Re-opening of accommodation
In a piece of good news for hotels, pubs and inns the Government announced that accommodation providers could open again from 4 July. Accommodation covered also includes B&Bs, caravan parks, yurts and chalets.
Government guidance
The Guidance covers each type of accommodation in detail (hotels, hostels, B&Bs, self-catering etc) and covers shared bathroom facilities. Guidance for hotels considers reception areas, lifts, room service etc. Larger banqueting and conference facilities should remain closed at the moment
Risk Assessment
Government guidance is published to help manage the risk and protect the health and safety of employees, workers and customers. A Covid-19 risk assessment must be carried out and measures such a regular handwashing, cleaning of surfaces, social distancing must be adopted. Operators should share their risk assessment with staff and customers by posting it on their website and by displaying a notice in the premises stating that Government guidance has been complied with.
Track and Trace
As with pubs and restaurants, hotels must assist the NHS with track and trace by keeping a record of guests for 21 days. GDPR issues associated with this are discussed in Freeths previous article here.
Additional Facilities
Where a hotel has additional facilities operators must follow the guidance already issued for those facilities.
Bars, restaurants and coffee shops within hotels will need to follow Government guidance issued for bars, restaurants and takeaways.
If you have shops or concessions within your hotel these must follow Government guidance issued for retail outlets.
Hairdressers, spas and beauty salons are now allowed to reopen for non face to face treatments. Specific guidance relating to those facilities can be found here
Gyms can re-open from 25 July provided Government guidance is complied with.
Further Guidance
UK Hospitality has also produced useful guidance for the sector which can be found here
British Beer and Pub Association Guidance can be found here
