Apex Hotels is aiming to elevate the art of the "warm welcome" by pledging to ensure front-of-house teams greet hotel visitors in their native tongue.
Concierge and reception staff, among others, are learning key phrases in at least 10 of the most commonly spoken languages among Apex guests, including Mandarin, Portuguese and Italian.
The move comes as Apex Hotels rolls out its #WarmerWelcome campaign across its 10-strong portfolio, putting a stronger emphasis than ever on guest wellbeing.
The family-owned hotel chain is introducing a range of new features after surveying more than 2,500 customers to find out what the phrase "warmer welcome" means to them.
Almost half (49%) associated it with being greeted in their own language when travelling, prompting the move to equip staff with new language skills.
Angela Vickers, chief executive of Apex Hotels, said: “Apex Hotels is, first and foremost, a family business that was founded on the concept of giving guests the warmest welcome possible – making them feel like they are at home away from home when staying at any of our hotels. The research shows that we’re already doing a lot of things right, but we wanted to take the guest experience to the next level by making small changes that can make a world of difference.
“Our survey has really helped us shape our offering – making sure our staff are well-versed in more than 10 of the most commonly spoken languages among our guests is just the start.”
A hot drink was also high on the list of things associated with a warm welcome according to more than a third (36%) of the survey’s respondents.
The survey gave real insight into the impact of travelling, with 33% of respondents revealing they struggle to sleep when staying at a hotel – and more than half (53%) admitting they would like hotels to help them relax and unwind in order to aid their own personal health and wellbeing journeys.
apexhotels.co.uk