Readers of Business Traveller UK magazine have voted The Ascott Group as the 'Best Serviced Residence Company' in Europe for the inaugural award.

In addition, Ascott was not only chosen as the best brand in the service residence industry in Asia Pacific, Ascott Shanghai Pudong in China was also voted the ‘Best Serviced Residence' by readers of the Asia Pacific edition of Business Traveller.

To add to the Group’s list of international accolades, Forbes China magazine chose Ascott Beijing, Ascott Shanghai Pudong and Somerset Olympic Tower Tianjin as three of the 15 ‘China's Best Serviced Apartments’. The Ascott Group bagged the most number of awards from Forbes in the serviced residence category. The winners were short-listed from 100 serviced residences across major cities in China.

The Business Traveller UK and Forbes China awards were created this year to recognise service excellence and memorable stay experience in serviced residences.

The Ascott Group recently revamped its corporate website and launched individual websites for its three brands with enhanced user-friendly features.

Visitors can access the new corporate website at www.theascottgroup.com and get information about the Group including its history, management services, global presence and career opportunities.

The individual brand websites enable users to choose the residence that best suits their needs. Now, guests can find their property of choice easily by brand, city or country.

There is also information on more than 130 of the Group's properties worldwide. With fewer steps to make bookings, online reservation is made easier and more direct.

Check out our websites Ascott, Somerset and Citadines.

Expatriates working in Singapore's upcoming arts and learning hub will be able to stay at Ascott's first Citadines here. Citadines Singapore Mount Sophia located at Wilkie Road near Mount Sophia, caters to young, trendy and independent travellers.

Located in the fun and exciting arts hub, the property is well-suited for professionals working in the creative services community, as well as foreign students and academia from the nearby Singapore Management University, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LaSalle College of The Arts.

The 154-unit Citadines Singapore Mount Sophia is part of an integrated lifestyle development that includes offices, retail outlets and eateries. It is targeted to open in the first half of 2009.

Ascott's first serviced residence in Bahrain officially opened its doors last month. The 118-unit Somerset Al Fateh is located on the coast of Al Fateh, an exclusive residential area offering scenic views of Manama. It overlooks the Arabian Sea, and is just a few minutes' drive from the central business district, foreign embassies and Bahrain Financial Harbour.

Besides Somerset Al Fateh, Ascott also manages the 84-unit Somerset Jadaf in Dubai, which opened in July 2006. Ascott will open its third property in the Gulf region - the 200-unit Somerset West Bay in Doha - by early 2008.