The best UK hotels open now, and the rules for post-lockdown stays

Since July 4, hotels and UK hospitality have started to reopen their doors. It is a much-needed boost for the travel industry and many hotels have already been busy welcoming their first guests in over three months.

However, stays are going to look rather different from now on. The Government has advised hotels, b&bs and other hospitality businesses to implement a series of measures to ensure the safety of guests and staff.

Here, we answer all the key questions for a post-lockdown staycation.

What do check-in and public areas look like now?

Hotels and other guest accommodation options have been advised to take additional measures to make reception areas safer with increased cleaning protocols in place throughout the day, with particular consideration for any shared facilities. It also advised hotels to encourage guests to use hand sanitiser or handwashing facilities as they enter the premises and regularly during their stay.

The duration of activities such as check-in should now be kept as short as possible, and keys should be cleaned in between guest use. Queues may form outside hotels like they have done outside supermarkets, and hotels have been asked to introduce queuing systems using barriers should they be needed. Larger hotels may opt to stagger check-in and check-out times, or place markers on the floor to maintain social distancing.

It was also announced on June 23 that the two-metre social distancing rule can be reduced to one metre with risk mitigation: this is known as one-metre-plus. Suggestions to reduce the risk range from improved ventilation and clever table layouts to the use of masks and screens.

Sharan Pasricha, Founder and Chief Executive of Ennismore, which owns the Hoxton group, several of whose properties are in London, said: “Our lobbies have always been spaces [where] we've encouraged guests and locals to come and hang out, eat and drink, but for now, we'll be limiting capacities to ensure social distancing is maintained, adding hand sanitising stations, and spacing out seating so everyone feels safe.

“We also know guests are looking for flexibility so with ‘Flexy Time’, guests can check in and out as early or late as they like. We introduced this last year, but it's going to prove a real benefit now as you won't have a crush of people checking in/out at the same time.”

Simon Maguire, Managing Director of Luxury Family Hotels, said of the one-metre-plus rule: “[This] also enables guests to enjoy a friendly environment and one that feels as close to normal [as possible], which we know will be welcomed by many.”

Other guidelines in the document ask accommodation providers to consider minimising lift usage from reception and to provide clear signage for new lift rules. Guests that are able to may be asked to use the stairs instead, and will be encouraged to wear masks in communal corridors and other public spaces.

Staff should be accessible to guests via phone, emails and guests apps; and contactless payments and pre-payments for rooms as part of the online booking will be encouraged where possible to limit cash payment for bills. The Hand Picked Hotels group, which is reopening all its properties on July 4, will be appointing all parties checking in with a 'Hand Picked Host' to look after them during their stay.

Will hotel rooms look different to before?

The official Government guidance has not offered specific advice on whether soft furnishing and more should be removed from hotel rooms, so in many cases rooms may look similar, if not exactly the same, as before.

One key change is that all bedrooms must have private showering facilities. Current Government guidance states that private rooms in all indoor accommodation with en-suite showering facilities, or one designated shower facility per guest room, will be able to reopen. Shared toilet facilities can also be opened. However, if shared toilet and shower facilities are in the same room, guests can only use the shower if it is assigned to one household or support bubble or run using a reservation and clean rota.

Hotels have also been asked to display signage (for example, posters or leaflets) on basic hygiene practices such as handwashing in each room. This information could be available in different languages and communicated to guests ahead of their stay.

Can I eat in the restaurant or drink in the bar?

The new ‘one-metre-plus’ rule will likely be most useful for hotels in their restaurants and bars, as it will enable increased capacities. Jane Pendlebury, Chief Executive of HOSPA, the Hospitality Professionals Association, said: “To outline the difference it makes, revenue management modelling suggests that two-metre social distancing, which effectively creates a four-metre diameter, reduces restaurant revenue to as little as 7 per cent – a non-viable return given the factors involved.

“This changes considerably though as the distance is reduced. The proposed one-metre distancing, equating to a two-metre diameter of space, allows for around 45 per cent of revenue. While this is still a huge reduction, if hoteliers and other restaurateurs are creative in their approach, they can work to increase those margins by implementing a variety of measures. This, at least gives them a chance to head in the right direction, enabling the opportunity to develop a workable service.”

Restaurants and bars will also be asked to collect contact details from customers as part of track and trace measures. Some hotels may opt to only open dining spaces to hotel guests initially, before opening to the public.

Additional guidelines for reopening hotel restaurants and bars include: minimising customer self service of food, cutlery and condiments; using table service where possible ro reduce the number of people moving about the space; and assigning a single staff member per table.

In hotels where room service is offered, guests should be able to order over the phone and meals will be delivered outside the room on a butler’s tray. Hotels may also encourage tips to be added to the bill, to minimise the use of cash.

Sharan Pasricha, Founder and Chief Executive of Ennismore, shared additional measures they are taking in the Hoxton hotels: “In our restaurants, we’ve taken away heavy touch items [such as] menus and replaced them with QR codes to bring up menus on diners’ phones.”

Andrew Grahame, CEO of Farncombe Estate, added of the estate’s plan to reopen its own hotels: “In restaurants we will be giving guests more space between tables and reservation times for lunch and dinner will be staggered so we have as much space as possible. We’ve also extended the areas as well as timings of where we’ll serve breakfast, and buffet items will now be [available] on request from the kitchen. [...] For those that prefer to dine in the comfort of their room, we’ve increased our in-room dining options to offer more choice.”

Robin Hutson, Chairman and Chief Executive of The Pig group, reflected on hospitality’s need to maintain a social atmosphere: "If it's deemed to be safe, we would rather open without masks. People come to our establishments for much more than just food, drink and a bed to sleep in; they come for a convivial, social atmosphere, so we'd like to try to achieve as much of that environment as we can." He also explained that they have developed some "in-keeping" screens that go with their décor, as opposed to perspex.

What about spas, pools and other facilities such as gyms?

All spas and pools have to remain closed for now, and this includes those in hotels. However, Business Secretary Alok Sharma has suggested that this could change by mid-July. Indoor leisure facilities have also been told to wait before reopening, including gyms, which means those hoping to shift any lockdown lethargy will be restricted to the current means available to do so.

What about Scotland and Wales?

Wales will lift its travel restrictions from July 6, as long as the spread of coronavirus is still under control. This would allow for Welsh residents to travel around the country, and also allow those from England and Scotland to travel into Wales. Currently the rules require that people stay local, within five miles from their home.

This does not necessarily mean that hotels and other accommodation options will be able to reopen from this date though.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has advised: "If you have a static caravan that has its own kitchen or bathroom, if you're renting a cottage or going to a hotel that has turned itself into self-contained accommodation, there will be a clear signal... that you should use the next three weeks to get everything you need in place, and you will be able to start taking bookings for after July 13.”

The situation is similar in Scotland, where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that hotels should remain shut until July 15. Self-catering breaks will be allowed from July 3.

If you are looking for key dates of European hotel openings, see here.