We are delighted to see that a number of our favourite family-friendly hotels are opening up their doors to accept guests on July 4th. This is, of course, meant to be the start of the busiest part of the year for the South West tourist industry.
As reported previously, there is an expectation that Devon and Cornwall will be kept busy as a top ‘staycation’ destination for UK travellers not ready, willing or able to travel abroad. Clearly the threat of Covid-19 has not gone away and it remains to be seen what the effect of the relaxation of lockdown rules will do to the management of the pandemic. This is especially true of tourist destinations as they are supremely busy during the typical holiday seasons synonymous with large crowds and bustling streets. We’ve only got to look back over the last couple of weeks to see crowds gathered on Bournemouth beaches, seemingly oblivious to any kind of social distancing.
Now that we are actively told we can now visit establishments such as restaurants, bars and hotels, it is a concerning time for travellers and also the tourist industry itself. In particular, families looking for the safest staycation in Devon and Cornwall will be keen to know what the industry is doing to protect them. The good news is that a number of the family-friendly hotels we have featured have been actively working on solutions to keep both staff and patrons safe.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a synopsis of the Covid-19 preparations we’ve been reading about on some of the more popular family-friendly hotels in the South West. Some of the information we’ve read is quite comprehensive and laborious, but rightfully so as it’s serious stuff. So, hopefully the information below will succinctly answer the question of what to expect when staying in these places and the changes that might be experienced from the ‘old’ normal!
The Bedruthan Hotel and Spa
Bedruthan Hotel and Spa. Mawgan Porth, Cornwall TR8 4BU
Telephone: 01637 861200
Website: www.bedruthan.com
One of our favourite family-friendly hotels in a lovely part of Cornwall (FFM Score 90%). Based on their information here:
https://www.bedruthan.com/stay/our-plan-to-keep-you-safe/
we compiled this summary:
- Only a limited number of families staying at any one time.
- Children’s clubs won’t be running, instead a socially distanced program of activities.
- Indoor play areas will remain open if they can be deep-cleaned. Jungle Tumble (the soft play area) will be closed.
- If guests are ill or fall ill during their stay, it can be moved to another date. Consequently, the room will not be let until it has been deep-cleaned.
- Corridor flow may be adjusted to improve social distancing.
- An extended dining service will be offered to space out the number of diners in the restaurant.
- Breakfast will change from the usual buffet affair to being served at the table.
- Room service will operate deep-cleaning procedures.
- The babysitting service is currently ‘uncertain’ but a new baby listening system will be in place from the 4th July onwards.
Polurrian on the Lizard
Polurrian on the Lizard, Polurrian Road, Mullion, Helston, Cornwall TR12 7EN
Telephone: 01326 240421
Website: www.polurrianhotel.com
One of our all-time favorite family-friendly hotels in a fabulous clifftop location (FFM Score 97%). Their Covid-19 preparations here:
https://www.polurrianhotel.com/covid-19
can be condensed to the following:
- A contactless express check-in and check-out will be offered as well as an email of the invoice prior to checkout to minimise staff-to-guest contact.
- Hand sanitiser will be available at key points throughout the hotel.
- All dining, including breakfast, will pre-booked to improve social distancing. Breakfast will be served direct to the table.
- Takeaway breakfast and lunch options will be made available.
- Self-catering guests can utilise a takeaway menu for collection or delivery.
- Only hotel residents will be allowed in the restaurant and lounge to improve social distancing.
- The swimming pools will be temporarily closed until further Government notice.
- Additional outdoor activities such as cliff top yoga and a sunset outdoor cinema will be made available.
- Leisure facilities (including the spa and treatment rooms) will be temporarily closed until further Government notice
- The gym will be temporarily closed until further Government notice.
- The tennis court will be made available to all guests.
- Dogs will still be allowed in the hotel.
- If the hotel is forced to close then amendments or refunds can be arranged.
Bolotho Barns
Bolotho Barns, Bolotho Mews, Killiow, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6AG
Telephone: 01872 275743
Website: www.bolothobarns.co.uk
OK, we slipped in one of our favourite self-catering establishments (FFM Score 92%) but we wanted to show the level of commitment to guest safety that might be expected from self-catering establishments. From visiting their website:
https://bolothobarns.wordpress.com/2020/04/14/coronavirus/
we have summarised the following:
- A gap of three nights in-between bookings for the rest of 2020 as an additional safety precaution.
