Mar
28th

London Marathon Accommodation

No comments | Posted in Apartments, London, Serviced Apartments, World Travel News

London Marathon Accommodation

This years London Marathon takes place on Sunday 17th April with the mass race starting at 9:45 am from Blackheath and Greenwich Park.

For full details of the Marathon visit http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/

This spectacular event see’s thousands of visitors come to London to both take part and support. Finding a hotel can be a problem so why not try a Serviced Apartment? Go Native has a great range of afforable accommodation across London – click here to see the options.

History of the London Marathon

It all started in the pub, according to John Disley and the late Chris Brasher, co-founders of the London Marathon…

The Dysart Arms next to Richmond Park is the home of the Raneleigh Harriers running club, and on Wednesday nights runners drift in and talk over pints of bitter. One night, the talk was of the New York Marathon – a marathon with a buzzing atmosphere and spectators who don’t let you give up. To read the full article click here.

Mar
23rd

Accommodation for Grand Designs Live

No comments | Posted in London, Serviced Apartments, World Travel News

Grand Designs Live

Grand Designs Live returns to Excel London for the seventh year from 30th April to 8th May 2011. The event will be packed full of ideas and inspiration for the home with areas dedicated to interiors, kitchens, bathrooms, build, technology & gardens as well as the GRAND Village. If you’re looking for unique products for your home this is the event for you. There will be over 500 exhibitors, free expert advice, workshops and seminars and much more.

Grand Designs Live Details

Show dates: 30th April – 8th May 2011
Show venue:
ExCeL
One Western Gateway
Royal Victoria Dock
London
E16 1XL

Grand Designs Ticket Prices:

£15/ £18 weekday/weekend on the door

£11/£14 weekday/weekend advanced ticket

Accommodation for Grand Designs Live

For exhibitors that need accommodation during the period the event is being held, Go Native has a great range of Serviced Apartments in Canary Wharf which are not only a cost-effective alternative to hotels but are perfect for exhibitors as they offer more space, cooking facilities and an area to work.

Our range of Serviced Apartments are located in one of the Docklands most prestigious postcodes and within a 5 minute walk of Canary Wharf where guests can enjoy a variety of restaurants, shops, bars and cafes. South Quay DLR is also only a few minutes walk away. Getting to Excel London for the event will take less than 10 minutes.

To speak to one of our advisors about your accommodation needs please call us on 0845 601 2028.

Mar
22nd

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race Accommodation

No comments | Posted in Apartments, London, Serviced Apartments, World Travel News

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

The famous Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is taking place on Saturday 26th March 2011 at 17:00.

The race starts on the West side of Putney Bridge and the best views are from the bridge itself, Putney Embankment, or the tow path in front of Bishops Park on the Fulham side of the river.

For anyone who is planning to visit London for the weekend and enjoy the boat race Go Native has a great range of Serviced Apartments perfectly located to the start line. Click here to view our Serviced Apartments in Fulham.

Origins of the Race

The idea for a rowing race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge came from two friends – Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his Harrow school friend Charles Wordsworth (nephew of the poet William Wordsworth), who was at Oxford.

On 12 March 1829, Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford and thus the tradition was born which has continued to the present day, where the loser of the previous year’s race challenges the opposition to a re-match.

The Modern Boat Race still runs along the same lines but has now become a major international sporting occasion drawing millions of viewers from around the world.

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Click on the image to watch the BBC’s coverage of last years event.

Mar
21st

Serviced Apartments near Tower Hill

No comments | Posted in Serviced Apartments

We look at Serviced Apartments near Tower Hill

Go Native has several Serviced Apartments near Tower Hill

Tower Hill is one of London’s most famous areas as it is home to the infamous Tower of London and is also within a short walk of the financially important city. The location of the area has meant that Serviced Apartments near Tower Hill have become incredibly sought after.

Go Native has several wonderful apartment blocks available near Tower Hill including the one-of-a-kind Times Square, which not only has high-spec apartments with modern décor and electrical equipment, but the exterior is designed around a Japanese themed water way. This makes travelling in and out of the property as interesting as being in the property itself.

Having a Serviced Apartment near Tower Hill offers great transport links into the centre of the city meaning that people looking to take advantage of the business opportunities available there are perfectly located to do so. In addition to this, Tower Hill offers a wonderful opportunity for leisure travellers to explore the capital, with famous London landmarks on their doorstep, with the Tower of London and London Bridge only minutes away.

Pepys Street and Creechurch also offer access to the area whilst also being in the heart of the city, enjoying the benefits that the area provides from high-quality restaurants and shops to unparalleled transport links to the rest of the city.

Have a look at Go Native’s Serviced Apartments near Tower Hill.

Mar
18th

Go Native’s Red Nose Day

No comments | Posted in Life at Go Native

Go Native on the fundraising trail for red nose day

Go Native are pushing the boat out and having a day of fun and fundraising for comic relief

Go Native has been getting in the red nose day mood today including everybody in the office wearing red, most donning red noses and several activities taking place throughout the day in order to raise as much money as possible for Comic Relief.

