BACK IN BUSINESS

Hotels and restaurants across the country chatted to Hotel & Catering Review about dealing with reopening protocols and what the customer reaction has been like

JP KAVANAGH, GENERAL MANAGER, THE SHELBOURNE

We’re happy with how business is going but that depends on what you’re comparing it to. To expectations I’m happy but compared with our previous life, I would be very alarmed. We’re staying within the guidelines which are imperfect, but they’re there. We still require further clarification but I welcome the effort that’s going into it. it gives us something to work towards. We have had a couple of weeks of gauging the consumer reaction and that has been generally positive. They are understanding, supportive and compliant in most cases.

Bookings are from the domestic market and we peak on a Saturday night with about 200 residential guests. The restaurants are probably close to capacity and most are residential dining. Our afternoon tea is still three sittings; capacity is down 50% but we’re getting close to filling it at the weekend. For dining, we’re using the lounge, bar and restaurant so we’re spreading out in order to maintain social distancing. Among all the outlets on the ground floor we have about 170 seats. We’ve just redone the bar and it’s much more convivial to dining so that’s working out well.

All the protocols that we put in place are working. We’ve kept all our staff which has helped as everything is more labour intensive now. Our aim was to create a safe haven for the people that work in the building and for those that engage with it. Guests are telling me they feel the hospitality is excellent and that they feel safe, which is the most important thing.

HONOR BYRNE, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, CLIFF

We feel that business is healthy since reopening. The procedures that we implemented before opening our doors seem to be working well for us; we’ve ramped up on certain areas and maybe changed and developed other areas. Nothing is set in stone and we have a Covid captain on each property that meets with all of the HOD’s on a daily basis to assess how things are going. Sanitation of rooms is taking longer and we have a big property so that’s a little bit difficult. When it comes to engaging with guests, our pre-communication is very strong. Guests will receive an email six days out and another email one day out to remind them of how things will have changed compared to the last time they visited. Business levels justified bringing back our full team which was great as trying to manage this situation without a full team would be very difficult.

Some of our technology isn’t in place yet. We are moving to an online check-in and check-out app. Our provider was aiming for July 20th for launch but because hotels opened earlier, they weren’t able to speed up the process. The change in date was great but it did challenge everyone. We also have QR codes for our menus and an online guest directory and app.

ANTHONY GRAY, SLIGO RESTAURATEUR

Thankfully, the two restaurants are busy at the moment. Business is better than I expected but I’d describe it as a mediocre Valentine’s night. We’ve had a few tourists coming in but we’ll be refusing to serve people who have travelled from the red zones and haven’t selfquarantined. The government shouldn’t be allowing flights into the country from red zones. We’ve done so well as a country and as a county in Sligo. For my staff and for my other customers, I’m not going to take the risk.

As well as adhering to health and safety procedures, we’ve gone digital with our menus and that has made a huge difference time-wise. With the VAT rate having just come down in the North, a stimulus package for the hospitality industry must be announced by government. It’s vital for the survival of jobs and for rural Ireland. If an appropriate package isn’t announced and if the VAT rate doesn’t go down to 5%, we’re looking at closures left, right and centre in October or November, along with mass job losses. No-one can survive those months without help from the government. The hospitality sector seems to be the forgotten industry right now. The banks also need to give 0% loans. I recently spoke to a bank about getting a loan and they were looking for 7.5% which is just ridiculous. We’re in unprecedented times and as an industry, we’re in desperate need of help if we’re to survive.

CAROL BARRETT, OWNER, DUNMORE HOUSE

We’re delighted with how business is going since reopening. Right now, we’re at about 95% occupancy. Guests have told us they feel welcome and safe and that was our aim. We’ve had about 40% who have already booked their return visit for September or October. We’ve actually had guests change their booking from other hotels in the area to come and stay here instead. Describing another hotel, one guest told us that they had tried to go to the bar late evening for a drink but was told they couldn’t if they weren’t eating. I think some people are taking the rules a little to the extreme. As hoteliers, our job is to care for and assist our guests and I think some hotels might be in danger of losing that. There’s a nice middle ground where extreme care needs to be taken but you’re still making the guest feel welcome and safe.

The new guidelines certainly require a little extra work and care but it hasn’t been too onerous. We used to have a touch clocking-in system for sta but we’ve changed that to a facial recognition system. Servicing of rooms takes a little longer; sta must change their PPE gear after each room, which is then checked by another sta member. Upon arrival, guests receive a package which includes a small hand sanitiser. There are also several sanitiser stations throughout the hotel.

JOHN O’FLYNN, RESORT GENERAL MANAGER, FOTA ISLAND RESORT

We’ve had good occupancy since reopening but we’re still at 50% of where we should be at. This year is all about survival and getting through the winter months. Our selfcatering offering is full for July and August and into September. Everyone is very understanding of the regulations but in saying that, I’m looking forward to when we can start reopening the bar.

People are now looking for activities in their trips away. I think destinations like ourselves that are outside and have lots of attractions may be finding it easier than city centre businesses at the moment. We’re finding that one of the most important aspects of the business is that customers understand procedures before they get here. That makes the whole process much easier on them and on staff.

Any weddings, conferences or group events that we had on the books for this year have moved into next year so that will be a big help in 2021. Covid is something that I think we’ll be living with for the rest of our lives and as long as businesses and organisations have procedures in place, we’re just going to have to get on with it. The one thing we’ve learned from all this is people do want to travel so we’ve got to just get on with it now.

NIALL KERINS,

GENERAL MANAGER, ICE HOUSE HOTEL

Since reopening, we’ve adapted our rates to include more of an outdoor element. We now do bike packages and we’ve linked up with Harbour Sup & Sail in Enniscrone so guests can enjoy paddle boarding. I think a lot of the procedures that we’ve put in place come well above the requirements. I don’t see any other restaurants in the town using face shields so we’re going above and beyond and we’re going to keep going that way unless we’re advised otherwise.

We have a welcome ambassador at the front door who tells guests everything they need to know. At the front desk, we’re doing as much as we can to limit contact with guests. At check-in, guest receive their welcome pack which includes their keys etc in a sealed bag. They go to the room themselves and we do a follow-up call about 15 minutes later to see if there’s anything in the room that they require. Nearly everything has been taken out of the rooms so if they want tea/coffee making facilities or an iron and ironing board, we’ll deliver them to the room individually. From a staffing point of view, it’s more intense that it would have been normally. There’s a lot of going to and from the rooms, whether it’s food or drink orders. We’ve also opened our spa so we’re just finding our feet with that. I’m feeling positive about the next few months and the “new normal” that we’re finding ourselves having to adapt to.