- Even deeper cleaning between bookings, with the use of hospital-grade disinfectant.
- In addition to normal cleaning materials, hand sanitiser gel and wipes will be provided in each cottage.
- The 3 acres of grounds and cottages with separate private patios and parking areas, makes it is easy to be socially distanced at Bolotho Barns.
St Michaels Resort
St. Michaels Resort, Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth TR11 4NB
Telephone: 01326 312707
Website: https://www.stmichaelsresort.com
St Michaels Resort and Spa impressed us with the sheer comprehensiveness of their Covid-19 readiness measures here:
https://www.stmichaelsresort.com/book-with-confidence
Some of the many measures include:
- A no-fuss flexible booking policy with 72-hour and 14-day cancellation options.
- An electronic check-in to minimise time at the reception desk.
- Guests enter via a spacious arrival lounge and reception area.
- Guests may be allocated arrival timeslots to minimise queuing.
- Sanitised keys will be presented in envelopes.
- Tailored housekeeping available on request e.g. fresh linen only or a full service.
- A final bill will be presented the evening before departure to avoid queues at reception on departure date.
- Each room will be deep-cleaned after each stay.
- Public areas sanitized twice a day
- Breakfast can be delivered to the room free of charge.
- Bar items can be delivered to the room free of charge.
- Two dining times will be available to enable better social distancing.
- Dining tables will be spaced further apart.
- Dishes are to be presented under a cloche (covering) to minimise contact.
- Changing rooms will remain closed, changing to take place in-room.
- Comprehensive sanitisation hotel-wide e.g. paper, envelopes, door furniture, public areas.
- Sanitiser provided in public areas .and wipes available for guests to use.
- Employee temperatures are checked prior to commencing a shift.
The Nare Hotel
The Nare Hotel, Carne Beach, Veryan-in-Roseland, Truro TR2 5PF
Telephone: 01872 501111
Website: https://www.narehotel.co.uk
A very popular family hotel on the Roseland peninsula, The Nare Hotel has prepared to re-open with these meaures:
https://www.narehotel.co.uk/bookings/coronavirus-reopening-measures
which can be summarised as follows:
- The hotel and restaurants will be open to resident guests only.
- Guests will be asked health related questions to check they are healthy enough to stay and not exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms.
- Arrival and departure processes have been optimised to minimise congestion.
- Service times will be extended with guests being required to make table reservations for lunch and dinner.
- Some serving styles will be altered to minimise close contact between guests and staff.
- Extra space provided in the restaurants to improve social distancing with air-conditioning turned off.
- Enhanced cleaning throughout the hotel including a deep-clean of rooms between guest days.
- Regular sanitisation of public areas.
- Housekeeping will tailor guest requirements so as not to be in the room at the same time as guests.
- Gym, hot tub and indoor pool available by appointment only. The Steam room will be closed and a restriction placed on the number of swimmers at one time.
- The spa is to remain closed.
Fowey Hall Hotel
Fowey Hall Hotel, Fowey, Cornwall, PL23 1ET
Telephone: 01726 833866
Website: www.foweyhallhotel.co.uk
Part of the Luxury Family Hotels group (which includes the amazing Moonfleet Manor in Dorset), the Fowey Hall Hotel is one of our highest scoring family-friendly hotels in the South-West (FFM Score 96%) offering all the components for a truly memorable Cornish staycation! The hotel group’s Covid-19 preparation measures, as you would expect, are comprehensive. The summary below, is taken from the group’s Covid-19 ‘Reopening Plan’ page here:
https://www.luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk/covid-19
- Stringent cleaning procedures in place.
- Hand sanitiser available in public places.
- Hotel ‘Dens’ will run daily activities.
- Bookings will need to be made during service periods, including breakfast.
- Breakfast is to be served direct to the table.
- Breakfast can be takeaway or a continental style breakfast can delivered to your room.
- Check-in and check-out are contactless to minimise staff/guest contact.
- Swimming pools to remain closed as per Government guidance.
- Treatment rooms to remain closed.
- Breakfast club postponed until further notice.
- The baby-sitting service is temporarily unavailable but the baby-listening service will still be in operation.
- The indoor cinema will be open under a strict cleaning regime.
- The games room will be available under a strict cleaning regime.