This year comic relief will be more important than every with people in country’s that we would have never thought would need our help, in desperate need of charity. From the atrocious natural disasters in Japan, the struggle that people are having all across the middle east and the earthquake victims of New Zealand. Add these to the already vulnerable people in the world and the work that comic relief is doing is vital.

In order to raise money we have:

- had a coffee morning complete with an array of breakfast treats and sweets

- Entered a quiz

- Everybody in the office is wearing red, those who don’t must pay a fine (towards comic relief)

- A pick a pose sweepstake

- 1 metre sprint race

We hope that we can raise a substantial amount towards this fantastic cause whilst also having fun!

Mar
17th

Accommodation near London Bridge

No comments | Posted in Serviced Apartments

Try a Serviced Apartment near London Bridge

Looking for accommodation near London Bridge? Try a Serviced Apartment

London Bridge is one of the most recognisable areas of London, even more so now that it is having the tallest building in Europe built there. It has become a hub, not just for transportation but there are also several important businesses either in the area or across the bridge itself. This has meant that accommodation near London Bridge is not only in demand but is also more expensive due to the increased numbers of people who are looking to take advantage of the area.

Go Native has several Serviced Apartments near London Bridge which offer not only luxury accommodation, but they do so at a price far more competitive than other accommodation types. For instance Pepys Street which offers a comprehensive choice including fully equipped kitchen, entertainment system and living area. This means that not only they cheap and luxurious, but also offer fantastic flexibility, allowing a guest the freedom to make their stay as individual as possible.

London Bridge is also close to some of the London’s major business areas, being only a short walk to the City and many of London’s top tourist venues. So not only does accommodation near London Bridge offer business opportunities to professionals in the capital on business, but also to leisure travellers who are looking to explore London.

Serviced Apartments in London are not just an option for business travellers either and are widely spread throughout the capital meaning that using them as accommodation near London Bridge or getting an apartment near Kensington is not difficult and allows a flexible stay away from home.

Have a look at our Accommodation near London Bridge

Mar
16th

Serviced Apartments Near Bank

No comments | Posted in Serviced Apartments

Go Native’s Serviced Apartments at the City’s heart

Go Native looks at the Serviced Apartments near Bank Underground Station

Bank is one of London’s busiest underground stations due to it’s central city location, making it ideal for commuters who are travelling into the area for work. It is also a major interchange in the London underground network, connecting to the Northern, Central, DLR and Circle and District lines. This all equates to Serviced Apartments near Bank being some of the most desirable in London.

With many of the largest UK and global corporations being based in the region, using a Bank Serviced Apartment as a base for a business trip is ideal for people working locally or within other areas of the capital. Go Native offers several Serviced Apartments in the area including The Creechurch which has been built within one of the last remaining tea storage buildings. It has been refurbished to a high spec and is within easy walking distance of both Bank station and the Thames.

Other Serviced Apartments near Bank include St Swithin’s, which are wonderful airy apartments, ideally located for access to businesses within the City. In addition to the high spec apartments, the area also offers great shopping, restaurants and heritage sites, making a business trip more than just business.

The area is also one of London’s most vibrant and with areas such as the Thames and Brick Lane within easy walking distance, Serviced Apartments near Bank offer a multitude of bonuses aside from the obvious proximity to the city.

Have a look at our Serviced Apartments near Bank.

Mar
15th

Serviced Apartments Near Canary Wharf

No comments | Posted in Apartments

Serviced Apartments in Canary Wharf

Go Native looks at the state of Serviced Apartments in Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf in London is one of the World’s top business centres, with billions of pounds being made every day by the various corporations who are based in the capital. The towering buildings and ornate squares have become synonymous with the area as has the affluence of the people who work there. This has meant that Serviced Apartments near Canary Wharf are more popular now than ever and especially as the people who generally tend to use these types of accommodation are business professionals who would be particularly interested in the area.

Go Native has several brilliant Serviced Apartments in Canary Wharf including the newly acquired Lanterns Court and Indescon. These have become a must have for many business travellers in the area as they offer accommodation in modern, purpose built, practical blocks that are within walking distance of Canary Wharf.

The ASAP report for 2010 recently outlined the increasing occupancy rates in London and areas such as Canary Wharf (where the majority of people staying in the area will be there for business) are hotspots for Serviced Apartments. However, Canary Wharf offers so much more than just a place in which to do business. Due to the recent design, the area incorporates everything from vast shopping centres to gyms and cinemas, meaning that a stay in a Canary Wharf Serviced Apartment is more than just a business trip.

Have a look at our Serviced Apartments in Canary Wharf.

