When I joined The Gresham Aparthotel in January, I never expected us to pick up two awards in less than a month.
I knew the team here was full of talent and shared the same vision of ensuring the best experience for guests.
But to be recognised and shortlisted for awards takes a lot to stand out, let alone taking them home.
We travelled to London for the national Serviced Apartment Awards optimistic but unexpectant - it’s the ‘Oscars’ of our industry; there were lots of big names shortlisted, and strong competition across the board.
I saw it as a good opportunity to network, speak to other Aparthotels and self-serviced accommodation about what they offer, and see where the bar is for us to aspire to.
So to hear "The Gresham Aparthotel" announced as the winner was a surprise and a huge privilege.
It really put Leicester on the map as nominees from across the globe were asking where we were.
After opening in November 2021, the team got off to a gold start winning 'Best New Business' at the Niche Business Awards in Leicestershire less than a year later.
And then came the Serviced Apartments Awards in May where we picked up ‘Best Operator (51-200 Units)’.
This was quickly followed by recognition from TripAdvisor as 'Travelers' Choice 2023'.
It's a huge testament to the hard work of everyone here: the cleaners and hosts on the front desk all the way to the ambition of Mark C. and Snizhana.
We can now call ourselves "Award Winning" and I couldn't be prouder of the team and the successes to date.
Our mission has always been to provide guests with the best possible experience, offering quality, comfort and flexibility, and we have to keep striving for better so those standards don't slip.
There's lots of exciting things happening in Leicester over the next 12 months, and it's great that The Gresham is at the heart of it.
I'd love to have you #StayAtTheGresham, book your room so you can see why we're award winning.
