All businesses around the world today have a responsibility to be more sustainable. Hotels are no exception! You can’t simply stick a few recycling bins in your car park and deem yourself eco-friendly. You need to take a proactive approach to ensure that your hotel is not responsible for a high level of carbon emissions. With that being said, let’s take a look at everything you need to know about sustainability in hospitality. 

There is only one place to begin, and this is by keeping hotel utilities green. Investing in green infrastructure can help you to achieve long-term sustainability and a great return on your investment. There are plenty of different options in this regard, including water recovery and recycling systems, geothermal cooling towers, energy star-rated heating and cooling systems, and solar panel installations. 

You should not only concern yourself with everything that is going on inside your hotel but the outside of it as well. There are a number of different things you can do to create a garden area that is eco-friendly. Firstly, watering the outdoor area wisely is important. There are some great smart irrigation systems on the market today that can help you to cut down on unnecessary water used with timed water. You can also lower your overall water requirements by planting native plants that are drought-resistant. This will also lower your need for fertilisers and pesticides. 

Installing a worm composting bin is another good suggestion. There are countless benefits of breaking down organic material into nutrient-rich fertiliser and soil. You will be able to speed up the composting process, reduce plant diseases, promote healthy organic growth in the operations in your hotel kitchen, and you will keep pests away from rubbish too! 

Finally, we would recommend that you cut down on runoff. The excess water that comes from snow, irrigation, and storms is a silent assassin in terms of the environment. A lot of people do not realise this but it is especially tricky on hotel grounds that have concrete outdoor patios and asphalt parking. If you use water detention ponds and plant rain gardens you can combat this by collecting drainage. 

In addition to the tips that we have mentioned so far, we also recommend that you look for ways to make food services more eco-friendly. Shopping local is a good place today. Source from nearby food providers and growers. It is an excellent way to support farmers while also lowering your carbon emissions caused when you get food delivered from far away. You should also look to include sustainable offerings as well, including vegan and vegetarian options that take fewer resources to produce the meat. 

Next, you should incorporate reusable mugs, glasses, silverware, and dishes. It also makes sense to look for different ways to lower waste during events. Make sure that you have recyclable containers available so that guests can easily see where they should dispose of their plastic bottles, aluminium cans, and paper. 

Finally, one thing that we have noticed a lot of hotels do is compost their waste, as well as donating any leftover or unused food to national and local programmes and food banks. This is a great way to help others while reducing the waste you are responsible for. 

Opt for non-toxic, biodegradable products in sustainable packaging whenever possible. A sustainable purchasing policy is pretty easy to establish, and it should cover everything from paper products and light bulbs to cleaning supplies, sanitisers, adhesives, office supplies, pens, writing pads, and paint. 

You should also make sure that your hotels’ appliances are as energy-efficient as possible. From your ice machines to your commercial fryers, whenever the time comes to replace one of your appliances, it makes sense to look for a green, eco-friendly replacement so that you can lower your environmental impact and reduce your energy bills at the same time. 

Use automation to make guest rooms more green

You should also consider how you can make guest rooms more sustainable. Sustainability efforts here may have started with cards reminding your guests to turn off the AC or to reuse their towels. However, we’ve gone way past those days! Now, we can use technology in the form of automation to make guest rooms more energy-efficient. 

One of the ways that you can do this is by installing thermostats that have occupancy sensors, which will adjust AC and heating temperatures. Using IoT technology, you can connect these amenities to apps so that guests can amend their settings remotely. 

Aside from this, there are room sensors that will detect light levels automatically, reducing or increasing the brightness of the bulbs. There are also smart showers, which will limit shower length to a pre-set time, alerting the user when the time is almost over. 

Last but not least, while all of the suggestions that we have mentioned above are important, you will want to make sure you have a dedicated team who can enforce the different rules that you put in place regarding the environment. A “green team” can monitor all of your activities, and they will be able to make suggestions regarding some of the different things that you can do to operate more eco-friendly. 

It's time to embrace sustainability in the hospitality sector

As you can see, there are a number of different steps you can take to make sure that your hotel is as sustainable as possible. This is something that all hotels need to make a dedicated effort to achieve. Plus, there are a lot of different eco-friendly steps you can take that are not going to drain your resources as well, so there is really no excuse, is there? 

Sustainability In Hospitality: What Hotels Need To Know

Twixmas travel has risen in popularity over the last few years; let’s explore what it is, why it matters to hotel owners, and how to approach this rise in demand to benefit your hotel. 

What Is Twixmas? Twixmas is the period when people are stuffed full with Christmas dinner, the kids are slowly but surely getting bored of the presents Santa brought, and parents are tidying up empty boxes. Extended families that came to stay are on the roading fighting through traffic to get home and everyone is experiencing the lull that exists between Christmas Day and New Year. 

The word itself originates from betwixt which means between so it fits quite nicely with this idea. How popular is Twixmas? Well, a quick look at the Google trends will show that searches for this keyphrase tend to balloon around November. This means that before people even manage to get through the festive season of celebrations they are thinking about how to spend their time after the presents have been opened. 

How Can You Encourage Christmas Travel As A Hotel Owner? 

Marketing is always going to be key when encouraging travellers to commit to the idea of ‘Twixmas.’ Sure, the idea of having a lovely rest before New Year sounds great, but what about enjoying that break in a luxury hotel? Instead of heading back to work, why not head away for a week and start again after New Year? These are the ideas that hotels and travel companies should be pushing if they want customers to embrace this period. 

Marketing needs to be more creative than the typical campaign. In 2018, 250,000 households on the mainland received postcards encouraging them to visit the Isle of Wight during the twixmas break. Crucially, these postcards were sent out on Boxing Day 2017, bringing a whole new meaning to ‘early Christmas advertising.’ Another 250,000 emails were sent out as well encouraging families to come enjoy some late festive celebrations on the island. The cards and emails specifically mentioned the exciting possibilities that families would be able to explore and the potential options that were available for hotel stays. 

This campaign was a success because it tackled the lull that customers were likely feeling while also giving them some unique ideas on how they could spend their ‘twixmas’ break. 

