At Grimscote Manor, we started noticing cancellations at the beginning of March. It was crufts week here at the NEC which for us is filled with regulars year in and year out, the hotel is normally buzzing, although a lot of the guests are competitors to each other the atmosphere is lovely. We have two restaurants one dog friendly and the other not dog friendly. This year, 2020 it was different, people were already worried, anxious about going out mixing with others. Although the hotel still had guests it just wasn’t the same.
A couple of weeks went on and the Corona Virus became more obvious, more in your face, and quite clearly wasn’t going away without a fight.

We continued to accommodate guests until the week Boris told us to close, we waited for our guests to depart and our doors were shut. It was then the late end of the following week when one of our regulars from “Hamilton” situated in Coleshill industrial estate asked us if we had any rooms available as he was supplying ventilators and in need of a night’s accommodation. At that point, we looked at our regular guests that travel to Coleshill Industrial Estate and surrounding Industrial Estates and we actually have a few key and Essential workers that provide different types of medical equipment, PPE, doctors traveling from different areas to work at George Elliot, so we decided to get in contact and reassure them our response to COvid-19, but we are open if they require it.

Anyone that had to travel to Grimscote Manor during this crisis, to look after animals have all been provided with the correct paperwork for their own travel.
We managed to have a week off, with no one needing accommodation however we then had the response of a few of our regulars that needed accommodation. At Grimscote Manor we have been proactive to the outbreak to protect the well being and “’duty of care’ for our staff, customers, and anyone else who visits the hotel. This means we must do all we possibly can to support their health, safety, and wellbeing.

So from then on our plan was:-
• On any telephone booking all customers had to provide all forms of essential paperwork to prove that they are key/critical.
• That guests had to abide by the government guidelines
• Reception has not been manned, but a time slot to check-in between 5-6 and if dinner is required then a room service only was served at 7/7.30pm.
• We have disinfectant Mats outside the two entrances which are filled and cleaned daily and left to dry whilst a replacement is put down. Then repeat.
• We have purchased antibacterial stations for every entrance or exit into the hotel, at reception, in the lift, to every floor level of rooms.
• For our team, we have provided their own wash bag, which holds two masks per person (all made out of different materials) a set of gloves, housekeeping to have arm coverings and extra PPE. Which on collection and disposal will be signed for by each of staff and supervised by management
• Specially allocated wash bin has been provided for staff’s used PPE which will be boiled washed every evening
• There is signage for one person at reception at a time, keeping the 2 metre distance.
• All Members of staff have carried out the “Corona Virus Taking proactive action” online course
• All staff as and when they are returning back to work will have a full training programme which is set out for personal hygiene, all cleaning regimes have been re enforced and adapted to meet the government’s guidelines.

• At present (May 2020) with restaurants closed all residents are being offered dinner as room service which is served by staff in the correct PPE, and keeping within the 2 metre distance. A “Grab and Go” breakfast is being offered ordered on check-in ready for a time and left on reception desk with a hot cuppa.
Behind the scenes maintenance on the grounds has been continually worked on making sure they stay as prestigious as before the global pandemic. All our bedding plants have been collected and planted around the hotel, and our vegetable patch is looking immaculate.

The orangery Steve has been working on, the concrete has gone down which was a major job and Steve had Little Matt and Paul in for the day to help and they were all ready for bed by the end of the day! It was extremely hard.