Press Cuttings

The Windows on Europe Group

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Gentleman Real EstateJuly 2008

THE PLEASURE OF RENTALSWindows on Europe is here – and it’s a success already. (…) The group, led by Leonardo Ferragamo, is now the first port of call for managers and companies seeking top accommodation solutions.

Far more than a simple real estate agency, Windows on Europe is also a services company designed for the most discerning customers. From the manager on a business trip, to those looking for a country house.It all began more than 20 years ago based on an idea developed by Leonardo Ferragamo, the Florentine entrepreneur who has turned his love for his birthplace into a successful business. Windows on Tuscany was founded in 1986 as a company dedicated to the management and rental of private luxury vacation homes in Tuscany. Since then, the original project has grown to become the Windows on Europe group, which is chaired by Ferragamo. The group encompasses a multitude of different activities, all united by a common purpose: to find the best accommodation solutions for businesspeople and businesses, whether they are looking for a fully-equipped city apartment or a villa for an exclusive holiday.The solutions available include lofts installed with domotics systems, and apartments with sumptuous drapery and moldings in the city centers of Italy and Europe. Whatever the style, there’s something to suit any businessman who prizes luxury and functionality.

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An Enchanting MansionMORE THAN JUST A FERRAGAMO FAMILY TREASURE, VILLA LE ROSE IS THE QUINTESSENCE OF ELEGANCE AND THE ART OF LIVING IN TRADITIONAL STYLE WITH A NOD TO TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY

A splendid period residence owned by Leonardo Ferragamo, Villa Le Rose is located just 5 km from Florence in a position atop one of the most beautiful, historic Tuscan hillsides. Arches and divinely decorated walls enclose six suites, a majestic ball room, and a frescoed living room and dining room, all combined with impeccable concierge services worthy of a five-star hotel.

Casa Vogue PortogalloJanuary 2005

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Corriere SeraFebruary 2004

MILAN – THE WIDESPREAD HOTEL

Remember Start ups, companies which mushroomed all over the Internet during the boom of the new economy? They’re back. But this time to answer to real rather than virtual needs. THE WIDESPREAD HOTEL – Like the problem to find a house in Milan for those who only spend short visits in the city, which spurred Pietro Martani, 30, to create Rentxpress. “A chain of 50 apartments which I manage and rent out to companies with staff on business trips or to tourists seeking a homely atmosphere”. The chain of dwellings which he offers on the site www.rentxpress.com is called “widespread hotel”, and the idea to create it dawned on him whilst scrutinizing the Council report on the great number of unused houses in the city. “The ebb of the worldwide web has reached its climax and we are once again immersed in the real world”.

DoveApril 2005

SUMMER VACATIONS

One of the businesses owned by the Ferragamo family - the family behind fashion label Salvatore Ferragamo – Windows on Tuscany was founded in 1986 by Leonardo Ferragamo, who has spent many years working to safeguard and promote Florence’s cultural heritage. The company specializes in short term rentals of numerous luxury apartments located in the city’s most enchanting historical buildings, dating back to the 13th-16th centuries. True architectural gems, these residences boast exquisite draperies and elegant furniture, and are imbued with a sense of exclusive sophistication. They are unique places, which have hosted well-known personalities such as James Ivory, the director of Room with a View.

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FlairMay 2004

START-UPS TO KEEP AN EYE ONIDEA! 7 GREAT STORIES OF NEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE CREATIVE, AND THEREFORE SUCCESSFUL

WHO Pietro Martani, age 31, studied economics with a Masters at Istud (the Confindustria Business School)THE IDEA “In 2002, inspired by what was happening in the US, I created an alternative to hotels for business clients. With 100,000 euros, I rented 50 apartments in the city center which I now offer to my customers: Vodafone, Dolce & Gabbana, Banca Intesa, the UN. (...) I expect to reach a hundred apartments by the end of the year”. THE OBJECTIVE “To go beyond Milan. Rentxpress will start organizing temporary rentals of villas around the world”.