You might think that a good discount will lure customers into the comfort of a hotel in the gap between Christmas and New Year. However, don’t be so sure because polls suggest that customers want a little more than a great price these days. 
Furthermore, competing with price could cause you to lose your unique value proposition. If you drop your prices, then you’ll be basing the new price on what competitors are charging for their own twixmas deals. The problem is that they may not be offering the same value of service. As such, you could end up undercharging customers and lose out on revenue. You could also become engaged in a dreaded price war where there are never any real winners. 

Changing the price will also mean that you attract low-price guests. This isn’t an issue in the short term but in the long term it will mean you’ll never gain their loyalty. They will always be loyal to the company that can offer the lowest price. 

Instead of relying on discounts and offers to keep occupancy high around this time, you should consider opting for a more personalised approach. This could be based on highlighting the USP of your hotel so that guests understand why they should stay there during the ‘twixmas’ break. 

Ideally, you need to make sure that you are treating your customers as individuals rather than lumping them all into one group looking to save as many pennies as possible. The best kept secret of customers is that they’ll always be willing to pay a little more if a company is delivering the right value. 

There are lots of different ways that you can customise the options that you bring to the table for your customers. You need to find the model that works for your business. 

As you can see, “Twixmas” presents a great opportunity for hotel owners who are interested in bringing bored and drained customers out of their homes after festive celebrations are over. This doesn’t have to be a slow or quiet period for your business. You just need to understand what customers are looking for when they book a trip like this and hopefully understand there’s a little more to it than just a low price. 

The Rise of Twixmas Travel

Black Friday is fast approaching, meaning everyone is looking for the biggest and best deals around. It's a period where prices are slashed across every single industry, and many businesses report impressive sales figures. To give some context as to how important Black Friday is for certain industries, 30% of all retail sales occur between it and Christmas day. 

There are definitely some industries that benefit from it, but there are others that don't. Specifically, we're looking at the travel sector and hotel businesses. Hotel owners are expected to offer discounted rates on rooms to attract lots of customers. Indeed, some holiday-goers wait until Black Friday to book hotels, specifically to save money. In theory, you'd think this is a great thing as it can increase sales and boost your occupancy rates. 

Eating into gross operating profit (GOP) margins

Primarily, the issue is that Black Friday sales can often eat into hotel profit margins. You discount your rooms so heavily to compete with everyone else that you might end up losing money. To make matters worse, the GOP in the hotel sector is on the decline. It was a mere 18.2% in 2020, with occupancy levels of 36.6%. Neither of these figures is great, yet it is believed that profit margins are going to get narrower and narrower. 

The simple fact is that it's becoming more and more expensive to operate a hotel. Therefore, hotel owners want to do everything they can to keep their profit margins as wide as possible. Seemingly being 'forced' to participate in Black Friday is hurting them, meaning lots of rooms are being sold - yes - but at vastly discounted rates. Whose to say those rooms wouldn't have sold at closer to their normal rates later in the year anyway?

Following on from the above, we have to recognize that there are almost two types of hotels people can choose to book. On one hand, you have smaller hotels from independent owners. Many of you reading this will fall into this category. On the other hand, you have massive chains that are backed by billionaire owners. They possess more money and firepower than smaller hotels, meaning they can afford to enter the Black Friday sales and slash their prices. 

You can already see how harmful this can be to smaller hotels on the market. If the big chains are discounting, you almost feel compelled to do the same - or miss out on sales. Thus, we end up with the problem discussed above; smaller profit margins, meaning you make less money. 

Black Friday travel discounts can be detrimental to hotels, so what is the solution? Many of you reading this will look at it and feel as though you have no choice. It's either a) you offer mass discounts and secure occupants, but at a lower rate so you make less money. Or b) you don't discount your rates and everyone books into your rival hotels, leaving you with lots of unoccupied rooms and reducing your profit margins even more. 

However, what if the solution doesn't lie in mass discounts, but in providing a personalised approach to hotel rates. This is an approach that's gaining popularity in the sector, and it revolves around providing you and your guests with more control. 

Well, it can work in a couple of ways, one of which is a simple off-site booking system. You can keep listing your hotels on sites like Booking.com or wherever, as well as providing rates on your actual website. However, you can also join sites like hoo, which let you list your hotel for consumers to find. Sounds like every other hotel listing site, right? Well, the catch is that guests will submit offers for your hotel rooms, rather than paying the full price. 

Let's say you have a room that's advertised for £90 per night. A consumer can find your room on one of these websites, contacting you with an offer for, say, £70 a night. You're then able to accept or counter their offer until you reach an agreement. It could mean you sell the room for £80 a night, instead of £90. The reason this is effective is that you can fill up unoccupied rooms without visibly discounting them. It lets you accept a bit less for a room - making the customer feel like they're getting a bargain - without needing to slash the price as dramatically as you would on Black Friday. 

Another idea is to use loyalty discounts for recurring customers. When people book rooms with you consistently, they can unlock perks that mean they get slightly discounted prices. Again, it means that you can still sell some rooms for their full price, but a select few can unlock secret discounts. This also encourages more people to stay with you regularly, so they can get better room rates. 

In both examples, you're avoiding a mass discount across your hotel. This can help you keep your profit margins as wide as can be, while also encouraging more people to book rooms in your hotel. 

Overall, Black Friday can be harmful to a lot of hotels, particularly smaller and more independent ones. Bigger chains rarely see any damage because they can afford to set discounted rates across the board. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday can help you see an increase in bookings, you have to measure up the costs. Are you going to lose money or decrease your profit margins by giving into Black Friday? If the answer is yes, it's maybe time to skip this tradition this year. 

Instead, hotels should focus on a more personalised approach for customers. Look at discounts on a customer by customer basis, rather than giving them to everyone. You'll find that this can actually improve your profits, boost occupancy rates and inspire loyalty. As the travel sector continues to heal following the last two years, you need to do everything you can to prevent your business from further decreasing its profit margins. 

Is Black Friday Harmful To Hotels?

