Howard Ruby, ‘Father of Corporate Housing’ and founder of Oakwood Worldwide, dies at 90

Howard Ruby, the founder of Oakwood Worldwide, died on Monday May 8 of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 90.

Born in Cleveland on March 28, 1935, Ruby graduated from the Wharton School of Business, then joined the U.S. Navy, after which he started a real estate partnership in California that led to the formation of R&B Realty Group in 1960.

In 1965 R&B opened the South Bay Club, the first furnished apartments for singles, in Marina del Rey, which later evolved into fully furnished apartments with household items and housekeeping in the 1970s. The firm had locations in 50 states and 86 countries, and became the world’s largest provider of furnished apartments.

Oakwood was sold to Singapore-based ASAP Operator Member The Ascott Limited in 2022.

Read more: >>

More News & Views

by Becky Hoyle • 16 September 2026
New data from revenue management platform PriceLabs shows that Europe's heatwave summer did less to disrupt travel patterns than many expected. The biggest shift is that the summer high season is extending into September. Bookings for this month jumped across almost every market analysed, from Murcia in Spain to Bergen in Norway, as travellers seek cooler weather and fewer crowds rather than avoiding the season altogether. Read more
by Becky Hoyle • 8 September 2026
European serviced apartment operator, ASAP Operator Member Cityus has established a dedicated French corporate entity and expanded its central serviced apartment portfolio in Paris to meet growing corporate demand across European business hubs. Alongside this legal structuring, Cityus has added newly furnished studio and one-bedroom apartments across prime business districts, specifically the 7th, 8th and 17th Arrondissements, with a continuous pipeline of additional central properties planned for delivery throughout the coming year. Download press release
by Becky Hoyle • 20 July 2026
ASAP Operator Member Frasers Hospitality has announced the soft opening of Fraser Residence Wuzhen. Located in the historic 1,300-year-old water town dating from the Tang Dynasty, the property marks Frasers Hospitality’s first entry into this, one of China’s renowned cultural and tourism destinations. Read more >
by Becky Hoyle • 16 September 2026
New data from revenue management platform PriceLabs shows that Europe's heatwave summer did less to disrupt travel patterns than many expected. The biggest shift is that the summer high season is extending into September. Bookings for this month jumped across almost every market analysed, from Murcia in Spain to Bergen in Norway, as travellers seek cooler weather and fewer crowds rather than avoiding the season altogether. Read more
by Becky Hoyle • 8 September 2026
European serviced apartment operator, ASAP Operator Member Cityus has established a dedicated French corporate entity and expanded its central serviced apartment portfolio in Paris to meet growing corporate demand across European business hubs. Alongside this legal structuring, Cityus has added newly furnished studio and one-bedroom apartments across prime business districts, specifically the 7th, 8th and 17th Arrondissements, with a continuous pipeline of additional central properties planned for delivery throughout the coming year. Download press release

ASAP Industry Development Sponsors 2025

The support of our sponsors is essential for our efforts in advocating for our members and interacting with policymakers.