Hotels across Manchester have started to reopen their doors to the public following an extended period of closure when all Hotels closed their doors in late March 2020.
Adrian Ellis, General Manager of The Lowry Hotel, has been talking to GMs and operators throughout the turbulent time in his capacity as chair of the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) – and is optimistic about the future of the sector.
“It has been brilliant to reopen our doors after a tough couple of months. As an industry and a city, we have experienced a real sense of togetherness through the pandemic and have felt reciprocal support from venues across the board,” said Adrian.
Adrian has been advising and talking to teams across the industry on their COVID-secure initiatives, and is confident that Hotels across the city are implementing appropriate Covid measures which will allow hotels to reopen safely.
“The general picture of reopening has been a positive one. At The Lowry Hotel , our weekends have been trading well and it has been brilliant to once again welcome some of our regular customers back to the hotel.”
Adrian continued: “Weekdays are less busy given that the city itself isn’t yet back operating at full capacity. The introduction of the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme will, thankfully, positively impact this, and we are already starting to see its effects on midweek figures.”
Furthermore, regional hoteliers note that investment in the industry has not slowed as a result of the pandemic. One city centre hotel, INNSIDE by Mélia, used the lockdown period to design and roll out a full refurbishment at its onsite bar and restaurant.
Gary Fortune, General Manager at INNSIDE, said: “Reopening has been challenging – but it’s so rewarding to see guests returning and our team members back enjoying what they do best.
The new leisure concept, ‘Hideout Lounge and Grill’ will offer locals and visitors alike a completely new dining experience following a refresh of the hotel’s current F&B offering.
“After having a refurb during the lockdown period, we are excited to see guests back and using our spaces.
“We opened with better-than-anticipated occupancy, at around 50%. The most noticeable impact for us has been the reduction in weekday corporate trade. We hope to see a rise in this from September as Manchester prepares to return to work with real gusto” Gary added.
City centre hotel Stock Exchange will reopen its doors to customers this month. Stock was among one of the first hotels in the UK to close its door to the public and offer its rooms to NHS key workers during the Covid-19 crisis.
Stewart Davies, chief operating officer of GG Hospitality operators of the hotel said: ““This has given us valuable insight to how to do things even more safely than we used to before the virus outbreak. New measures including increasing the frequency of sanitising all public areas and facilities, PPE, increased signage, and contactless check-in have all been considered as part of our reopening strategy.
“We are really looking forward to reopening our doors and being part of Manchester’s comeback.”
The MHA has a 50-strong membership made up of general managers of hotels throughout the region. Its key objectives are being a strong voice for the hotel community, and continually improving the offering for visitors spending time in the city.
The association spearheaded a campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic encouraging hotels across Manchester to provide care packages to the NHS. The initiative saw NHS frontline staff and vulnerable members of the community receive leftover produce from hotels throughout the region, including food and soft drinks.
