As we stated in a previous post, we have been working hard on building our Live Guide Section. You will be happy to know that we wrote plenty of interesting articles about lovely and incredible locations around the world.

Today we will expose more on our Istanbul section. The first article from this series is about Istanbul’s areas. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the fifth most populated in the world with its 12.8 million inhabitants. Located on the border between Asia and Europe, Istanbul is delimited by the Bosphorus Strait and the Golden Horn. It is the only city in the world located on two continents: Istanbul’s European side is called Thrace and the Asian is called Anatolia. The city of Istanbul is organized into 27 districts which form what is called The Greater Istanbul, while another 12 districts complete what is called the Istanbul province. The city is mainly formed by three main areas: The historic peninsula, the districts of Üsküdar and Kadıköy and the districts of Beyoğlu and Beşiktaş.  Read more about Istanbul areas here.

We also want to share with you our opinion on Istanbul’s gastronomy. You can read more about the delicious food and ingredients Turkish people use here.

If you are visiting Istanbul any time soon, you could check our beautiful apartments, and attend the Istanbul Gastronomy Festival, and share photos and thoughts with us.

What else about Istanbul would you like to know? Give us ideas about what you would like to read on the Live Guide Section, and we will make sure to write about it!

The SSA Team wishes you a lovely day!

A new chic London penthouse has been added to our portfolio, the Cock Lane Penthouse, available for city breaks or extended stays.

This top-floor apartment has been recently refurbished to real luxury standards. The best feature is the private patio terrace that can be accessed through the impressive glass sliding doors in the living room.

Cock Lane Penthouse, London

The Cock Lane penthouse is ideally located in the very heart of London, in the famous St Paul’s area, within walking distance to the historic St Paul’s Cathedral, Farringdon and Smithfield, and to fashionable shops, bars and restaurants. It has excellent transport links nearby that make it the perfect starting point for sightseeing central London.

For more information and reservations of this and more stylish city-break apartments please visit our London page.

When we saw this spectacular Barcelona house with three floors and a swimming pool we could not believe our eyes. Barcelona is a city where living space is reduced to the minimum as the city stretches between the sea and the mountains, therefore is has very little space to extend with the growing population.

However, Magi’s Garden is more like an exception to this situation and definitely a unique place to stay. We are proud to introduce you to it.

This house features 280 m2 and its 100 m2 garden with a small swimming pool and sauna, is an oasis in the city of Barcelona, where spending some relaxing time with your family or friends can be combined with enjoying the cultural life of the city.

Located in the residential area of the quarter of Gracia, this Barcelona accommodation is close to the free spirit of the bohemian life of Barcelona, with its cozy bars, typical restaurants and art-craft shops.

To reach the very heart of Barcelona, Plaça Catalunya, it takes about 5 minutes by underground and the metro stop Lesseps is only 150 m from the house.

The most fashionable avenue of Barcelona, Passeig de Gracia, is on the green line too and it can be reached in 2 minutes by underground or simply by a pleasant stroll down the Gran de Gracia street, in about 15 minutes.

For more information and reservations please visit our Barcelona apartment rental page.

The most important business event in Amsterdam, the IBC (International Broadcast Conference) is approaching fast and the city is already getting ready for this exciting time. The conference will be held from 10^th to 14^th of September 2009 and the exhibition from 11^th to 15^th September 2009, both at the RAI Centre.

The IBC is the main European appointment for international companies of all sizes that specialize in the communication industry as well as for all those visitors who wish to take advantage of the great concentration of knowledge, training sessions and the networking opportunities created by this event.

Apartments are in great demand as an alternative corporate accommodation solution to hotels. More and more business travelers look for the comfort of spacious fully equipped charming apartments as opposed to the impersonal feel of a hotel room. Some of these short-stay apartments in Amsterdam are ideal for business travelers who wish to live an intense exhibition experience during the day while enjoying some rest and relaxation in the evening or even have a chance to do some sightseeing in Amsterdam.

Some companies though have a more pragmatic approach to the conference and prefer accommodating their staff members in one location. They usually choose to stay in serviced apartment buildings like the Delastage Apartments, which feature a more contemporary design and can allocate multiple units.

For those of you with a particular taste in funky interior decor, we have found the perfect rental apartment for you!  This Funky Spui Style apartment is perfect for enjoying Amsterdam at its best. Check out the funky purple underlit bath, the crazy retro wallpaper and floating fish motif in the bathroom and spaced-out view of the Horsehead Nebular right above the tub!

The rest of the apartment is more soberly decorated with brick finish, and including all the mod-cons, including an espresso machine and personal office space.

This apartment is probably one of the funkiest we have found yet in Amsterdam and all our regards must go to the interior designer of the bathroom.  We love it!

Spui Style

In this newly renovated design apartment, based in a typical souterrain of a luxury canal house, you will find contemporary Dutch aesthetic with modern oriental accents. This is the perfect one-bedroom apartment both for business and leisure travelers who seek avant-garde style, comfort and privacy in the very heart of Amsterdam.

Take a closer look at this fantastic short stay apartment here.

