Boringdon Hall in Plymouth, Devon and Fistral Beach Hotel in Cornwall's Newquay are offering hotel staff in Tier 3/4 hotels, which have been forced to close under the latest coronavirus measures, the chance to enjoy a hotel break by offering a free stay in return for reallocated bookings – and are calling on other hotels to do the same.
With hotels across the country having to cancel bookings in the wake of the latest shift in tier restrictions, Boringdon Hall (Tier 2) (pictured) and Fistral Beach (Tier 1), which are part of the Nettleton Collection, are proposing that those hotels who have had to close and cancel bookings look to reallocate bookings to them instead, offering an alternative option for guests.
For every reallocated booking, the hotel is set to offer a staff member at one of the closed hotels a free bed and breakfast stay in return – as the hotel group looks to drive a positive initiative to support the industry during an incredibly difficult time. The closed hotel will then be able to offer the stay to specific staff members as a reward or in recognition of their hard work throughout the challenges of the pandemic.
Of course, given the ongoing issues of the pandemic and the relevant tier guidance, the reallocations can only apply to those who are currently in a tier 1/2 area and travelling as one household, but who had booked a stay at a hotel that has now moved into tier 3/4. Those living in tier 3/4 areas are, sadly, unable to be reallocated.
Emily Andov of the Nettleton Collection said, “The hospitality industry is facing tremendous difficulties at the current time, with hoteliers and others awaiting the latest government pronouncements with dread. A change in tier status can lead to mass cancellations, disappointed guests and crestfallen staff who are concerned by what the future holds.”
She continued, “We’re aiming to, one, offer an alternative option to help ease guests’ disappointment and, two, add an extra layer of positivity by trying to give staff who have been suffering under the stresses and strains of the last few months the opportunity to enjoy a much-needed break.”
Andov added, “Ideally, we would love this to become a widespread initiative. We’re hoping that other hotels will follow suit and offer similar proposals, to help make this a national endeavour, thereby creating a much-needed morale booster for the industry. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt in recent times, it’s that pulling together in the face of adversity is essential.”
Boringdon Hall is a 5-star spa hotel near Plymouth in Devon, while Fistral Beach Hotel is a 4-star spa hotel located right next to Fistral beach in Newquay with fantastic sea views.
The offer will see each reallocated booking receive a night’s B&B stay in a standard room at the property to which the booking was reallocated. This can then be redeemed by a hotel staff member, and can be used as a reward or recognition – with the hotel at liberty to choose who receives it, or to offer it as a lottery.
Both Fistral Beach and Boringdon Hall are looking to offer the cancellation initiative across the 23rd to the 27th December, as well as the 30th to the 1st January. With availability across all of these dates, any reallocated booking from another hotel will qualify for a free night’s stay.
To facilitate this, a voucher will be generated via Profitroom, the Nettleton Collection’s specialist booking partner, which will then be sent through to the hotel which has reallocated the booking, so that they can allocate it as they see fit.
Samantha Williams, UK Market Owner at Profitroom, which is supporting the hotels in their initiative, said, “Boringdon Hall and Fistral Beach’s suggestion is a wonderful idea, which seeks to put a positive spin on a very difficult time.
'Offering struggling staff an opportunity to get away and enjoy themselves in recognition of their loyalty and hard work throughout the pandemic allows hotels to present a gesture of thanks and appreciation, at no cost to themselves.
'Our system offers a seamless way of doing this, and we’re happy to accommodate other hotels who are keen to join the scheme.”
Andov said, “We’ve been very fortunate in our hotels’ locations. Being coastally based, not only did we benefit from good summer trade after the first lockdown (unlike many city centre hotels) but we’re also in areas where, thankfully, coronavirus incidents are low, which allows us to continue to operate – something we’re extremely grateful for.
'We’ve undertaken extensive precautions to help ensure the safety of our guests, with full anti-coronavirus measures in place. Hotel stays are very much self-contained, which serves to greatly reduce risk – so we’re only looking to offer this thanks to the confidence we have in our safeguarding procedures.”
Andov concluded, “We really hope that other hotels get behind us with this endeavour, as we look to offer the prospect of a little joy to hotel staff during what’s set to be a very difficult festive period for many.”