VACATIONS

The Ferragamo-owned company Windows on Italy evolved from Windows on Tuscany, a real estate agency specializing in tourist rentals of prestigious properties. Apartments and villas in the most bewitching places in Italy, where traces of antiquity blend harmoniously with modern comforts, in an atmosphere of sophistication and exclusivity.

DoveApril 2006

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Il MondoJanuary 2008

Real Estate Agreement with Halldis FERRAGAMO REAL ESTATE

A new holding company integrates the real estate activities of Leonardo Ferragamo with those of the company Halldis, the European leader in corporate and tourist apartment rentals. The company will have more than 600 properties available in the main European cities, as well as 70 luxury villas in Tuscany and other picturesque areas of Italy.

Leonardo Ferragamo brings his real estate properties to a new holding companyMERGER FOR THE FLORENTINE PRINCE Merger with Halldis, the leader in the market of apartments for managers and tourists.

(...) The company, chaired by Ferragamo with Pietro Martani as CEO, will be called Windows on Europe. The new group will include Rentxpress (online short term rentals), Global System (offices and accommodations for managers in Italy), Halldis and the two companies owned by Ferragamo, Windows on Italy and Gentili &

Roy. FERRAGAMO PUTS A ROOF OVER MANAGERS’ HEADS

With its 670 managed properties in cities including London, Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt, Windows on Europe aims to become the number one resource for those seeking alternative solutions to traditional hotels.

Il ValoreJanuary 2008

EconomyFebruary 2008

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Corriere della SeraDecember 2012

A NEW PARTNER FOR WINDOWS ON EUROPE AND THE LAUNCH OF RENTXPRESS

JV Capital provides capital to the Windows on Europe group and joins partners Leonardo Ferragamo, President and Pietro Martani, founder and CEO, for the launch of the new site Rentxpress.

CORRADINO ENTERS THE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION

JV Capital joins the holding shareholders equity and nominates Marco Corradino, founder of Bravofly “Volagratis”, as a member on the board of administration, bringing capital and experience for the launch of the new site www.rentxpress.com.

WINDOWS ON EUROPE GROWS ON TWO FRONTS

Windows on Europe, a leading Italian holding company in temporary rentals, which, thanks to the efforts of 12 companies, proposes a complete and diverse offer for short lets by directly managing 1,300 properties in Italy and in Europe, launches the new version of the site www.rentxpress.com. Rentxpress offers apartments for short lets in the main global destinations and proposes to group together offers for apartments, residences and holiday homes, a highly fragmented industry, especially in Italy, with the aim of promoting them to a global market, thus strengthening their ability to compete.

Bloomberg - Borsa & FinanzaDecember 2012

Il Sole 24 OreJanuary 2013

About our Management Servicesfor Apartment Owners

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About our Management Services for Apartment Owners

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MillionaireOctober 2012

EVERYBODY WANTS SHORT LETSAs a private homeowner: rent your house.

“We help people to make the most of their apartment” explains Mr Martani. “The owner will be free from bureaucratic management and maintenance headaches, they are not tied down any longer by traditional contractual obligations and they could use their apartment during certain periods”.

Milano FinanzaMarch 2007

THE PROFITABILITY OF A FURNISHED PROPERTY

“There are benefits for all parties”, explains Pietro Martani. “The owner can obtain a minimum assured income with returns in line with the average of the rental market (…) Moreover, the owner retains the right to use the apartment at certain times of year and is guaranteed against any unpaid rent (Halldis would cover it) or damages (the company also arranges contents insurance)”. For businesses, the benefit lies in being able to offer senior managers comfortable, technologically-equipped accommodation, at fees that are in line with or slightly lower than those of a typical serviced apartment-hotel.

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Il MondoJune 2009

EIRE DOSSIERProperty: The sector provides jobs for 2.4 million people and generates more than 12% of the national GNP

REAL ESTATE PLAN FOR A NEW STARTTo make properties produce income in times of crisis, however, “the key words are flexibility, creativity and service”, says Pietro Martani, managing director of Windows on Europe, the hospitality/real estate group which manages 700 serviced apartments in the main Italian cities and around Europe, along with 70 luxury villas in Tuscany and other beauty spots around Italy. “These words may be foreign to the real estate market, but they are what my company stands for. Residential properties for temporary use with stress-free contracts, and turnkey office solutions which are fully serviced and easy to use. The answer to this financial crisis is to listen to private individuals and companies seeking fast, high-quality, standards-compliant solutions for the period they require, without bureaucratic or contractual complications.

