One step forward, two steps back

Freedom Day has come and gone in England, and the excitement around hospitality’s full reopening has been largely dampened by rising Covid infection numbers and the volume of NHS “ping” messages. The latest news from the government that fully vaccinated US and EU travellers will be allowed to enter the country without quarantining will be a welcome one ahead of the summer season – especially given that hotels rank as the most popular type of accommodation choice for UK adults.

The current situation, however, is posing many challenges for hotel operations. Staffing levels were already low before the “pingdemic” struck, leading to an ever-dwindling workforce. Couple this with an increase in travellers (now expected internationally) and the ratio is well off-balance. Some businesses are having to close sites altogether as they simply cannot meet demand amid staff shortages.

Speaking with the teams at Starboard Hotels, Hand Picked Hotels, and Red Carnation Hotels helped shed some insight on the steps taken to ensure guests and staff remain safe. You can read the full feature here.

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