Mar
14th

Serviced Apartments in London see growth in 2010

1 comment | Posted in Serviced Apartments

2010 provides vintage year for Serviced Apartments

Following the ASAP 2010 report, Go Native has a look at the state of the Serviced Apartment Market

ASAP (the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers) has posted the state of the Serviced Apartment industry in 2010, showing growth in almost all areas of the UK. This has coincided with an expansion of the Go Native portfolio and the award of the corporate housing provider of the year for 2010.

One of the main areas of growth has been in the London markets which have seen a 3% (now standing at 89%) increase in the average occupancy across the year. This coincides with many of our predictions in the London Housing Market intelligence Report that we released last year.

Our portfolio of Serviced Apartments in London has increased in 2010 with popular acquisitions such as Times Square and William IV which have both emulated the popularity of Serviced Apartments in the capital. In addition to this our portfolio of Serviced Apartments in Canary Wharf has also increased, which has seen us take on blocks such as Indescon and Lanterns court, which have been incredibly popular due to their proximity to Canary Wharf and the favourable rates in comparison to other accommodation options.

In addition to the 3% increase in the London occupancy rates, the rates around the rest of the country has increased by 4%, with the number now sitting at 79%. This has coincided with our release of Canning Street in Edinburgh which offers a great option both for business travellers and leisure travellers due to their central location.

Go Native is very pleased with this report, it’s findings go along with the trends that have been predicted in our housing market intelligence reports and will go some way to increasing the confidence in the Serviced Apartment market. This should go some way to appeasing the lack of opportunity for the growth of Serviced Apartments in several areas around the UK.

Mar
11th

Top Business Smartphones

No comments | Posted in Travel Technology

The top smartphones for business people

Go Native compares three of the top smartphones and investigates their business suitability

Smartphones have become a must have for businesspeople around the globe, only the other day a conversation was raging around the office about how people needed to have smartphones to be totally contactable on the move and how simple voice conversations and texts no longer cut the mustard in today’s society.

So with the onus very much on social media, anytime browsing and email accessibility in order to run a successful business, what choices do business people have when looking at smartphones? Go Native has therefore decided to compile a list of it’s top 5 smartphones for business people.

Iphone 4

The multifunctioning smartphone with full HTML reading capabilities and useful apps has been born from the original Iphone of 2007. The Iphone 4 is the third reincarnation of this original design and benefits from having a top pedigree and over 100,000,000 users to get feedback from. Just for clarification that is 1.4% of the entire population of the world. This means that the phone is universally accepted, has the highest numbers of developers to make new apps and is also fashionable.

However, with the popularity also comes systems that can be adapted and improved upon by other handsets. A drawback of the Iphone 4 is that it does not have the highest quality camera and the upgradability of it is questionable, and with frequent upgraded models being released (4 in the past 4 years) the model may go out of date quickly.

Another drawback of the popular phone is that it is designed for a multifunctioning client, meaning that it is a jack of all trades rather than a designated business phone like it’s Blackberry rivals. However, especially for business travellers this is not necessarily a bad thing as the multi functionality of the phone negates the need for other multimedia devices.

Blackberry Torch and Torch 2

Blackberry’s have had the business market cornered for several years with their standout phone families the Bold and Curve phones have been gracing the palms of suited office dwellers for years, and for good reason. The Blackberry has a pedigree very much bred towards the business market, with functionality targeting business practices rather than entertainment.

This continues with the torch, which has both the touch screen capabilities that have made the Iphone so popular, but also with the QWERTY keyboard that the brand has become synonymous with, the buttons that look too small to use but are ingeniously designed for quick typing.

The Torch 2 is rumoured to be released by the end of the year and this is likely to have a similar look to the original but with certain items that the Iphone has had since it’s inception such as movement recognition, allowing games that require the phone to be tilted or spun.

However, the limitation of the Blackberry family is that although they do have the entertainment capabilities, these do not compare to the superior qualities of the Iphone 4. Do not forget that this is a business phone however and is unrivalled for its efficiency in that department.

HTC Desire S

HTC are a relative newcomer to the smartphone market, but have had a huge impact on the market in the few years that they have been making smartphones. Although more popular amongst consumers than for businesses, the reputation of the HTC models is growing day-by-day.

The new model of their most popular design, the Desire, is set to be released in late March or early April 2011 and is likely to take a further chunk of the smartphone market. As one of the top smartphones for business people, the HTC Desire S has the internet capabilities of both the Blackberry and Iphone, but as these are relatively untested in the business market it is hard to gauge how effective they will be in day to day life.

The Desire has become an incredibly popular handset, being the second highest selling smartphone behind the Iphone 4, however many still see this as a cheaper alternative to the more popular Iphone 4. This has meant that consumers looking for a bargain have embraced it with open arms, due to business contracts offering Iphones and Blackberry’s for similar prices, the business community are yet to embrace these newcomers in the same fashion as the traditional consumer. However, with the brand steadily gaining a reputation for reliability, affordability and functionality, it will only be a matter of time before businesses start adopting the phones.

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