Headland Hotel urges government to review hospitality re-opening plans

The Headland Hotel has issued an “urgent plea” for the government to review its re-opening guidelines for the hospitality industry.

The Newquay hotel said it has been severely impacted by the effective closure of the hospitality industry over the past three months. Owners John and Carolyn Armstrong, who have owned the hotel for the past 42 years, had anticipated clearer official guidance to allow them to start welcoming guests back.

However, despite governmental assurances, they say they still do not know when they can start to reopen, what parts of the business will be included, or how many guests they will be allowed to accommodate.

The hotel said it is hoping to start re-opening its five star self-catering cottages at some point next month. However, the owners noted that the hotel itself is not likely to open until a later date, and even then with “significantly reduced occupancy” if government restrictions are in place.

Carolyn Armstrong said: “These are, without doubt, the most difficult and challenging times The Headland has experienced in its 123 year history.

“We would like to pay tribute to the professionalism and the dedication of the team members who have been helping to hold the fort and working so very hard since March to keep the hotel going.”

She added: “We had hoped, and expected, by this time we would have a clearer picture of when, and how, we would be able to begin welcoming guests back, given the potential reopen date could be as little as two and a half weeks away.

“From the third week of March to the end of June, lost revenue will be in the region of £2.5m and, with no guests and no income, the fixed costs paid out to the end of June have been close to £750,000. This level of losses is simply not sustainable, and we are having to make some incredibly difficult decisions in order to ensure the business can survive.”