Halloween is a popular holiday in a number of places around the world. The US might come to mind when thinking about enthusiasm for Halloween, which is celebrated on October 31st every year. But the day is celebrated in different ways in other countries too, including Mexico's Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, which is used to remember lost loved ones. However, although Halloween has long been celebrated in many places, it's not seen as such a significant holiday in the UK. Halloween is celebrated, but not to the same extent it is elsewhere.

So why is this, and could there be more that the local travel sector can do to cash in on Halloween in the UK?

It may seem a little strange that Halloween isn't such a big deal in the UK, considering its Celtic roots. Before Halloween, there was Samhain (pronounced sah-win or sow-in), a Pagan celebration marking the end of the harvest season and the nights getting longer. When Christianity arrived in the UK, the night of Samhain became All-Hallows-Eve, and eventually Halloween. Many people in the UK, particularly in Scotland, still celebrate the festival through traditional methods.

While many see trick-or-treating as a modern phenomenon imported from the United States, children in Scotland have engaged in the tradition of guising for a long time. Guising involves children going door to door in disguise and receiving a small gift. Other traditions in the UK involve bobbing for apples and other games and carving faces into turnips and swedes - although this has more recently become pumpkins, which is an import from the US.

One of the reasons Halloween isn't as widely celebrated throughout the UK with the enthusiasm of other countries is that there is another celebration that takes place close to the date. On November 5th, Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night is celebrated in the United Kingdom. The event celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, which involved explosives placed below the House of Lords, which would have killed King James I. Guy Fawkes, a member of the plot, was arrested on November 5th and the plot was prevented from going ahead. Fawkes and his accomplices were later hung, drawn, and quartered.

Bonfire Night takes place just a few days after Halloween, which might partly explain why Halloween isn't such a big deal. It is celebrated with fireworks, bonfires, creating effigies of Guy Fawkes or more contemporary figures to burn on the bonfire, traditional confectionery such as toffee apples, and some of the same games that might be played at a Halloween or Samhain event. It has also been marked in some way since the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in the early 17th century, so it's a well-established holiday. Many Brits may simply feel as if there is no point in having two celebrations so close together.

Although Halloween as it is celebrated in countries such as the US hasn't really been the traditional way to mark the event in the UK, things are changing. The more commercialised version of Halloween, as it's observed in the US, is starting to gain traction in the UK. Many people do engage in activities such as taking the kids trick-or-treating or attending Halloween parties. However, for many, Halloween may be seen as more of a children's event. Some adults may attend Halloween events, but others will stick to entertaining their children, buying sweets to hand out to trick-or-treaters, or perhaps just sitting at home with the lights off if they don't feel like joining in. Many people feel as if the event is overcommercialized and an American import, and would rather have nothing to do with it.

In the UK, Halloween is still largely seen as a spooky event. People in the UK are more likely to wear scary costumes like traditional ghosts and witches. However, in the US, a Halloween costume isn't necessarily frightening. Halloween decorations are usually not as big either, although you can certainly pick them up in the shops if you want to. Nevertheless, the UK spent £419 million on Halloween products in 2018.

How the UK Travel Sector Can Capitalise on Halloween

If Halloween isn't a big deal in the UK compared to the US and elsewhere, what can travel companies in the UK do to make more of the holiday?

Interest in Halloween as a holiday is growing, and there are travel and hospitality firms that already capitalise on it. Many locations are perfect for spooky events, from castles and manor estates to cobbled streets. Activities and events tailored to people who like things a little spooky can include ghost tours, exploring dark caves, and visiting locations that are rich with history. In fact, the UK's history means that it's the perfect place to celebrate Halloween, with a ghost story for practically every building older than a century.

Halloween can be used as a way to encourage Brits to have a spooky staycation, but could also tempt people to visit from abroad. It's not necessarily unique Halloween traditions that could draw people in, but the country's history that can be appealing. Plenty of businesses and organisations across the UK already celebrate Halloween in some way or host Halloween events. These events, as well as existing activities and locations which can easily be linked to Halloween, can show that Halloween in the UK can be an exciting experience. Hotels, restaurants, or other businesses in the hospitality and travel sector can offer Halloween-themed events, activities, packages, and products.

Halloween could also be combined with Bonfire Night to extend celebrations across several days. Both events help to mark the days getting colder and the nights getting darker.

Halloween might not have reached the same levels as the US in terms of celebrations in the UK, but it's still observed by plenty of people. People are willing to spend money on it and explore related experiences, so there’s no harm in diving into seasonal marketing activities to help push bookings. Avoid the really scary part of OTA percentages and fees by getting your property onto tomorrow’s booking platform: join up with hoo here.

Why Isn't Halloween Such a Big Deal as a Holiday in the UK?

With travel restrictions in place and the pandemic still dominating the headlines, 2021 has undoubtedly been the year of the staycation. While Brits hoping to enjoy a well-earned break have descended on the South West of England and Wales, there has been a noticeable decline in visitor numbers in London. In this guide, we’ll explore the reasons why Brits don’t holiday in London and provide suggestions that could help London-based businesses and hospitality venues attract more UK-based tourists. 

Research conducted by Sykes Holiday Cottages suggested that over 60% of residents were planning to spend their summer holiday in the UK in 2021. The most popular regions for summer staycations include North Wales, Cumbria, Cornwall and Devon. The fastest-growing regions in 2021 are the Peak District, Somerset, East Anglia and the Yorkshire Dales. According to figures from Statista, just 8% of Brits were planning to take holidays in London. 

The latest research indicates a shift in attitudes in the last year. While London performed well in the list of UK bucket list destinations in 2020, it didn’t appear in the same list in 2021. A survey conducted by holidaycottages.co.uk revealed that London topped the UK’s staycation bucket list in 2020 but failed to make the top 10 in 2021. Cornwall, the Scottish Highlands, Devon and the Lake District were the most popular choices. 

What do British people think about London? 

The pandemic has inspired Brits to discover more rural and coastal areas, with many people swapping exotic beach breaks and resort holidays for camping, renting beach houses and booking hotels in national parks and seaside towns. Although lockdowns and travel restrictions will have influenced trends, there were significant barriers to travelling to and holidaying in London before the pandemic. 

