Chambers opens apartments

AFTER months of restoration, a boutique serviced apartment
company in Leeds has today opened its second residence, 800 years
to the day that the city was founded.

The Chambers, Park Place, which will provide accommodation for
business and leisure travellers visiting the city, boasts 62
top-of-the-range apartments in a restored 19th century building in
the heart of the city's business district.

It has also named its conference suite in honour of the
city's founding father, Maurice Paynel, with Kevin Grady,
Director of Leeds Civic Trust, present today to unveil a plaque in
Maurice's honour and formally open the building, ushering in a
new era of luxury for visitors to the city.

It was on November 12, 1207 that Maurice Paynel, the then lord
of the manor granted a charter which created the manorial borough
or town of Leeds, which today we know as Briggate. Until that point
Leeds was just an agricultural manor with a small village centred
on the Parish Church and Kirkgate.

Kevin Grady, Director of Leeds Civic Trust, said “Leeds has
certainly come a long way since the charter was granted 800 years
ago. Maurice Paynel in creating the borough wanted to establish a
prosperous centre of commerce and industry.

“It must have been beyond his wildest dreams that
eventually it would become one of the country's leading
financial, legal and media centres.

“I am delighted to see many more people living in the city
centre once again, and in particular to see excellent projects like
Park Place, which enhance the urban fabric of our city through the
sensitive restoration of existing buildings.

“These will no doubt encourage people to visit Leeds and to
do business in the city. It gives me great pleasure to unveil this
plaque which honours the 800th birthday of the City of Leeds and
its founder.”

Christine Boothroyd, owner of The Chambers, said: “We are
delighted to be opening our second boutique residence on such an
historic day and we felt it fitting to commemorate one of the
city's founding fathers with a permanent plaque.”

The Chambers' new luxury residence, a restored 19th Century
building on Park Place, will have 62 luxury apartments, a grand
lobby reception, three state-of-the-art meeting rooms, including
the Maurice Paynel Suite, as well as a residents' gym. A new
website www.morethanjustabed.com has
also been launched.

The company was the first to establish a serviced apartment
brand in Leeds when it opened in November 2003.

For more information on The Chambers visit www.morethanjustabed.com