05 January 2021
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have entered another lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.
Essential travel is still permitted in the U.K. Here is what Roomex recommends you do prior to travelling:
- Review national and local guidelines found below and linked.
- Although there is no requirement by the government to provide a ‘key worker letter’ to accommodation providers, we are recommending it at this time. Some hotels will require you to send this letter to them before arrival. If you need help writing such a letter reach out to your account manager.
- Ring the accommodation 24 hours prior to check in to confirm they are open. If staying in an apartment, contact the property to make arrangements for key pick up. We will also confirm bookings at this time on your behalf.
- After completing a booking, be on the lookout for a ‘pre-arrival check-in’ email from the hotel or from Roomex as some hotels are requesting that guests check in online so they can just collect the key upon arrival.
- Look for ‘RoomexClean’ rates in your platform to confirm the accommodation is cleaned to the highest standards.
- Before booking a bed and breakfast rate or meal allowance confirm the hotel’s restaurant is still offering take-away or room service options.
- We are offering vouchers that can be purchased through Roomex that your employees can use for delivery services such as JustEat and Uber Eats. Please reach out to your account manager if this is of interest to you.
England
- You must have a reasonable excuse for travel, i.e. you cannot do your job from home, i.e. those that work in critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing.
- Restaurants will be open only for takeaway, call and collect, and drive through until 11pm.
- Review the full government statement here.
Scotland
- You must have a reasonable excuse for travel, i.e. you cannot do your job from home, i.e. those that work in critical national infrastructure, forestry, engineering, construction or manufacturing.
- Restaurants, cafes, pubs, and bars are closed. Takeaways will remain open and operate as normal, providing food is sold for consumption off premise.
- Hotels and other accommodation providers can still serve food to qualifying guests i.e. keyworkers staying in their premises up to 22:00. Room service, including alcohol, is allowed as normal.
- Review the full government statement here.
Wales
- You must have a reasonable excuse for travel, i.e. you cannot do your job from home, i.e. those that work in critical national infrastructure, forestry, engineering, construction or manufacturing.
- Takeaway and delivery will remain open
- Review the full government statement here.
Northern Ireland
- Accommodation can be provided for work-related purposes
- Businesses providing takeaway services must close at 11.00 pm and off-license sales must stop at 8.00 pm. Outdoor areas are not permitted to be used
- Review the full government statement here.
02 December 2020
Travel Restrictions Update – England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland
Business travel is still permitted without a note in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
- England – To find out what tier you’re in or the location your company is travelling to – type in the postcode here.
- Scotland – To find out what section you’re in or the location your company is travelling to – type in the postcode here.
- Wales No tiered system in place. See full COVID-19 restrictions here.
- Northern Ireland – No tiered system in place. See full restrictions here.
- Republic of Ireland Ireland has moved into Level 3 on 01 December. Read the most recent COVID update from the Irish Government.
06 November 2020
Hotel restaurant services available by hotel
- Premier Inn: All restaurant services closed (in restaurant dining, takeaway breakfast, room service) in England and Wales. Restaurant services will remain open in Scotland for all guests and in Northern Ireland for residents only.
- Travelodge: All restaurants closed, no room service, breakfast box available
- Dalata (Maldron and Clayton hotels): All restaurants closed, room service available, takeaway breakfast available
Last updated 06 November 19:00
06 November 2020
Premier Inn has closed all hotel restaurants
Premier Inn has announced the closure of all restaurants at their hotels from November 5th to December 2nd. This comes after The U.K. government’s most recent statement.
If you have a Roomex booking with a bed and breakfast rate or an in-stay allowance at a Premier Inn between now and 2nd December, we will reach out to you directly and amend the booking.
If you wish to book a Premier Inn room you can still do so via your platform as normal but there will be no option for food.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, reach out to priority@roomex.com
06 November 2020
All restaurants, pubs, bars, and social clubs closed for inside dining
The U.K. government has announced that all restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, and social clubs will be closed between 5 Nov and 2 December with the exception of take-away (before 10 p.m. and not including alcohol), click-and-collect, drive through, and delivery services. Read the full statement here.
