UK: Formerly Raithwaite Estate, the hotel has announced a 15 July 2020 reopening date and new brand identity as Raithwaite Sandsend.
The name and branding highlights the hotel’s location of Sandsend beach in North Yorkshire Cleveland Way.
The rebrand also marks the start of Raithwaite’s multimillion pound planned renovation and development scheme.
Toby Hunter, owner of Raithwaite Sandsend, said: “We are excited to re-open with the new branding in place and we look forward to sharing our extensive development and renovation programme shortly, which is due to commence from Q4 2020, and continue on into 2021.”
It will reopen in line with the WHO and UK government guidelines, with enhanced levels of cleanliness and protocols in place.
The hotel has implemented the following:
- Prior to arrival guests are to fill in a check-in health questionnaire.
- Guests will be able to use Raithwaite’s new mobile app to check offers, menus, hotel information and local guides.
- Both check in and check-out will be carried out in designated areas away from the main reception and final bills are to be emailed. Payments are to be taken by card, as there are to be no cash payments throughout the hotel.
- Raithwaite Sandsend currently has 73 rooms in total, with only 64 available for the re-opening – 39 located in the ‘Hall’ and 24 in the ‘Keep’, many of which come with private outdoor space. Room keys are sanitised before given to guests and there will be a new guest amenity package provided, including disposable gloves, masks, hand sanitiser.
- Rooms will be deep cleaned, as well as pillows, duvets and linen, and quarantined for 72 hours in designated rooms. There will no longer be in-room minibars available.
- Families to be allocated only in the family suite and deluxe rooms with sofa beds.
- Dogs are still welcome, however guests with pets now need to bring their own dog beds.
- Furniture in public areas has been rearranged to meet social distance standards and hand sanitiser stations can be found throughout the hotel.
- The restaurant, conservatory and bar areas have been adapted to respect the social distancing guidelines and the restaurant capacity has been reduced to just 60 per cent. Each table will have a menu displayed on a stand, which will be cleaned and sanitised after each use. Guests can also view the menu on the new Raithwaite Sandsend app. A large function room has been adapted as breakfast room and a one-way system implemented. For the first time Raithwaite Sandsend will also offer a room service menu.
- For staff, on-going training will be carried out to ensure that they are all up-to-date with the latest government guidelines and protocols.
- Staff health questionnaires and temperature checks to be carried out before a shift starts. All staff will wear face-masks and they will wash their hands every 30 minutes during their shifts.
- The spa will run at a reduced capacity with access of only up-to 10 people. Around the pool, loungers have been re-located in pairs and at least two metres apart from the others. Time slots will be introduced with 30 minutes between them to allow the spa attendants to disinfect the spa areas. Changing rooms will be closed – guests are to enter the spa changed straight from their hotel bedrooms located within the Hall, and treatment rooms to be used as a private changing rooms for those guests coming from the Keep (the hotel’s second building located just 250m away from the spa).
- Leaflets, paper menus and magazines have been removed from the rooms and public areas.
- Car valeting is no longer available.
- A new cancellation policy for all direct bookings, whereby guests can cancel or change the dates up until 9am on the day of check-in for direct reservations.
General manager Alejandro Torrecilla said: “We have given great thought to every aspect of the new Raithwaite Sandsend customer journey, which of course adheres to the new government guidelines whilst at the same time enables our guests to feel relaxed and we just can’t wait to welcome them back.”