Amsterdam still shows the architectural grandeur of the Dutch Golden Age in the XVII century, when the flourishing of trade, arts and sciences remodeled the urban planning, new canals that were being dug to expand the city and the richest merchants, and generally the patricians, had their beautiful canal houses built alongside the canals as a display of their social status. On the keisersgracht’s canal (literally Canal of the Lords) some of the most representative canal houses of the time can still be admired in all their splendour.

Their ornamented stone façades are very impressive; however the most prominent features of a canal house front are its entrance, the piano nobile and the distinctive decorative elements like the gables. A few steps above street level, with pillars on each side, opens an imposing door. The main parlour faces the canal side offering great canal views from its impressive, large windows.

The Keisersgracht Bel-etage apartment is a beautiful example of the splendour of the time.

For more information and reservations please visit ShortStayApartment.com’s Amsterdam page.

Spring is approaching and Barcelona is in bloom, the city is bustling with life and the weather is getting perfect to enjoy sunny days on a rooftop terrace. Barcelona is a Mediterranean city and its mild temperature as well as the low rain levels inevitably shaped the typical flat roof scape.

Most residential buildings have a roof top terrace, accessible to all the residents. Some are used to hang the clean washing to dry in the sun, some are transformed into real attics, with plants, sun beds, garden tables and chairs, some even have a swimming pool. Only a few though are private and accessible only to the residents of one apartment.

We have selected some of the best city-break apartments that feature a rooftop terrace where it is a privilege to spend a relaxing holiday in the sun.

Liceu Loft

The Liceu Loft apartment is an ideal solution for both business and pleasure, nestled in the very heart of Barcelona a stones-throw away from the famous Las Ramblas. Settle in on the rooftop terrace to lounge under the evening sun.

Girona Attic

The Girona Attic is a brand new city-break duplex with a large rooftop terrace and spacious interiors. Located in the heart of the elegant Eixample district, only 5 minute walk from Plaza Catalunya and the historic centre this apartment is ideal for families and friends.

La Pedrera

La Pedrera is not only the name of the world-famous building on the corner of the Paseo de Gracia built by modernist architect Antonio Gaudí, it is also the name of this elegant and spacious apartment located nearby with direct access to an enormous terrace of 100 m2 with impressive views over the city. The terrace is in theory not private, but because of its situation no neighbour ever comes here, so just enjoy!

For more information and reservations please feel free to browse our Barcelona page.

The Barcelona GSM Mobile World Congress begins today in Barcelonam, which means 50,000 professionals have descended on Barcelona.  Speaking this year are big names from Yahoo, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and more.  Speakers range from Steve Ballmer, of Microsoft fame, to Kevin Spacey.  Key subjects this year will be the Smart Phones and Touch Phones, as most manufacturers race to catch up with the iPhone.

More information on the GSM congress here.

Thanks to the more affordable and frequent flights, a new holiday trend has opened up in Europe. City breaks are more and more a way to switch off from our daily routine and get exploring different destinations every time we have a few days off. During a long weekend or a bank holiday, we escape to a European capital city instead of taking a long holiday once a year to visit just one country.

Limonaia Apartment, Rome

City break apartments are the preferred accommodation solution by groups of friends or families when it comes to travelling to European capitals in comfort but with an eye on the budget.

City break apartments are much more value for money than a hotel room, as the price can be shared between the guests, while the extra space is a real luxury when travelling in a group, especially with children; the apartments feature fully equipped kitchens, dining-rooms, separate bedrooms, often en-suite bathrooms, and since they are fully equipped to the very last detail and provided with cleaning services, you simply enjoy your stay from the moment you arrive to the last minute before leaving.

Short stay apartments are usually decorated and furnished by a professional interior designer to create a unique ambience with a certain character while maintaining the original historic features. They are in fact often located in historical or ancient buildings in central areas, which is a main plus when you have limited time to explore a city and wish to concentrate your cultural agenda in a few days.

Bassols B Apartment, Barcelona

The city break apartments listed on ShortStayApartment.com are managed by local agencies and professionals that provide customer service in situ, yet leave guests in peace to enjoy their privacy. This is another reason why they are the first choice for romantic trips or special occasions, especially ideal for couples who look for a unique short break experience.

Copyright ShortStayApartment.com 2008. No unauthorized reproduction without expressed permission from the author.

The latest entry amongst our city break apartments listing is the bustling city of London, where a multitude of exciting activities are at your door.

Explore the famous London theatres, art galleries, museums, parks, cool restaurants and shops at your ease then relax in the comfort of your own home, your chic and basic apartment in the very heart of London.  Take a look at the Newton Court in Kensington for instance. Its pure white decoration, with just a touch of magenta, makes it incredibly bright and gives it a special chic feel.

Newton Court Apartment, London

Newton Court is situated in Kensington and is also close to London’s trendy Notting Hill. It is also a 5 minute taxi ride away from the major museums in Kensington (Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History). Also a 10 minute taxi ride to the London Eye, great shopping at Knightsbridge, Harrods and Sloane Street.

For more information and reservations of this or more city break apartments, please visit our London page. Get ready to live the dream of a luxury lifestyle in the UK capital!