Huge changes for hotels across the West Country as they prepare to reopen

Polurrian Hotel
Polurrian Hotel in Cornwall is preparing to safely open. Credit: ITV News West Country

Hotels across the West Country are preparing to welcome visitors on Saturday 4 July after months of being closed.

Many have spent weeks preparing to reopen.

Hotels across the region prepare to reopen to visitors on Saturday 4 July. Credit: ITV News West Country

The way they operate will be new to staff and guests - with deep cleaning, socially-distanced dining and ordering food from your phone.

The historic Fowey Hall Hotel - one of the hotels re-opening in Cornwall - was just completing a multi million pound refurbishment when lockdown hit.

Simon Maguire from Fowey Hall Hotel said: "The arrival experience will be different, we're looking at contactless check-ins, your key will be in your room, you'll do a lot of work that you did when you arrived at the reception desk prior to arrival.

"We've placed all our menus on QR codes so you can look at the menu through your phone rather than touching your physical menu."

Hotels like Fowey Hall are having to change the whole way they work. Credit: ITV News West Country

Hotel bosses at the south coast hotel do not plan on booking out all 36 rooms to avoid being overwhelmed with the new system too soon.


At the Polurrian on the Lizard perched above the sea at Mullion almost all guest information will now be emailed in advance, doing away with the need for welcome packs.

Polurrian Hotel is perched on the cliffs of the Lizard in Cornwall. Credit: ITV News West Country

They have also identified what they call 'touch points' in the hotel.

James Hemming, Operations Director at Polurrian on the Lizard Hotel, said: "We've got lots of sanitising points we've got lots of signage up as well, just to manage the expectation of the guests and how they need to behave.

"We've had to make some adjustments and that has resulted in a handful of tables being removed and generally speaking it's hopefully business as normal."

Polurrian Hotel will have hand sanitisers deposited around the building. Credit: ITV News West Country

The tennis courts and outside play areas will be open but hotel pools remain close for now.

Polurrian is expecting to be running at 95% capacity this season with a flurry of enquiries over the last week.

He said: "We're also seeing reasonably high demand into the winter as well. Which is encouraging because obviously with a very seasonal business we'd see a particularly lean period normally in the winter and if we can try and mitigate that as much as possible then hopefully we'll have a reasonably successful year."

One thing guests are unlikely to be able to do this summer is to book last minute when the sun comes out. 

Hotel stays will involve booking almost every element of the trip well in advance.