Video Provides 10 Tips for Living the Expat Life, from Marriott Executive Apartments

BETHESDA, Md., May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Before taking off for Shanghai, Bangkok or Beijing on a long-term expat assignment, you might want to take a look at a new video from Marriott Executive Apartments (MEA), the upscale lodging brand that focuses on making executive expatriates happy and well adjusted. Find the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zON3n9kqqU.

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(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110505/MM94883 )

In the video, Marriott Executive Apartments guests around the world provide these 10 tips for a successful expat experience.  Some examples:

1. Always show respect for the local culture and traditions.
2. Read up on the area and on the culture, learn about the ways of life here and enjoy it.
3. Don't be shy, mix around, be polite and be respectful.
4. Come without fears, come without concerns.
5. Keep an open mind when you come to Shanghai and experience everything you can about this culture.
6. You don't want to just sit around; get out and enjoy what the city has to offer.
7. Get out and meet the people, go where the tourists don't go; if you cannot read the menu, that's the place to eat.
8. Anyone coming here, if you drive, definitely needs to have a GPS device.
9. On my one day off, I actually spend at the golf course mostly.
10. Take part in the social occasions arranged by the Marriott Executive Apartments, to get to know the other expats living at the hotel.

When asked what they like best about staying the Marriott Executive Apartments, they mention the friendly staff, the contemporary decor, great location close to their offices, security, the restaurant, housekeeping standards, laundry facilities in each apartment and the general "home away from home" feeling.  In many cases, the expats said their accommodations were very much like their own home.

"My family and I are very happy at the Marriott Executive Apartments Sukhumvit Park, Bangkok," said Tan, an executive  on long-term assignment from Singapore.  "The three-bedroom apartment we are staying in really feels like what we are used to in Singapore."

"My job involves a lot of travel, so I really want to feel like having a home at my destination," said Stefan, currently staying at the Marriott Executive Apartments in Seoul, his fourth multi-year expat assignment.  "When I arrived in Seoul, the management of the Marriott Executive Apartments had organized a skiing trip for the long-term guests, and I really enjoyed it and the chance to meet new people.   I've been moving around the world without furniture and without having to worry about moving my household.  It's the perfect combination of apartment living and a Marriott hotel."

Marriott Executive Apartments currently operates 20 corporate apartment hotels outside North America, with nine more under construction in the Middle East and Asia. MEA hotels are currently operating in Budapest, Hungary; Mumbai, India; Prague, Czech Republic; Brussels, Belgium; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Bangkok, Thailand; London, England; Seoul, South Korea; Jakarta, Indonesia; Tokyo, Japan; Sao Paolo, Brazil; Atyrau, Kazakhstan; Manama, Bahrain; Beijing, China; Shanghai, China; and Tianjin, China.  Locations set to open in the next three years include Doha, Qatar (2011), two hotels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2011 and 2011), Bangkok, Thailand (2011), Dubai, UAE (2012); Algiers (2013), Hyderabad, India (2013), Cairo, Egypt (2013), and Abu Dhabi, UAE (2014).

Marriott Executive Apartments provides upscale accommodations for guests on extended stays of 30 days or longer in 20 hotels outside the United States.  Offering studios to three-bedroom apartments, they combine comfort of residential living and services of a Marriott hotel.  Each property is influenced by local design elements and features state-of-the-art facilities and technology.   All Marriott Executive Apartments participate in the award winning Marriott Rewards® frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay.  For more information and booking, visit www.marriottexecutiveapartments.com

Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.