English
At Only-apartments we’ve seen very positive reactions from clients if they are welcomed… with a welcome pack. It is a very good start and they will probably feel more inclined to leave a comment saying how nice you were to them. And don’t forget: comments are the best way to attract new clients! Here’s a little interview we did to one of our owners, Joana and Francisco, who told us about what they do to keep their clients happy. You could do it too, don’t you think? First, tell us a little bit about you… We are Joana and Francisco, two siblings born and currently living in Porto, Portugal. Oportodowntown is the company we started based on the passion we share for travelling and for our home city. Having travelled around the globe and even lived outside of Portugal for some time, in São Paulo (Brazil) and London (UK) respectively, we believe Porto is one of the fantastic European cities that are worth getting to know! 
And how did you come up with this project? The apartments’ location, smack in the heart of the Historic Centre that was classified World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996, was also definitely a driving force behind our decision to move forward with this project. We have been advertising our DOWNTOWN ONE apartment with Only-apartments since last March and the experience has been very rewarding; it’s great to meet so many different, exciting people from such diverse backgrounds. We try to provide our guests the best experience possible, hoping to take an active part in the success of their stay! We’ve seen that you greet your guests with a welcome pack… what do you get them? We like to greet all our guests with a welcome basket upon arrival at the apartment, although we rarely stick to a fixed “recipe”. A complementary glass of Port wine is always present and seems fitting since the apartment is located in the ‘Ribeira’ area, just across the river from the famous Port wine cellars. We usually also include a bottle of water and some candies or chocolates for the sweet tooth, whilst the remaining products reflect our culture and customs; a choice between traditional canned fish such as lightly smoked sardines in olive oil, mackerel fillets in tomato sauce or codfish in olive oil with garlic, amongst many others. We usually choose the “Minerva” brand because their products are outstanding, having achieved national and international success. Although we haven’t been in business very long the return from our guests has been fantastic. And do they like it? They love it. The vast majority of the feedback has been given in person and it has always been very positive, but here is one comment that mentions our welcome: “The apartment is excellent! We also really love the Porto wine you left for us. We would like to buy a bottle of it, what is it called?” [comment sent by email] 
