Corporate Accommodations of Wisconsin/Home Networks LLC of St. Louis.

“We thank all of our franchisees for their outstanding efforts and applaud our award winners. They take wonderful care of thousands of guests who stay with Marriott ExecuStay every day,” said Karen Blair, senior vice president of Marriott ExecuStay.