Studies suggest that Brits view London as ‘expensive, chaotic, busy and crowded.’ Research conducted by Leonardo Hotels in 2019 also found that 6% of adults had never visited London, with 50% of those who didn’t envisage making a trip to the capital suggesting that prices were far too high in the city. Over 30% said that it was too busy and crowded and 28% said that it was too far and they didn’t want to make the journey. Over 20% said that the thought of going to London stressed them out. 

Why is the capital not a staycation hot spot?

YouGov polls suggest that Brits see London as a business epicentre rather than a holiday hot spot. More than 75% of adults surveyed agreed that London made a valuable contribution to the UK economy, but only 16% felt that it impacted their local economy. The most popular words used to describe Londoners were ‘diverse, arrogant and insular.’ 

What can London’s hotel sector do to attract more UK visitors?

London has not enjoyed the staycation boom that is clearly visible across swathes of the UK. Many people have booked destinations that offer rural escapes and opportunities to discover national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and coastal resorts but there is a chance that London’s hotel sector has missed a trick in failing to lure in staycationers. London is an incredibly popular destination for foreign visitors but with restrictions still in place, this summer could have been an opportunity to reach out to different markets and boost UK visitor numbers. To attract more UK tourists, hotels could:

Focus on new target customers and diversify marketing strategies: the focus has shifted from overseas tourists to UK visitors and this requires a change of tack in terms of marketing and sales. Redefining the ideal customer and finding ways to reach out and connect and engage with them will help brands and businesses to identify new clients and boost bookings. 

Extend the season: UK visitors who have saved money by holidaying at home or cancelling trips abroad may be looking to treat themselves after the peak season comes to an end. Travelling to London is also easier and quicker than planning a trip abroad for a weekend away or a half-term break. Extending the season and up-selling breaks and offers in the low season could have a positive impact on reservations.

Offers and promotions: promotions attract interest and turn heads. By offering deals, hotels can make trips to London more accessible and affordable for families, solo travellers, large groups and couples.

Stay and play ideas: customers today are looking for more than a hotel room to bed down for the night. They want to enjoy an experience. Stay and play offers are a great way to enhance value for consumers. Hotels can put together packages for attractions or promote bundles or experiences, such as spa breaks, theatre and sports events, theme parks and stay and dine deals. 

Contact previous customers: networking and building contact lists are beneficial during times when empty rooms are commonplace. Why not get in touch with customers who have stayed with you previously or make the most of company email lists if the hotel is part of a chain? Personalised email offers, exclusive deals and one-off savings may persuade clients to want to visit again or pass the information on to friends and family members looking to plan a break. 

Up-sell the location: London is one of the most exciting, energetic and enigmatic cities in the world but studies show that many Brits have a perception of the city that doesn’t align with the traits they look for in a holiday destination. Use marketing and communications to up-sell the city, promote experiences and show prospective customers what they can see, do and enjoy if they choose to visit London for a holiday. 

Staycations have boomed across the UK in 2021 but London has struggled to attract Brits. Studies show that rural and coastal areas have become increasingly popular during the pandemic but it is possible that the hotel sector could do more to tempt UK-based tourists to the capital. London is seen as crowded, inaccessible and expensive but it is possible to change opinions and there is still time to market the city as an attractive holiday destination and boost bookings in the months ahead. Start by getting your resort hotel onto tomorrow's booking offer platform and give those margin-thieving conventional OTAs a kick: join up with hoo here.

Why Don't Brits Holiday in London?

The world is slowly opening up, but there are restrictions in place, which may limit the choice of countries you can visit and affect your travel preparations. If you are hoping to book a holiday, it’s essential to be aware of the latest COVID travel guidelines. 

If you plan to travel abroad, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the red, amber and green lists. The travel traffic light system is reviewed regularly, usually every 3 weeks. The status of the destination dictates what you have to do to visit the country and return to the UK. It is worth noting that there may be differences between travel to and from England and other parts of the UK. 

For tourists travelling from England to an overseas destination, it’s wise to take the following steps:

Check the traffic light system to see which countries are on the green, amber and red lists

Check the entry requirements in the country of your choice: in many cases, for example, New Zealand, UK travellers are not permitted to enter even though the destination is on England’s green list. 

Make sure you understand the testing and quarantine requirements before confirming your booking. It is also advisable to read the terms and conditions. Some tour operators and travel agencies are offering free changes or refunds if the destination turns from amber to red, for example. 

Download and fill in any forms that are required to enter your destination (details for each country are available on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website)

Make sure you have the NHS App, with proof of double vaccination

The traffic light system is designed to make travel safer. Currently, the guidelines for travel to and from England are as follows:

Green countries: passengers visiting green countries do not need to quarantine on arrival. They will be required to take a test within 72 hours of their flight home to England and take a PCR test on day 2. 

Amber countries: if you are fully vaccinated, the same rules apply to amber countries as green destinations. If you are not fully vaccinated, you will need to take tests within 72 of your return flight and then on day 2 and day 8 and isolate for 10 days at home. You can pay for an additional test to end isolation on day 5 via the test to release scheme.

Red countries: red countries require hotel isolation in government-approved facilities for 10 days. The cost of the quarantine package, which includes the required tests, is paid for by the traveller. 

All passengers travelling to the UK will also be required to complete an online passenger locator form. 

You can find the most recent list of red, amber and green countries at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england. 

Travelling is a little different at the moment. If you are planning to travel, it’s extremely beneficial to take steps to minimise stress, simplify preparations and reduce the risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19. Here are some tips to help you get ready for your holiday:

Check government advice frequently and make sure you know exactly what you need to do before you travel, during your stay and after you arrive home. You’ll find the latest information and advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-abroad-from-england-during-coronavirus-covid-19. 

Check your airline’s policy on face masks: many airlines and airports still require passengers to wear a face mask.

Check the requirements in the country you are travelling to: rules and restrictions vary depending on where you travel. You may need to wear face masks in public places or when using public transport, for example. You might also be required to have your temperature checked when arriving at an airport or a hotel and social distancing measures may be in place. There could also be curfews for bars and restaurants. 