05 November 2020
New U.K. restrictions do not impact business travel
Beginning 05 November, new restrictions and recommendations for travelling both domestically and internationally will be imposed in the U.K.
- Leisure travel will not be permitted
- People can, however travel within the U.K. and abroad for work, education or other legally permitted reason. See the full guidelines on travel here.
What actions are Roomex taking?
- We are in close contact with our hotel partners and will continue to provide updates via this article on possible closures.
- Updated inventory will be displayed in your platform. The RoomexClean tag in your platform ensures we’ve confirmed that the accommodation is exceeding the cleaning guidelines recommended by the WHO.
- Hotels will have more space and likely further discounts as leisure travel is not permitted.
- We will be still checking all reservations to confirm the accommodation is open prior to your stay
What we recommend you do prior to travelling
- Ensure you have no symptoms of COVID-19, see the latest information and advice from the NHS here.
- Confirm the hotel is open by calling them prior to arrival
- Check your Duty of Care map regularly to keep track of travelling personnel should you need to get in touch
- Note- you do not require a ‘Key Worker Letter’ to travel as you did in previous phases of the pandemic
- Reach out to us via Live Chat in your platform or emailing priorty@roomex.com – we are in this together.
20 October 2020
Covid-19 Alert
Roomex is carrying out reservation confirmations on all forward customer’s bookings within regions where travel restrictions have recently changed. We advise all travellers to make yourselves aware of local travel restrictions within your destination. Please see below for local guidelines. Please note several regions are now allowing essential travel only, and relevant documentation is required for check-in. Roomex is happy to assist if you have any queries on your booking.
Travel Restrictions – Northern Ireland, Wales and Republic of Ireland
In light of the latest restrictions, please see below the latest information and resources regarding travel in Northern Ireland, Wales and Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland
Hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfast establishments will only be able to operate on a restricted basis. Accommodation can be provided for those already resident; for work-related purposes; for vulnerable people; for those in emergency situations; and people unable to return to their main address. Hotels can continue to host blood donation sessions.
Food and non-alcoholic drinks can be provided to residents staying for permitted purposes, but bars will be required to close.
Useful Link:
Wales
Are hotels allowed to open in Wales? No. Hotels are required to be closed.
However, a hotel which is closed can still provide specific services at the request of the Welsh Government or a Local Authority. Such services would primarily be for the provision of emergency accommodation for people who are homeless or key workers provided under contract to the Local Authority or a Health body. Measures must be in place to protect people from coronavirus.
Useful Link:
Republic of Ireland
Hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs may remain open, but only to support provision of essential services.
Hotel restaurants and bars. Take away food or delivery only.
Essential services:
- Agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fishing, animal welfare and related services
- Manufacturing
- Supply, repair and installation of machinery and equipment
- Electricity, gas, water, sewage and waste management
- Construction and development
- Wholesale and retail trade
- Transport, storage and communications
- Accommodation and food services
- Information and communications
- Financial and legal activities
- Professional, scientific and technical activities
- Rental and leasing activities
- Administrative and support activities
- Public administration, emergency services and defence
- Human health and social work activities
- Education
- Community and voluntary services
- Diplomatic missions and consular affairs
11 June 2020
Premier Inn launches CleanProtect, a new, enhanced hygiene promise
To ensure both guest and employee safety, the Premier Inn has teamed up with Diversey, a global leading cleaning and product supplier for the healthcare and hospitality industries to implement a rigorous daily cleaning regime across all their 800 properties in the U.K. and Ireland. All customer support staff at Roomex have been trained on these updates, and are free to chat through these initiatives with you.
This programme that Premier Inn has implemented includes:
- Social distancing measures like Prespex screens and minimising contact at reception in place.
- More frequent cleaning of high touch areas, and special attention to controls such as air conditioning and TV remotes in rooms.
- Since they employ every member of their 9,000 housekeeping team directly, they are able to have better control of the standards. Management will be preforming additional room checks.
- Linen will be laundered at over 60 degrees with disinfectant detergent and shower curtains will be replaced after every guest.
- All team members have been provided face masks, gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser.
Read the full announcement here.
