Government issues guidance for accommodation providers

The government has issued guidance to accommodation providers after it has advised all hotels providing commercial accomodation to close.

Businesses providing holiday accommodation including hotels, hostels, B&Bs, campsites, caravan parks, boarding houses and short term lets should all now take steps to close for commercial use as quickly as is safely possible.

However the government has said that full consideration should be given to the possible exclusions for residents that should be allowed to remain.

• It revealed that hotels and other accommodation providers should be able to remain open if:
• They are part of the response to support key workers or vulnerable groups
• There is a specific need for some or all of the site to remain open (for example they are housing people who have been flooded out of their homes, being used by public services to provide emergency accommodation or are not able to return to their primary residence).
• If businesses are providing rooms to support homeless people, through arrangements with local authorities and other public bodies, they should remain open.
• If a holiday park or caravan park is your primary residence you can remain on site.
• If the temporary accommodation is currently the family’s primary residence, they can remain.

It also advised that If anyone at the accommodation is displaying signs of the Covid-19 virus they should not be using public transport. If they are not symptomatic but they need to return to where they live, then using public transport is acceptable.

It also advised that hotels and accommodation providers that are remaining open to house key workers, vulnerable groups and other exempted groups will still be able to serve food, subject to the social distancing guidelines by providing a takeaway service, ‘grab and go’ service or room service.

Workplace canteens can also stay open where required but must adhere to social distancing guidelines.

The news comes as a number of hotels have offered their services to NHS workers with the latest to announce the service Aparthotel provider Roomzzz.

It said it said it will donate an initial 2,000 overnight stays to key workers from the NHS in a bid to support their efforts during the Covid-19 outbreak.