Coronavirus Update

Our Guest Promise

As our guests will know and expect, exceptional service, pristine housekeeping, hygiene and safety have always been amongst our values, and delivering these consistently is set in our nature.

We can confirm that we have complied with the ‘COVID-19 Secure’ guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19’. Our company’s own environmental health professional has led our health and safety response to coronavirus since the very first case arrived in the UK.

We are also proud to introduce our very own ‘Silver Tick’, a discreet pin badge worn by all members of our team to symbolise their personal participation in daily temperature screening, their completed training in COVID-19 prevention steps & social distancing, their own commitment to follow our clinical style of handwashing and their enhanced approach to cleaning and disinfection throughout the hotel. 

Due to the developing nature of the situation and guidance, our procedures and operations are continuously reviewed and promptly updated when required. The information that we are sharing with you about how we operate may therefore be subject to review and change without notice.

We politely request the support and assistance of our valued guests in this newly changed environment, so that together we manage the COVID-19 health crisis and ensure that we continue to provide a welcome retreat, where our guests and team can feel comfortable and safe.

If in the unfortunate event, you or your household experience COVID-19 symptoms such as a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a change to your sense of taste and smell, we must ask that you follow the government advice, remain at home, and contact us to allow your stay to be rescheduled.

We further ask that any guest who has arrived in the UK from overseas within the 14 days prior to their arrival at our hotel contact us in advance of travelling to the hotel, to discuss their reservation.

Our Team & Their Training

• All team members are required to stay at home if unwell, and must follow official guidance on self-isolating as required.
• Our team have their temperature checked upon arriving at work, and wear our discreet ‘Silver Tick’ pin badge as a symbol of their participation in this check.
• Our team will wear face coverings when working in our public areas and restaurant, unless medically exempt.
• We teach all team members to follow a clinical standard handwashing routine from day one, and always have done. We have our very own 8-step handwashing procedure, which our staff are required to follow every time.
• Our commitment to investing in the best training continues. Since 2018, our company has established its own approved Highfield Compliance Training Centre, meaning that we deliver Highfield’s certified qualifications in Food Safety Management and various other safety disciplines to key department managers and head chefs at all of our hotels.
• We have developed our very own company specific COVID-19 cleaning and disinfection online learning course and exam, which has been completed by all of our team, ensuring that they really are experts in implementing our enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols.
• You can be confident that we hold ourselves to the same top cleanliness standards back of house as we do in our guest spaces, and we’ve taken steps to ensure that our employees observe social distancing too.
• The General Manager is responsible for the implementation of our hotel’s COVID-19 procedures and will be pleased to assist with any questions or queries. Alternatively, please speak to the Duty Manager.
• We have considered the unfortunate but possible eventuality that a guest at our hotel could experience symptoms of COVID-19. We can confirm that we have implemented clear, documented procedures that will be followed in that situation, to protect the wellbeing of other guests and our team.

Our Silver Tick

We are proud to introduce our very own ‘Silver Tick’, a discreet pin badge worn by all members of our team to symbolise their personal commitment to the measures we are taking to protect our guests and employees from the risks of COVID-19.

The Silver Tick symbolises:

• Employee participation in daily temperature screening, at the beginning of each shift
• Completion of our bespoke training in COVID-19 risk awareness and our enhanced cleaning and disinfection measures
• A commitment to follow our own clinical 8-step handwashing procedure
• A visual reminder of the importance of our COVID-19 prevention measures, including social distancing.