FEW PROBLEMS AND CERTAIN RENTALSInterview with an owner

“When, in 2001 I bought these houses to rent out, I couldn’t find any tenants. Today, thanks to this concept, my two-roomed properties are rented out 80% of the time, when everything is running smoothly. What is great for me is that there are no costs, as Halldis adds the costs of their service directly onto the tenant. I have my account online in real time and, by the 15th of each month I receive the rent of the previous month”.

Sole 24 OreJanuary 2013

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About our Management Services for Apartment Owners

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HOW TO BUY A HOUSE OVERSEAS AND BENEFIT FROM ITIn London the Italians are the real estate kings, overtaking the Russians. The novelty here is the service provided by agencies to guarantee excellent profits.

A testimony to this breakthrough is Pietro Martani, shareholder, together with Leonardo Ferragamo, of the holding company Windows on Europe, which is spearheaded by Halldis, which specializes in short lets and which found its way to London precisely to benefit from the present enormity of property deeds. On average, Halldis guarantees an occupation rate of 75% and annual profits of 20 thousand pounds sterling for a two-roomed property in Kensington. The next target is Miami.

Il Sole 24 OreJanuary 2009

HALLDIS OFFERS 50 HOMES FOR RENT IN PARIS

Halldis currently manages over 50 apartments in Paris and forecasts to reach its goal of 70 properties by springtime.

PanoramaNovember 2012

BRUSSELS, HALLDIS INAUGURATES ITS NEW APARTMENTS FOR BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

The new Brussels apartments derive from our intention to expand along with the growth taking place in Europe, while meeting the needs of business, which is increasing among Member States, and make life easier for those who are making this growth happen: businesses and managers.

Notiziario Marketpress January 2007

About Transforming a Residential Buildinginto Short-Term Rental Apartments

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About Transforming a Residential Building into Short-Term Rental Apartments

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Milano FinanzaJuly 2007

HALLDIS BUILDS 24 APARTMENTS FOR MANAGERS IN MILAN

Twenty-four apartments, with one or two bedrooms, each of them customized, serviced and equipped with the most advanced technologies, internet access, home automation systems, meeting room, penthouse terrace (...) This is the new offering from Halldis for managers seeking high-quality, functional housing solutions as an alternative to hotels. The new building, which is in Via Biondelli 7 (near Bocconi university) and will be inaugurated at the end of the year, is owned by Vitofin spa, which invested 2.5 million euros in the project. As a full service property manager, Halldis also designed it.

Affari&FinanzaMay 2007

New ideaHIGH-TECH AND LUXURY, INTRODUCING CORPORATE HOMESThe formula offers impeccably equipped apartments and is most popular with foreign clients

The formula offers impeccably equipped apartments and is most popular with foreign clientsThe latest “residence” will be inaugurated in the Bocconi area of Milan at the end of the year. “The new building is owned by the company Vitofin Spa”, says Halldis, “and we are fully managing every aspect of it. We designed it according to our philosophy, aiming to meet the requirements of our clients from all over the world, in line with our aim to serve the international business community. The 24 apartments, each one different from the other, will all be equipped with the most modern technologies with internet access in every room. They have all been designed as either one or two-bedroom homes, to deliberately make them stand out from the classic single hotel room. Each one is customized and furnished with contemporary designer items. Naturally, services will also have to be super-sophisticated. The concept of home automation or “domotics” is used in these mini-homes, with the option of programming access to the apartment by punching in a code and activating or deactivating services such as the alarm or heating. That’s not all. Surprisingly, the apartments are also eco-compatible because it seems that the business community, especially from abroad, is particularly interested in environmentally-friendly, energy-saving solutions.

