Staycationer boost for Galway hotels
From this week's Galway City Tribune - Hoteliers are in the throes of implementing radical changes so they can reopen safely at the end of the month amid a surge of enquiries from ‘staycationers’.
John Ryan, Chair of the Galway branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, said bookings have been very steady since the announcement last Friday that hotels, guesthouses and campsites could open their doors three weeks ahead of schedule on June 29.
The vast majority of the enquiries have been from families for stays from the middle of July.
There has been greater clarity on how they must operate following the publication by Fáilte Ireland of guidelines for the hospitality industry on Tuesday.
Recommendations include Personal Protective Equipment for certain staff, one-way routes in public areas to maintain social distancing and regular cleaning rotas to disinfect door handles, switches and toilets.
The breakfast buffet has gone, but family units can sit together as normal at the same table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All other tables must be spaced out in line with the current guidelines – currently at 2m, with a huge push by those in hospitality to cut that by half.
“We’ll probably be opening up cautiously at 50% capacity so we know we can manage all the safety protocols properly as the most important thing when our guests come back is they feel safe and comfortable as do our staff,” the owner of the Ardilaun Hotel said. This is a shortened preview version of this article. Please remember that without advertising revenue and people buying and subscribing to our newspapers, this website would not exist. You can read the full article by buying a digital edition of this week's Galway City Tribune HERE.