How are hotels feeling about all this?

Understanding the basic government guidelines is all well and good, but to get a fuller picture we spoke to a hotel manager to understand how those working in the hospitality industry are preparing to re-open.

Speaking to Stylist.co.uk, managing director of The Swan Hotel in the Lake District, Sarah Gibbs, says: “There have been challenges on every level during coronavirus. We’ve been working hard to write and implement procedures and disseminate these to the wider team. Then there’s been the practicalities of functioning on a socially distant basis. I’m sure all businesses are facing a cashflow squeeze and the associated calculation of ensuring that opening and operating on a limited basis is financially viable.”

But Sarah is excited to re-open this weekend. “We’ve been in communication with guests to make sure they feel comfortable and happy to come and visit. There’s been a lot of changes to make and work to be done but we’re ready for 4 July,” she says.

Eric Snaith, chef owner of Titchwell Manor in Norfolk, also says that procedures will be put in place to ensure that guests and staff are kept safe.

Although guests won’t be temperature tested these facilities will be available if they wish to use them. Similarly, guests won’t be questioned on who in their party lives together, but if circumstances call for it staff may need to ask certain details, which is all part of keeping everyone in the hotel safe.

“We hope to welcome a full capacity of guests but we will have to open up gradually in order stay safe. We’re lucky as many of our rooms can be accessed from outside, so we have re-planned our check in process to an extent to ensure that guests won’t have to stand in the same area for too long, and after check-in they will be able to enter their rooms for outside the property,” he explains of re-opening plans to Stylist.co.uk.

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