Wash your hands frequently and take a small bottle of hand sanitiser with you. Try to avoid touching your face and dispose of used tissues and face masks carefully.

Make sure you have comprehensive insurance cover. Some policies will not cover Covid-19 complications, for example, the cost of isolating if you test positive when you arrive at your destination. 

Download the NHS app and check that you have your vaccine pass if you have had both doses. 

Millions of Brits are enjoying staycations this summer. A survey conducted by Sykes Cottages revealed that over 60% of adults were planning to holiday in the UK in 2021. If you’re staying closer to home, it’s essential to be aware of measures and restrictions in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19. 

UK citizens are free to travel within the UK without quarantining or taking PCR or rapid antigen tests. There are some measures to be aware of, particularly if you are visiting a different nation within the UK. The rules are slightly different in England than in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Here are some tips to help you plan a seamless, safe holiday:

There are no restrictions in terms of who you can stay with in England, Wales and Scotland. In Northern Ireland, social distancing measures and maximum party numbers are still in place. Check the latest guidance before you travel or book accommodation. 

Face coverings are not required by law in England, but many travellers may feel more comfortable wearing a mask when visiting shops or using public transport. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is still compulsory to use a covering in public places and when using public transport unless you are exempt.

Attractions are open across the UK, but some are operating at a reduced capacity and you may need to book tickets or reserve time slots online. Check with the venue before you travel. You may need to provide contact details when visiting some tourist attractions and hospitality venues.

It is important to note that you should not travel anywhere in the UK if you have symptoms of Covid-19 or you have tested positive for the virus. What are your best tips for grabbing a cheeky holiday while staying safe? Let us know on Insta or tweet us @justhooit!

Latest COVID Holiday Guidelines

The coronavirus pandemic has changed virtually everything about modern life, at least temporarily. It’s affected how we work, how we socialise, and, of course, how we travel -- or rather, how we don’t travel. With the whole country, and largely the whole world, under lockdown, people were unable to travel to the end of their road, let alone go to a tourist destination to have some fun.

That’s all beginning to change now. While we’re still in the coronavirus pandemic, things are looking a lot rosier than they did even several months ago. For the first time in a long while, people can travel, albeit with restrictions. Just as it did with most industries, the COVID-19 era has had a significant impact on the UK seaside industry. In this blog, we’re going to look at the short-term and long-term positive impacts. 

It’s well-known that UK seaside resorts are not faring as well as they did during their heyday; indeed, many are struggling to keep afloat. This was true before the pandemic, but the issue became even more pronounced during the pandemic. For at least the first few months of the pandemic, visitor numbers to once-popular seaside resorts fell off a cliff. Of course, visitor numbers everywhere fell off a cliff, but UK resorts were in a more vulnerable position than others. 

Part of the issue with the initial slump in visitors is that the lockdowns coincided with what should have been a busy period for resorts. Bank holidays have historically been popular times to visit seaside resorts, but the coronavirus meant that during those periods, no one was able to leave their home. Seaside resorts have always been dependent on seasonal tourism, too, but summer 2020 was a period when people were not inclined to travel. The end result was that this period was a tough year. 

While 2020 was a difficult period for the UK’s seaside resorts, 2021 looked a lot brighter. While the UK government did fumble some aspects of their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, they've done better than other countries when it came to vaccinations. The result was that the UK could open up and allow people to resume regular life. This, combined with the difficulty in travelling internationally, meant that many more people were eager to take a staycation within the UK. The majority of the visitors to the seaside are return visitors; this year, there were people, especially younger people, visiting the seaside resorts for the first time. Visitor numbers to beaches were up 30% compared with the same period the year before the pandemic, and this is expected to grow even further during summer 2021.

The upturn in visitors was a highly welcome life raft for the UK seaside industry, who, during the early days of the pandemic, feared that the lockdown could be the final nail in the coffin. The boost brought a level of visitors typically associated with “boom times.” 

Of course, it’s important to keep the rise in visitor numbers in context. While the coronavirus pandemic was a false reality, it’s also possible that the current boom period is also a false dawn. There are several conditions that have made people more likely to visit a seaside resort. 

One is lockdown exhaustion; people want to go out of their house or town and explore somewhere new. Another is foreign travel bans. Even though there are several popular destinations on the ‘amber list,’ the complication around travelling has made international trips unappealing. In order to go, people would need to do - not to mention pay for - multiple PCR tests and also quarantine when they arrived home. In that landscape, it makes much more sense to visit somewhere within the UK borders, with a seaside resort making the most sense.

Finally, there’s an issue that isn’t coronavirus related but which has helped the numbers of visitors during 2021 to swell: the good weather. People are more inclined to visit somewhere in the UK if they can be reasonably sure they won’t be rained on during the duration of their trip.

So is this a one-off? Will there be a backswing at some stage? It would be surprising if there wasn’t. This year has created ideal conditions for people to explore the UK, but there’ll come a point where that’s no longer the case. There will be washout summers, and international travel will return, most likely after the summer. Certainly by next summer. When that happens, people who looked to the UK for a fun getaway will be more likely to look elsewhere. 

However, on balance, it’s possible that the coronavirus pandemic will have been positive for the UK seaside industry. It has introduced a new generation of visitors to all the wonders of the UK seaside, and that’s not something that’ll be instantly forgotten just because the pandemic has passed. What this provides is an opportunity for seaside resorts to grow, but they’ll need to work to make the most of the opportunity. 

So what can resorts do to ensure the current spike of activity turns into a long-term interest and revival for this sector of the UK's travel market? Here are some initial strategies to kick things off.

Refresh Tourist Marketing: marketing is the foundation of getting people on board and in many cases a much more modern and adaptable approach is needed.

Make it Convenient: people will be more likely to visit if there are good public transportation links/plenty of parking, and so forth.

Find a New Angle: some seaside resorts, such as Margate, have reinvented themselves by elevating certain aspects, such as promoting their local arts scene.