Our Guests

• On 14th September, it became illegal to gather indoors or outdoors in groups of more than six persons, unless all persons are from a single household, or attending a wedding.
• To comply with current restrictions, we must close our restaurant and bar by 10pm nightly, however we will continue to offer room service to residents beyond this time.
• It is a mandatory requirement for guests to wear face coverings in our indoor public areas, except for bars and restaurants when eating or drinking, and subject to exemptions.
• Providing contact details as part of the NHS track and trace programme is now a legal requirement for all guests visiting our hotel, and we display QR codes for guests who use the NHS COVID-19 app.
• We politely ask that any guests who are required to undertake self-isolation, household isolation or overseas travel related isolation remain at home in line with the government advice, and contact us to rearrange their stay.
• Hotel guests have their temperature taken upon arrival by our staff, using a contactless laser thermometer. Unfortunately, if your temperature is above 37.8°C, we will not be able to welcome you to the hotel and we will invite you to rearrange your stay.
• We ask that all guests observe the social distancing requirements at all times and you will notice some reminders to do so, placed around the hotel. We have replaced physical greetings such as handshakes with an alternative way of showing our pleasure in welcoming you to the hotel.
• Where convenient, guests are invited to use the bathroom facilities in their bedroom rather than public facilities, to limit demand placed on these facilities.
• We have removed our guest directories from bedrooms so have provided any pertinent information in a welcome letter to you. Our reception team remain on hand by telephone for any and all queries.
• Guests are advised to wash their hands upon returning to their bedroom. If at any time you require additional amenities, please contact reception.
• To help us avoid the unnecessary handling of cash, we invite all guests to utilise room charges during their stay and to make payment by card wherever possible.

Our Hotel

• We do not offer valet parking services at this time. Any handling of your luggage or belongings by our staff is subject to enhanced procedures.
• We may contact some guests in advance of arrival to obtain check-in information and we will prepare as much as possible in advance of your arrival, in order to reduce the time spent completing check-in at the hotel reception.
• Some service points have protective screens in place. This could include reception desks or restaurant greeting stands for example.
• We proudly hold a 5-star food hygiene rating, so you can be confident that cleanliness, hygiene and safe food and drink handling have always been high on our agenda.
• We have completed a complete review of our food safety management systems during closure to ensure that they fully incorporate the required COVID-19 prevention controls.
• All public areas, including lounges, bars and restaurants have been thoughtfully rearranged with furniture spaces to allow proper distancing.
• Lifts are still be in operation and regularly cleaned and disinfected, but with signage to limit them to one guest, or guests from the same room at any one time.
• Meeting, function and event spaces have been reviewed, giving thought to issues such as how layouts can be amended to allow proper social distancing. We will consult over each event on a case-by-case basis where we feel that significant changes are required to the order of the day, do agree how we can still deliver the event to your requirements.
• Unnecessary soft furnishings have been removed, and anything that remains is included in our enhanced cleaning and disinfection programme at appropriate frequencies.
• Working with our partners at Diversey, we’ve identified the most suitable coronavirus-effective cleaning products, and use these in our hotel.
• We have designed a comprehensive enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedure and guide which individually covers all areas of our hotel.
• Staffing levels have been set to ensure that public spaces can be continuously cleaned and disinfected throughout the day, in line with our enhanced cleaning programme.
• We’ve removed all tray charges from our in-room dining, where available, so that you can enjoy additional privacy and comfort, at no extra cost. Room service is to the bedroom door only.
• We've given thought to every step of your journey from arrival and check-in, to housekeeping and room service to ensure that even whilst keeping their distance, our team can look after you with our usual warm hospitality.

Your Bedroom

• We promise that our experienced housekeepers will have taken care and time to ensure that your bedroom has been meticulously cleaned and fully disinfected, following a detailed disinfection procedure and ensuring extra attention to high-touch areas, such as TV remotes, taps and telephones.
• We have removed any non-essential items in your bedroom, this includes items such as decorative cushions, throws and magazines.
• Where tea and coffee facilities are present, these are of course properly cleaned and disinfected between arrivals.
• We only provide our housekeeping services whilst you are out of the room, let us know if you have a preferred time for this to happen.
• You can tell us if you prefer that our housekeepers don’t enter your room at all during your stay, just let us know when you arrive. We’ll be happy to provide clean towels and amenities to your door as you wish.
• All of our bedrooms are provided with individual toiletry items which are, as always, disposed of following each guest departure.
• Due to the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place, there may be some limitations to the facilities available at the hotel.

