Vincent Walsh from Apex Serviced Apartments joins us in our offices to discuss serviced apartments in Windsor and Slough, how important welcome packs are and why no apartment should be without Wi-Fi.
You have apartments in Slough and Windsor. Would you say they’re commuter hotspots?
Absolutely, the Junction Apartments in Slough are a two minute walk from Slough railway station and get into London Paddington in 19 minutes. The Windsor Apartments are a 15 minute walk from Windsor railway station too. There’s a shuttle bus that takes guests to the centre of Windsor in five minutes, so we’re well connected.
What does your welcome include and why is it important?
We include basic groceries to make a breakfast; bread, marmalade, orange juice, tea and coffee. When guests arrive in the middle of the night, even with a 24 hour supermarket nearby, it’s important there are refreshments waiting for them. It shows our guests we care to make the effort and that we’ve prepared the apartment shortly before they arrive.
Hotels have been under scrutiny for not providing free and unlimited Wi-Fi, but you do. So tell us why you do it?
A director from Amazon stayed with us and he confided in us that he likes to play online video games to relax in the evening. Free unlimited broadband is now expected, no matter what it’s for, and we include it in the rates to please our guests. We also offer the basic package of Sky with the option to upgrade – but not everyone needs all the extra channels, as some people prefer to be out and about.
What other facilities do you offer?
At the moment we’re in what I like to call The Championship, but we’re aiming for the Premier League. We have a meet and greet service, but in the future we want a concierge. There’s often uncertainty in the mind of the client, when they’re arriving in an alien location and they know there isn’t necessarily going to be a concierge. We make sure we contact guests in advance so we can discuss details, such as where to collect the keys and more about the check-in process. It’s important they know someone is going to be there when they arrive.
What are Apex’s plans for the future?
We’re looking to develop our brand and plan on expanding into new locations. Nigeria, although it has received bad press of late, has a growth rate of 7% and a population of nearly two hundred million. There’s a lot of potential for developing business there. Closer to home, we’re looking into property in Maidenhead. So there’s a lot to look forward to.
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