Serviced apartment BUREAU Shinagawa

Accommodation arrangements are always a source of headaches when Japanese companies invite their foreign group companies' employees to Japan for training or when companies outside Tokyo send their employees to the capital.

The costs are high if they book a hotel, so serviced apartments fit the bill. These are rental apartments that are equipped with furniture and offer various services. The difference from hotels is that serviced apartments are more spacious than hotel rooms at similar rates and they have kitchens to create a home away from home.

"The term 'serviced apartment' is widely recognized among businesspeople overseas, and many are highly valued," says Katsumi Sugawara, the general manager of BUREAU Shinagawa, a serviced apartment in the Shinagawa area of Tokyo. The operator of the apartment, Space Design, Inc., is one of the pioneers and leading companies, with 14 serviced apartments and two apartment-style hotels suitable for long stays in Tokyo and Yokohama.

BUREAU Shinagawa is a 9-minute walk from Shinagawa Station, which is a Tokaido Shinkansen stop and has direct access to Haneda and Narita airports. The building has 305 rooms, whose sizes range from 28 sq. meters to 80 sq. meters. It has top-quality beds like those found in luxury hotels.

The rooms have furniture such as tables and sofas; dishes, utensils, home appliances, cooking equipment; and other goods used in daily life. These features make BUREAU Shinagawa suitable for business executives, among others.

High-speed Internet and CATV with more than 30 channels are available for free. (There are also unfurnished rooms without these features.) Also, every resident can use services such as the lounge, gym and spa.

On top of these excellent amenities, BUREAU Shinagawa also boasts hotel-quality hospitality services. Every resident, whether living in furnished or unfurnished rooms, can have breakfast, towel change, bed making and once-a-week cleaning services for free.

The flexible concierges speak Japanese and English, and some speak additional languages.

"Sometimes, a concierge goes to a hospital and interprets for residents," Sugawara said. Such hospitality is popular with residents.

Rent paid for BUREAU Shinagawa not only includes the aforementioned services, but also water, electricity, gas and the basic charge for telephones.

In addition, residents do not have to pay housing deposits or fees to real estate agencies, making BUREAU Shinagawa a reasonable alternative to renting an apartment or staying in a hotel for a long duration.

The occupancy rate of BUREAU Shinagawa is more than 80 percent, proof of its popularity.

"We reduce the tedious work of arranging accommodations for both potential residents and people in charge of such arrangements for companies. This way, businesspeople can concentrate on their jobs. Anyone should feel free to consult with us," Sugawara said.

For more information, call Space Design, Inc.'s call center at 0120-710-677, or visit http://www.space-d.co.jp/en/shinagawa/

Making an appeal to contemporary lifestyles

People have different images for "luxurious residences." Some say apartments costing more than ¥50 million are "luxurious," while those priced at ¥1 billion also exist. Regarding rental apartments, those with rent ranging from ¥200,000 to ¥4 million are labeled "luxurious," as if those in the lower end and the higher end are equally luxurious.

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