Invest in the Basics: people want good food, clean amenities, and safety. That’s something that resorts should prioritise as an absolute no-brainer.

It has been some time since resorts were in their heyday. With the coronavirus pandemic upending more or less everything, this is an opportunity for seaside resorts to cement a long-term interest among domestic travellers. There are no guarantees, but there are many seeds of potential to be explored. Kick it off by getting your resort hotel onto tomorrow's booking offer platform and give those margin-thieving conventional OTAs a kick: join up with hoo here.

The Recovery of the UK's Seaside Industry

The coronavirus pandemic continues to be with us, and despite almost 70 million doses of the vaccine being given in the UK, we’re still being faced with restrictions in our daily lives - one of the most significant being travel. 

While the vaccine rollout has been an overwhelming success in the UK, the rest of the world has some catching up to do. While some travel restrictions have been eased, we’ve already seen with Portugal (once on the ‘green’ list, now moved to ‘amber’), that things aren’t as straightforward as they seem.

So if you’re just as confused about the latest UK COVID travel guidelines, here’s a simple breakdown to help you get your head around it.

Non-essential foreign travel has been off-limits for a while, but on 17 May, the UK Government introduced its traffic light system, which has categorised countries into either green, amber or red destinations based on their case rates and other risk factors, each with their own rules and guidance for travel:

Different countries have different rules for entering, so even if a country is listed as a ‘green’ country in the UK, each country will need you to follow specific guidance, which most likely includes a negative test before departure. Always check the guidance in advance before travelling.

Before you return to the UK, you will need to take a COVID test, and book a test to be taken on Day 2 of your arrival back in the country. If your test comes back positive, you will need to isolate. 

There aren’t many countries on the green list right now, and even countries such as Australia and New Zealand are still operating strict travel procedures that mean those countries are still off-limits for holidays and general travel.

Currently, people are being advised NOT to travel to amber countries. If, however, you do travel to one of these countries, you will be expected to self-isolate for 10 days after your return to the UK. 

You will need to take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8.  There is a test and release option that you will need to pay for, which will allow you to end your quarantine after day 5 if your test is negative.

Amber countries currently include most of Europe, the United States and destinations in Asia and Africa.

Travel to red countries is only permitted under exceptional circumstances. People are being told NOT to travel to a country on the red list. However, if you are returning to the UK from a red list country, you will need to follow very strict guidance.

Before you travel to the UK, you will need to carry out a COVID test, book a quarantine hotel package for 10 days, and book two other tests. Once you arrive in the UK, you’ll need to quarantine in the hotel, and complete two further COVID tests before you can leave. 

Changes to the traffic light system can happen at any time depending on the changing situation within different countries. They will be reviewed periodically, with the possibility of more countries being added to the green list in the coming months. Keep an eye on UK COVID travel guidelines for the latest information.

With government ministers advising Brits to ‘holiday at home’ this year, you’re probably wondering where you should go and what are the top UK holiday destinations this year.

The good news is that there are no travel restrictions between different parts of the UK right now. So if you want to pay a visit to Northern Ireland, enjoy a city break in Edinburgh or jet off to Jersey, it’s entirely possible to do so. In fact, you’ll be helping local economies get back on their feet after a tough year.

Some of the most popular UK travel destinations this year include west Wales, Scotland and Cornwall. Staycations have a lot of appeal, with many self-catering accommodation options available, with luxuries such as hot tubs, swimming pools and barbecues/pizza ovens high on everybody’s wish lists. 

It’s also a great time to enjoy a city break. London is always a popular choice, as is Birmingham (and the world’s largest Primark), Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff. With restaurants, bars and shops open again, it’s a great time to take in some of the UK’s most popular cities. 

With foreign travel off the cards for the foreseeable future, a UK staycation could be the way forward to help you enjoy a summer holiday. Let’s just hope the weather is in our favour this year!

The Latest UK COVID Travel Guidelines

The hospitality industry makes up a third of employment, and back in 2015, in the UK alone, was responsible for hiring around 2.9million people. The hotel sector has also been one of the very few industries which grows enormously each year, as demand soars higher than the number of staff working within it. 

However, with that said, this sector has been known for having a high-burnout rate amongst its employees. With the stress of performing above predictions and their competitors, ensuring a client or customer is always happy. As well as remaining level-headed as technology malfunctions, it can be easy to see why many crack under stress.

For management, this causes a huge problem, because a stressed staff force leads to unhappy customers, as the quality of customer service will decrease when staff are overworked. It will also reduce the staff members productivity and how much they can take in, which is incredibly difficult when the business incorporates new technology or new training. 

When this happens, it puts a strain on the business, management and staff. Without one of these people keeping the place going, it would all fall apart.

As there are several stressful and pressuring factors which can affect this industry, we’ve grouped them as best as we can. While we’ve tried to be extensive, there is a chance we’ve overlooked some, so keep this in mind. 

The long hours and being on your feet all day seem less than desirable, but they can also put significant stress on the mind and the body. Staff are usually also expected to carry heavy equipment or stock, as well as cover other staff at short notice, which often means they do jobs they aren’t qualified for or had training for. 


Staff who join the hospitality and hotel sector, often opt out of the working time regulations set to protect them. This means they are legally allowed to work more than 48 hours a week and are usually not entitled to a minimum daily rest period of 11 hours between shifts. Opting out of this, as many do, also means they do not qualify to have a break every six hours. 

In no other industry are people expected to wait on people where there isn’t a limit to people’s expectations. In hospitality, while no one would ever wish customers to have a bad experience, the fear of doing anything wrong now weighs heavy on the staff member attempting to appease the customer. Especially when what is being asked of them is near impossible. With the rise of social media, one bad review can be costly to a business, and staff members know this and undoubtedly adds further stress to an already stressful job. 

Another pressure on hotels is balancing the rooms. This can include allowing one customer can have a late check-out while another has an early one, ensuring that both customers’ needs are being met, while continuing the running of the hotel. 

In the hotel restaurants, it’s making sure that all the food comes out at once. While ensuring taste, and heat isn’t affected, as well as adhering to the requirements in which it has been ordered. 

