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21
Apr 2021
Hospitality has lost 'sexiness' due to covid, says Harrogate hotel boss
Hospitality has “lost a bit of its sexiness” due to covid but reopening has given a sense of hope for normality, says a Harrogate hotel boss.
Anthony Blundell, commercial manager at Provenance Inns and Hotels, which runs the West Park Hotel, said the rule of six and asking people how to behave made staff feel "a little bit like the police".
However, he added that 2,000 guests had booked in with the hotel since reopening last week and that the hotel had kept staff engaged with things like online training while it was closed to keep spirits up.
Speaking at a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing, Mr Blundell said he hoped bars and restaurants could return to some form of normality after June 21.
He said:
Read more:
- ‘We’re not giving up on our Harrogate B&B dream’
- What has Harrogate council spent its High Street grants on?
Legal limits on social contact are due to be lifted on June 21.
Mr Blundell added that although the last 12 months had been "a bit weird", he felt the lockdown had gained the sector a newfound respect from people.
As part of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, bars and restaurants reopened on April 12.
Until May 17, people can only sit outside in groups of six to have a meal or a drink.
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