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..