About Designing & Managinga Business Center

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About Designing & Managing a Business Center

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Milano FinanzaDecember 2009

GENERALI AND HALLDIS INVEST IN TEMPORARY OFFICES

Blend Tower, which offers high-tech serviced offices for short term rental, is now open for business. The Milanese skyscraper stands in Piazza 4 Novembre, 50 metres from the Central Station, and has offices to rent for an hour, a few months or a year. Virtual offices are available too. This is a joint venture from Halldis and Generali Immobiliare Italia. The former is an Italian company which offers turnkey apartments and offices for rent in Italy and Europe, while the latter manages the real estate fund Scarlatti, which owns the building. The Tower was designed by architects 5+1 AA, based in Genoa.

BLEND TOWER, MILANO Ultra-technological four-star temporary offices

Luca Pasqualotto, business developer of Windows on Europe, takes us round the different floors of Blend Tower, pointing out the interesting and most innovative details. The building’s strong point is its high technological standard, which also helps contain energy consumption. One example is the electronic presence detector, activated using a personal card, which automatically switches off lights and devices if nobody is in the office. The interiors, designed by Marco Vigo, are high quality but, in line with the Windows on Europe ethos, they eschew the traditional “luxury” aesthetic. Rooms are designed to be a neutral space to be personalized at will by each inhabitant, with name plates, signs, artwork and accessories. (…) Pasqualotto stresses, “This was a conscious choice, partly to differentiate us from the competition: rather than aim for an invasive brand, we took the path of the utmost discretion. We believe that our clients should be free to convey the image and environment that best represents them to those they do business with, and we have often found that they don’t want to give off the idea of a temporary situation”.

US UfficioStileMarch 2010

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Il Sole 24 OreNovember 2009

BLEND TOWER OPENS, THE “SHORT-TERM” SKYSCRAPER

Instant office spaceBlend Tower, the name of this skyscraper, contains a hundred offices with a total of 300 workstations, fully furnished and cabled, with air-con, advanced phone systems, a high-speed internet connection and 24 hour a day access, 365 days a year with a digital swipe card, daily cleaning, video surveillance, a security system, multilingual reception staff, a restaurant and a penthouse lounge; not to mention 13 meeting rooms for training courses, conventions or press conferences, with a total of 150 seats, plus “unlimited” virtual offices with a dedicated postal address, mailbox and phone number.

THE TOWER WITH OFFICES «BY THE HOUR» THAT’S PART OF A FUND

Fully furnished, cabled offices, daily cleaning, video surveillance, multilingual receptionists, dining hall, and a pay-per-use secretarial service. Flexibility is the key: the contract can be renewed month to month, the deposit is small, the fee is all-inclusive and it can all be arranged in no time at all. You can open a new office in just one day, and you can even share the spaces or rent them just for a few hours. These are the main features of Blend Tower, the skyscraper in central Milan just 50 meters from the Central Station, in a strategic area for those traveling to and from the city. Here, managers, companies and small businesses can rent turnkey temporary offices. The sales side is managed by Halldis, the leading Italian company for turnkey apartment and offices rentals in Italy and Europe. It is the first case in which a high-tech building is part of a real estate fund through this formula (the fund being Scarlatti, managed by Generali Immobiliare Italia Sgr).

Sistemi & ImpresaMarch 2010

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UN CENTRE D’AFFAIRE AU “SCIENCE 14”

CB Richard Ellis Investors, an international real estate investment management firm, has announced a contract agreement with Halldis, main company of the Windows on Europe Group, who manage furnished apartments and offices for short and medium lets. The objective: to create a business centre in the Science 14 building situated in the heart of the European neighbourhood in Brussels.

Le Soir ImmoApril 2011

New Projects

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New Projects

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WINDOWS ON EUROPE FOR THE SHORT LET MARKET The Windows on Europe Group have decided to invest EUR3.5 million, in order to provide to professional operators, homeowners and managers of residences and holiday homes, the opportunity to benefit from services and tools, to improve the management, promotion and rental possibilities for residential units for short-term.The tools and services provided by Windows on Europe are flexible and personalised and can be utilized throughout the different stages of the business, improving the efficiency of daily operations, from the promotion of the property in international markets to the management of enquiries and bookings.