The Rosevine
The Rosevine, Rosevine, NR Portscatho, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5EW
Telephone: 01872 580206
Website: https://rosevine.co.uk
We were getting ready to post our review (update: FFM Score 95%) of our recent stay at The Rosevine but the pandemic threw everything into disarray, meaning it got postponed. Our review will be up soon but, as a little teaser, it’s a fabulous place to stay and that’s all we’re saying at the moment! We’re excited that they’re opening on July 4th with these following measure in place, taken from their Covid-19 page here:
https://rosevine.co.uk/a-safe-rosevine-hotel/
- Check-in can be done online prior to arrival.
- Reception surfaces and items disinfected.
- There will be no handling of guest luggage to minimise contamination.
- All linen will be cleaned and returned sanitised.
- Floor signs will be present to help social distancing.
- Sanitiser will be provided in high traffic areas.
- All leaflets will be removed from the hotel to minimise contamination.
- Public areas will be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
- The majority of the swimming pool will be accessible although time slots will need to be booked.
- Changing for pool use will be encouraged to take place in-room rather than at the pool.
- Hand sanitiser will be made available in pool area.
- Sanitising of door handles, handrails and changing areas to be done regularly.
- Pool and spa facilities ill be deep cleaned every evening.
- Breakfast and dinner to be time-slotted and pre-ordered on single use paper.
- Continental breakfast delivery can be made to guest rooms.
- Dining permitted in-room.
- Online check-out available to avoid contact with the reception desk. Final bill can be emailed prior to departure.
- Only contactless payment taken.
Saunton Sands Hotel
Saunton Sands Hotel, Saunton Rd, Braunton EX33 1LQ
Telephone: 01271 890212
Website: www.sauntonsands.co.uk
We love the Saunton Sands Hotel, as our review demonstrated (FFM Score 95%), and we’re very glad to see it opening on the 4th July.
As part of the Brend Hotels Group (which includes the stunning family-friendly Carlyon Bay Hotel), Saunton Sands will be following the group’s comprehensive 9 Point Plan detailed here:
https://sauntonsands.co.uk/covid-19-measures/hotels/
which covers pre-arrival, arrival & check-in, common areas, bedrooms & bathrooms, spa and leisure facilities, food & drink, check-out, entertainment (school holidays) and staff training, hygiene & protection.
The summary is as follows:
- Any guest showing symptoms of Covid-19 will be advised to stay at home.
- Guests to contact the hotel 15 minutes prior to arrival to ensure the meet-and-greet team are available.
- A more streamlined and faster check-in will minimise time at reception.
- Perspex screens in reception areas to protect guests and staff.
- Guests must use contactless payment methods only.
- Hand sanitiser will be available at all entry and exit points and throughout the hotel.
- All surfaces, screens, door handles and equipment will be regularly cleaned and sanitised.
- All toilets have hand sanitiser as well as contact-free dryers.
- Guests are encouraged to use their own bathrooms.
- To assist social distancing, floor markings and guidance signage will be present throughout the hotel.
- Every bedroom and bathroom ill be fully sanitised before each stay.
- Fabric items (mattresses, pillows, carpets etc) and furniture is to be sprayed with an approved, ‘human safe’ sanitiser.
- Linen is washed in a high heat with added sanitisation. Slippers and all consumables will be replaced before each stay.
- Printed material will be removed from all rooms.
- Daily housekeeping to be available only on request.
- The majority of spa and gym facilities will be open.
- • Treatment rooms, equipment and instruments are to be disinfected and sterilised between appointments as well as regular cleaning of shared surfaces, changing rooms and public spaces throughout the day. Some areas may need to be closed during the day for deep-cleaning.
- Spa treatment is subject to government guidelines. Therapists are to wear appropriate PPE. Gym areas remain open with increased spacing between equipment. In-room dining is available.
- Dining spaces have been extended to improve social distancing.
- A la carte breakfast times are to pre-booked.
- No drinks are to be served at the bar. Instead, a table service will be offered.
- Entry and exit points will be separated to improve social distancing.
To sum up…
As you reads these summaries, you can sense the seriousness of the situation and how important it is for these establishments to convey how they will protect you and your family in these uncertain times. We wonder how these measures will work in practice and ultimately, how they might affect the holiday experience. Obviously we are keen to see tourism get back to some sort of normality but we are not ones for ‘at any cost’. It remains to be seen whether the predicted influx of tourists to the South-West will induce a ‘second wave’ regardless of protection measures in place. We hope this isn’t the case and that all our readers stay safe over the coming months.