Dining & Drinking

• Whilst it is illegal to gather indoors or outdoors in groups of more than six persons, we will be unable to welcome larger groups unless from a single household.
• To comply with current restrictions, we must close our restaurant and bar by 10pm nightly, however we will continue to offer room service to residents beyond this time.
• Providing contact details as part of the NHS track and trace programme is now a legal requirement for all guests visiting our hotel, and we display QR codes for guests who use the NHS COVID-19 app.
• All public areas, including lounges, bars and restaurants have been thoughtfully rearranged with furniture spaces to allow proper distancing.
• For social distancing, dinner is being served at tables in the restaurant, bar and the Oak Room.
• Weather dependant, we aim to maximise the availability of outdoor spaces for dining and drinking.
• Depending on the service, menus are either single use or properly disinfected between each and every use.
• We offer a more flexible dining & drinking offering, which includes options such as picnic hampers.
• Breakfast buffets have been removed. Instead, those items are available for service to the table instead, by our staff.
• Where in room dining is available, the tray charge has been removed. This service is to the bedroom door only.
• Our bars primarily offer table service.

Spa

• It is a mandatory requirement for guests to wear face coverings in our indoor public areas, except when exercising, using the spa facilities, or if it is necessary to remove for their treatment. Some guests will be exempt from the requirement.
• Spa guests will have their temperature taken upon arrival by our staff, using a contactless laser thermometer. Unfortunately, if your temperature is above 37.8^oC degrees we will be unable to welcome you to the spa and will invite you to reschedule your appointment. 
• Hand sanitiser stations are available upon arrival and our guests are invited to use this.
• All members of the spa and leisure team also have their temperature checked on arrival each day and wear our ‘silver tick’ pin badge as a symbol of their participation in this temperature monitoring scheme.
• Our spa facilities are subject to capacity limits and to support social distancing, these areas need to be booked in advance.  In accordance with current government guidelines our ice fountain is unfortunately not available.
• Our treatment and disinfection of pool water has always been carried out to our high standards, and our qualified pool plant operators continue to manage this diligently. 
• We have given thought to all areas of the spa and where necessary, rearranged equipment and furniture to ensure that social distancing requirements can be adhered to.  Screens have been provided to areas such as reception desks and manicure tables.
• All facilities, including poolside, changing rooms and equipment is subject to an enhanced cleaning and disinfection programme using coronavirus-effective disinfectants.  Our enhanced regime includes our spa treatment rooms, all surfaces and fixtures are disinfected between each treatment and as always, all linen is changed.
• We have reduced the number of treatments on our treatment menu to include 60-minute and 30-minute treatments.  An updated menu is available at the spa or can be found here.
• Reading material and non-essential items has been removed to make our spaces as safe as possible.

Bookings Help

Bookings Made Through a Third-party

In the first instance, please refer to whoever you booked through, you will need to cancel or amend directly with them.

Bookings Made Directly with Us

Old bookings
If you were due to be staying with us between 23rd March – 3rd July 2020, your booking was automatically cancelled. If you pre-paid or paid a deposit, your booking has been held and the deposit can be credited to a future date of your choice before 3rd July 2021. If that doesn’t work for you, please get in touch with a member of our team who will be able to issue a full refund for you.

 New bookings

Flexible bookings for 2020 and beyond
During these uncertain times we understand that flexibility is important so all new reservations for stays before 31st March 2021, including those described as non-refundable and non-transferable, can now be changed up to 48 hours prior to arrival to a date within 12 months. Excludes Christmas, New Year's Eve and any other special event dates, for example, Gold Cup.

Existing group bookings
If booked before 4^th July 2020, group bookings that are due to visit after 4th July 2020, normal terms & conditions for cancellation/postponement apply as per your contract. However, please note this policy will be reviewed regularly and we will continue to work with our clients to have a fair policy as the situation develops, taking into account UK Government guidelines. Please check back here for updates or contact the hotel event manager directly.

New group bookings
Any new group booking made after 4th July 2020, arriving before 31st March 2021, can be cancelled for free up to 3 months before the event (excluding exclusive use).