Real EstateFebruary 2012

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HALLDIS PRO ARE SEEKING PARTNERS TO EXPAND THEIR PRESENCE ON LOCAL TERRITORY

The company has recently launched the Halldis Pro project, which is aimed at expanding its presence in the main cities, tourist areas or commercial centres throughout Italy, by means of a partnership with local enterprises.“We would like to co-operate with entrepreneurs to become our partners and structure a management system for property in their specific area, applying our business model – says the founder of Halldis and CEO of Windows on Europe, Pietro Martani – At the moment, in Italy, the supply of private apartments for short lets is traditionally a family-run affair, which makes the market unstructured and fragmented and also makes it very difficult to pay attention to detail and to stay in line with international standards of service. However, the potential is enormous: it is calculated, in fact, that there are 3.5 million holiday homes in Italy, of which only a tiny portion (15%) are made available for tourist rentals.

Sole 24 OreJanuary 2013

HALLDIS SEEKS PARTNERS AROUND ITALYStart up programme. The operator seeks local partners in tourist areas to share profits

Young entrepreneurs who know the area well. Former estate agents who want to return to the fore. Homeowners who are keen to promote local tourism or who are active in the hospitality industry. For all of these people a work opportunity has arisen, through a possible business deal, thanks to Halldis, who aims to transform the consistent phenomenon of holiday homes which remain vacant and without profit. The short let network is looking for hundreds of local partners to entrust them with the development of a number of rental properties in their local area and for the overall management of the service. Halldis intends to sign agreements with local entrepreneurs so that, after a short educational course, they would be able to manage the whole platform, together with the promotion of the property and through adverts made available directly via websites managed by the group. No qualifications or experience are necessary and neither is an investment: Halldis offers a Start up programme to launch the business and the management of commercial processes.

StartupbusinessMarch 2013

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Giornale di SondrioJanuary 2013

HOLIDAY HOMES, HERE’S THE SOLUTION Madesimo is promoting a partnership with a company specializing in property rentals to solve the problem of 4,000 vacant properties in the area. The excessive number of vacant apartments has always been considered one of the main problems for Madesimo.

The Madesimo Council, through the Consortium for Promoting Tourism, has signed an agreement with Halldis, with the intention to convey the idea of holiday home rentals and hotels in Madesimo to an elite client database, which extends beyond the shores and boundaries of Italy.“Through this agreement – says Francesco Comotti, Director of the Consortium for Promoting Tourism in Madesimo – from one side we would like to benefit from what local property already offers, to make better use of them, to make them economically viable without having to invest more money, from the other side we wanted to contribute to the modernisation of our town, by bringing it closer to international standards: it is only in this way that our Alpine tourism can compete in these times of recession”. “We would like to try – affirms Alberto Melgrati, CEO of Halldis – to provide a point of reference for the management of the holiday homes and hotels in local mountain tourist areas: apart from Madesimo we have identified similar projects to employ in other Alpine areas around Italy.”

HOLIDAY HOMES, A COMPANY RENTS THEM OUT FOR YOUHalldis will take care of the thousands of “cold beds” – The Consortium has signed an agreement. More than 4,000 apartments with more than 20,000 beds remain vacant throughout most of the year.

In Madesimo thousands of cold beds remain unused for more than 11 months of the year, whilst there appears to be a chronic shortage of holiday homes throughout the town. The double objective of the Consortium is clear: give the homeowners the opportunity to earn money by renting their holiday homes when they are not being used and to provide broader accommodation choices to tourists visiting Madesimo.With an extra 100 apartments and 500 beds per week, there will be an increase of 50% in available lodging in the town, with obvious advantages for the overall economy of the valley. This is not an act of defiance towards hotels: we are targeting different markets. The homeowners will have more money in their pockets and will be able to face the economic hardship of owning a house in Madesimo with more serenity.

La Provincia di SondrioJanuary 2013

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