27 May 2020
Hotels increase cleaning measures to ensure safe stays for guests
Hotel chains large and small are stepping up to create a safer environment for those traveling during the pandemic. All hotels in our platform are abiding by the cleaning guidelines recommended by The WHO. Most have gone above and beyond to give travellers a piece of mind.
- Atlas Hotels (Holiday Inn Express) deep clean hotels daily and sanitize public areas every hour. They’ve implemented new social distancing screens and mats to ensure guest and staff safety. Learn more about the measures they have taken here.
- Penta Hotels have been carefully following safety guidelines as outlined by the WHO and have increased cleaning in common and guest areas. They’ve run training’s for staff on how to protect against transmission, and have implemented procedures in case there is a suspected or confirmed case in one of their properties.
- Staycity Aparthotels are cleaning public areas multiple times each day and deep cleaning rooms and public areas. An interesting safety note was that they are leaving rooms empty for 72 hours between guests, then deep cleaning the rooms. For long stay guests, where the normal in-stay cleaning service is not available, they are offering a cleaning pack and room refills as often as required. Learn more about their detailed cleaning strategy here.
- Best Western has required all hotels to install protective barriers at reception and will clean the desk after each guest. They have provided a in-room text service to minimise visits to reception and the use of the phone. All key cards will be sanitized prior to check in, and will be handed to guests safely. They are disinfecting busy areas regularly throughout the day and deep cleaning rooms. They have removed unnecessary room elements, like bed scarves and note pads and pencils. If possible, rooms will be left vacant for at least 24 hours in between guests- and over 72 hours if the guest was unwell. The cleaning team has been trained on a detailed and comprehensive new checklist to keep themselves and guests safe.
- Leonardo Hotels (Jurys Inn) have gone completely cashless and has added protective screens at reception. They’ve implemented deep cleaning protocols, frequently clean heavy trafficked areas, increased bedroom checks by senior management, and reduced printed materials in the rooms. Their staff has also taken part in trainings to ensure their safety and the safety of guests. Learn more about what they are doing to keep guests safe here.
- Roomzzz Aparthotels has created contact free check ins and conducted specialised training for all employees to increase staff knowledge on infection control and sanitation. They too have increased sanitation and cleaning, wiping down heavy trafficked areas multiple times a day and deep cleaning rooms. Learn more about the measures they have taken here.
- IHG Hotels now include visible verification of sanitized items (e.g. glassware, remote control) and reduced room furnishings. They’ve also implemented touchless transactions, sanitized key cards and promise deep cleaning on high touch surfaces displayed with ‘last cleaned’ charts. There is hand sanitizer, disinfectant, and wipes available in guest rooms. They are working with external specialist from the Cleveland Clinic to ensure best practices and define even better solutions for cleaning and safety during this time.
- Lindner Hotels have installed protective screens at check in and sanitize hotel keys prior to guest arrival. All staff is required to wear masks. All documentation in hotel rooms such as menus and TV programmes will be replaced between guests. All room service ordered will be delivered in single use containers. To increase their social distancing, they’ve asked guests to select an accurate check in time to avoid crowds at reception. Cash payments are no longer excepted.
Reach out to your account manager for direct queries regarding upcoming stays in any hotel booked through Roomex. We will update this list regularly, so check back to find more information about cleanliness measures in hotels.
28 April 2020
Roomex Key Worker Support Package sees increase in Hotel Partners
Since its launch, our Key Worker Support Package has helped provide relief and accommodation to thousands of key workers traveling during the pandemic. Every day we’re adding new hotel partners to the initiative, and as of today we have secured 245 Key Worker rates across hotels in the U.K. and Ireland.
Learn more about our Key Worker Support package here, or get in touch with our team here to get started.
16 April 2020
Hotels now offering boxed and takeaway meals
Hotels around the U.K. and Ireland have adapted to serve Key Workers better with grab and go breakfasts and room service dinners. Travelodge is now opening a breakfast box option available 24 hours a day at all open hotels including a muffin, cereal, a musili bar, and juice.
Note that all Travelodge Key Worker hotels are bookable through Roomex right now, and all the other properties are open for future bookings for stays after 8 May, subject to change if travel restrictions are extended.