Every minute, a caring staff member is thinking about the customer. They are thinking of the next way to above and beyond, and they only have little downtime between appeasing people. 

The nature of hospitality is to serve the best of the best, to their customers, which can be difficult at the best of times. 

Whether it’s a busy restaurant, a fully booked hotel or a congested front desk, as mentioned above, with social media at everyone’s fingers, there’s no room for error. Staff in hospitality cannot afford to make a mistake or the time it takes to apologise, which would smooth over the mistakes. 

Instead, they're facing websites which allow customers to rate them, and the various reality television shows which give an insight into their jobs, while not showing the staff members in the right way. This shift has given a lot of power to customers, taking away the very little power staff in hospitality had. But none of this is helped when staff are dependent on IT systems that crash or require frequent updates. 

During busy times, managers need to cover the worst-case-scenario, and many do. Often, rotas are planned in advance and only changed as the needs require them to do so. It’s why it can be confusing when things still seem to fall apart. 

Scheduling more staff than needed can be overzealous and challenging financially for the business, but, it can lead to happier staff. When pressures become less, and jobs are shared over the working staff force, it can lead to better productivity due to happiness.

It’s also important to ensure management is on standby and can be relied on to defend and have the backs of their teams. When dealing with customers, it can be reassuring for staff to have someone they can bring forward to run things by or help to intervene. 

The other side of management is ensuring the training, and mentoring, of staff, is at the forefront of the business. Without every member of the team, from cleaner to management, the business wouldn’t run, and a profitable business or manager knows this. Nurturing the staff, understanding the need for time off and being there for questions can be both reassuring for your team but can also motivate, and make them passionate about their job.

Working in a place which values you, does a number to your productivity, and with the stresses and pressures we mentioned above, it’s easy to see how being appreciated by your management can help ease some of that from staff members’ shoulders. 

Unfortunately, the nature of the hospitality and hotel industry means we won’t find ourselves able to cover everything in this article. Still, we wanted to provide some useful hints and tips for the most common issues. 

No one likes a difficult conversation, least of all, when you work on the front desk of a business. It can be challenging, but when the customer is still present, hide and mask your emotions as best as you can. Take a second to breathe deeply, without notice to the customer, between speaking or smoothing over the situation. 

When the exchange is finished, remain cool-headed until you can find a safe place to vent and let it out. Tense moments can be made worse by tenser words, adding fuel to the fire which is already burning. Ensure you have a safe place in your workplace, whether that is a staff room far away from customers or a rarely used office you, and your staff members can use when a day has been difficult. Creating this place will be good for staff morale and mental health.

It can be easy to let any of our emotions flare, even for customers or clients. While things can be tense at that moment, following up with a customer a few hours later or the next day (depending on their stay) can make all the difference to their opinion of you and the business. You may even find that later on, they are more understanding of the issue if there was one, or apologetic if things were wrongly said. 

Doing this also shows your dedication as a member of the company and the business itself. It shows you are compassionate and willing to go the extra mile, which can turn a frown into a smile in just a phone call. 

As mentioned above, but it doesn’t hurt to say again, the support of a manager, team leader and even the business can aid confidence in employees when dealing with demanding customers. It can be challenging for anyone when challenged, but incredibly hard when employees are given a script to say, and the customer’s complaint isn’t something covered. 

For managers, make yourself available. Allow your staff members to know how to contact you, and where to find you in busy times, so they understand they can approach you if something was to come up. For staff members, it’s essential to ask if you’re unsure. Being transparent and confident in your words means more to a customer than brushing them off because asking and taking the time to ask questions shows your dedication to wanting to appease them. 

When switching to new software or a new way of working, it doesn’t necessarily mean the old way was wrong. Usually, it just means there is a way to improve on things. This is imperative to growth and the ever-changing times; however, it isn’t always best to throw the old method away entirely. If you’re a member of the management team, assess what could go wrong and apply back-ups to limit the pressures on your staff. 

For staff, think outside of the box if you can. As the people using the system day in and out, mention the ways it isn’t cooperating as quickly, and question if there are other ways things can be done. It’s essential to do this because when things do go wrong, you may have created a back-up method of working which will keep the business running smoothly. Doing so, especially In the hotel sector, can be the difference between happy guests and unhappy ones. 

When your system goes down, and you’re unable to check-in or check-out any of your guests, you may find those arriving become more stressed, and are likely to be less understanding than those who are going home. But, moving to the older way or a paper version can have a significant effect on customer experience, meaning they don’t need to stand waiting for as long as it would for a staff member to fix the issue with them being there. 

As we’ve said throughout the article, it is hard to cover everything, but we’ve tried to cover as much as possible. In the world of hospitality and hotels, as the service grows, so will the issues, but in turn, we can only hope for more good moments, more appreciation, and more gratitude to grow just as quickly. 

It is also crucial as the industry grows, for staff to feel they can voice things too. Allow your staff or team to take a second to challenge best practise; communicate with those around you and open channels of communication, because whether you’re a manager or not, we’ve all been in stressful situations. The stress of the sector will never go, this is the nature of hospitality, but we can continually develop to limit burnout and create a healthier work-life balance. If not just for our staff, but for the experience of the customer too. 

Handling Hotel Stress: Hoo's Guide For Staff And Management

It’s a hotel industry standard but the old saying that “the most expensive room is an empty room” has never felt more relevant than right now. When the lockdown from the Coronavirus eventually lifts, the challenge of filling the empty room will never have been greater.

Average Occupancy rates of 75% - 85% were the norm, pre-COVID 19 – This is typically based on a city-centre location (of varying sizes). Airports and transport hubs can have a slightly higher rate, up to 95%, whereas holiday resort locations are obviously much more seasonal. Many are estimating that it could be the summer of 2021 before we start to see these kinds of levels, but that’s where we’re aiming.

Seasonality is a huge factor on empty rooms, but so are days of the week. It will depend on the hotel, but weekends are typically for leisure guests and weekdays are more corporate. Friday & Saturday nights will likely be the best, most booked days, whereas Sunday will be a struggle (many hotels will try to offer better deals if the duration of the stay includes Sunday night).

How far in advance of the check-in date are most bookings confirmed? Again, this really depends on the hotel location. A ‘City centre’ hotel has a peak around 14 days ahead on average, whereas an airport/transport hub is around 45 days. Resort hotels will obviously have a much higher ‘lead time’ for peak-season bookings. Different types of travellers (business vs leisure) will also book differently but a window of 10–30 days for most bookings (outside of resorts) is typical. The hotel sector keeps up the mantra of “data, data, data” and in this case, tracking actual occupancy against your target allows you to be much more proactive about potential empty rooms. 

Depending on your location, you will be more attractive to a certain type of traveller. ‘City Centre’ and you’ll be more used to seeing business and short-break/weekend travellers potentially; ‘Rural’ and it will more likely be leisure or holiday use; and a classic ‘Resort’ location speaks for itself. It all sounds very obvious but the point is you can’t go after everybody all of the time. Focus on the customers that mean the most to you and know as much about them as you can – their attitudes and needs, the media they consume, etc. Keep on trying to reach them with the right message, at the right time – take into account the day of the week, the season, and any external events that might be impacting or interesting to them. Easier said than done, but this is ‘Marketing 101’ – don’t spend the money until you’ve tried to get this bit right (oh, and never give up!).

For anyone who has stayed with you before, let alone multiple times, reach out to them and be front of mind when they do eventually begin to plan for travel. Give those customers the better deals or some other additional incentive that perhaps wouldn’t be available to someone booking for the first time. Well-thought-out, well-written emails are well-received by customers that already like you. Big businesses call this a loyalty scheme – you can call it just being a great business that wants to share some love. 

Be inventive around your pricing and offers to fit the target customer. Here’s a few obvious ones - book Sunday and get a lower rate for Saturday / Monday night; book ‘X’ nights and get another free or discounted; a straight % discount on a particular day; minimum length of stay restrictions (“MLOS”) on popular days to encourage booking an extra date with the popular date, etc. Also, many add-ons have a high perceived value for the customer but are very low-cost in reality to the hotel – for instance, a cup of coffee actually only costs a few pence/cents to make, and why isn’t WiFi just free everywhere? 

If a would-be guest contacts you directly looking to do a deal on their stay, why not make their day (and yours) by agreeing on a price. To make it easier for you, make sure you already understand your revenue / occupancy targets for that day / week (and how well you’re doing against that) so you know what price will really work for you. At the same time, have a number of low-cost (to you) extras readily available that you can throw into the conversation to sweeten the deal. This does not make you a ‘discount hotel’ – just do it when it makes sense to your business. 

Finally, one rule holds true, above all. If you strive to always surprise and delight your guests, it generates not only a lot of goodwill, but also great word-of-mouth referrals. It will be the best and cheapest marketing you will ever have! 

The Empty Room Challenge

As co-founders continuing to build hoo, Adrian and I are slowly picking our way in detail through the hotel booking journey from beginning to end and the customer communications involved for the hotel. 

As a newbie to the hospitality sector, I assumed the end came when the booking was made in terms of a confirmation and, if requested, a final statement/invoice mail once the guest had checked out. This has been the norm for many years and I suspect still a well-worn mistake by a large number of hotels.

In product/service terms, ‘hotel rooms’ are astonishing in that they must be one of the few products when your customer comes and stays at your house for at least 24 hours and comes to speak with you at least twice in person - once on arrival and once when leaving. There is also plenty of opportunity for them to share their best contact details with you. As someone who has spent the last ten years thinking about Direct to Consumer (D2C) communications, i.e. how to reach customers, communicate with them and get them to take action - this level of interaction is what dreams are made of. 

So, why do hotels not capitalise on this crucial advantage when thinking about targeted marketing, increased upsell and building deeper relationships? 

During the last 20 years (post 9/11), as hotels have largely outsourced ‘get customer’ marketing to OTAs and therefore the initial booking relationship, it would seem the ongoing CRM relationship and journey has also been lost. Have hotels got rid of this expertise, forgetting that the guest experience, the real good stuff, starts once the booking has been made?

Whatever has happened in the past, this is an almost green field for hoteliers and the opportunities are limitless. The world outside hospitality has already woken up to CRM importance and nurturing your customer. For example, even as early as 2017, Gartner explained that spending on CRM technology had pushed it to the largest-spending category in enterprise software. With opportunity also comes challenge, but it's one that deserves real investment.

In short, CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, and it’s usually handled by some software. As well as cold hard contact data, CRM systems contain a client history associated with each customer’s profile, often tracking sales, product interest and other relevant characteristics to more effectively close more sales and deliver high quality service to existing clients. 

A lot of the work has already been done for you! Below are some of the more well-known CRM systems which, from initial research, I would recommend to a hotel considering ramping up its D2C comms:

Each hotel will have to think clearly and carefully about when and why to contact, but below are some ideas I have had that, if asked at the right time, in the right way and made easy for me to respond to, could be hotel revenue game changers (while also helping me as a consumer!)…

Before I come to stay, at post booking ask me if you can help me with my transfer? Suggest best ways to travel, provide links (with affiliate codes of course!) and ask me if there is anything that may make my journey easier or better. You never know, a simple question may turn into a transfer booking and a ready-made reservation in the restaurant. 

Could we go further than the ‘bed size’ and ‘smoking/non-smoking’ room personalisation? I am sure there is much more you can ask in terms of your hotel to make my stay better and for you to make room improvements for the future. 

When I arrive - politely ask me why I’m making the trip? Perhaps you can help with something that is on my mind - like that booking I need to make or that place I need to find. I had a brilliant stay in Naples recently where the receptionist and I communicated via WhatsApp - he helped me enormously, was there at the touch of a button even If I was not in the hotel and he politely deleted me after. It felt easy, connected me to local culture, was super-fast and was only there when I asked for it. 

After I have checked in and you have given me a few hours to settle and relax, let me know what is on offer in the hotel or surrounding areas via my phone (if possible). I do not read the big black book on the desk you are still intent on leaving! 

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