Over 100 leading Scottish hotels appeal to the First Minister to amend new Covid rules

 

The stricter rules mean that all pubs and restaurants in the central belt of Scotland, including Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley, have had to close both indoors and outdoors until 25^th October. Licensed premises can still serve takeaways. 

 

Pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants in the rest of Scotland will not be allowed to serve alcohol indoors and can only be open between 6am and 6pm for food and non-alcoholic drinks.  

 

Hotels can still serve evening meals to residents but not with alcohol. 

 

In a letter to the First Minister signed by over 100 hoteliers, Jill Chalmers, the Managing Director of Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire, who is spearheading the immediate call for change, says: “Not being able to sell alcohol in public areas to hotel residents in Scotland negatively impacts their stay and future guests are already starting to cancel their bookings. This measure in particular is threatening the small thread of revenue – a lifeline for many – which still exists for hotel businesses in Scotland at this difficult time.

 

“We urge you to reconsider this and allow hotel guests, staying a minimum of one night, to consume alcohol in all settings, not simply room service alone. In addition, we believe that we should be able to serve non-residents until 6pm, as a café is allowed to do.

 

“If there is no change, we have no doubt that we will suffer deeper losses. We are talking about trying to survive, not about profitability. Without this small change in your policy, there will be thousands more job losses in the coming month.”

 

Under the new rules, wedding parties already booked in at hotels are able to consume alcohol yet non-wedding guests nearby, staying under the same roof, are unable to. 

 

Jill Chalmers continued: “You can imagine the pressure on hotel staff, and the potential threats they might face, having to negotiate with different guests over the measures. It is unreasonable to expect staff to deal with this especially if guests try and join the wedding groups in order to drink alcohol.”

 

Hotels who have signed the letter are listed below:

 

Marc Crothall, CEO, Scottish Tourism Alliance  

Dorothy Welsh, CEO, Luxury Scotland 

Willie Wood, Director, UK Hospitality Scotland 

Gavin Macleean, GM, Cheval Residences Edinburgh

Graham Bucknall, Owner, The TBC Pub Company

Rachel Bucknall, Owner, The TBC Pub Company

Dan Rose-Bristow, Owner, The Torridon Hotel

Nick Pattie, Director, Loch Rannoch Estate

Ray Grant, Owner, Kincraig Castle Hotel

Amy Grant, Co-Owner, Kincraig Castle Hotel

Yasmin Grant, Co-Owner, Kincraig Castle Hotel

Ricky Kapoor, MD, The Edinburgh Collection

Leon Kiteley, GM, Old Waverley Hotel

Sheetal Kapoor, CEO, Palm Holdings

Roddy Watt, CEO, The Hotel Management Company

Charles Holmes, Director, The Hotel Management Company

Allan Murray, Director, The Hotel Management Company

Tanja Lister, Owner/Director, Kylesku Hotel

Wendy Matheson, Owner, Boath House

Dawn Matheson, Director, Boath House

Peter Lederer, Director, Hotel Global 

William Cross, Owner, Cringletie House 

Graham Smith, Owner, Kinloch House Hotel

James Thomson, Owner, Prestonfield House Hotel

Samantha Wright, Hotel Manager, The Dunstane Houses

Colin Thompson, Owner, Dornoch Castle

Billy Hamilton, Owner, The Buccleuch Arms

Shaun McKivragan, Owner, The Airds Hotel

Stewart Spence, Owner, The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa

Sue Mooring, Director, Hamilton Hotel Partners

Shirley Mowat, Owner, The Dunstane Houses

Manny Babar, GM, SLEEPERZ Hotel, Dundee

Bill Burnett, Regional GM, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites, Quest Apartments

Greville Dare, Managing Director, Petersham Hotel

Gillian Purdie, Sales & Marketing Manager, Glenapp Castle Hotel

Darren Lyko-Edwards, Chief Financial Office, SLEEPERZ Hotel, Dundee

Russel Imrie, MD, Queensferry Hotels LTD

Paul Bray, Area GM, Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow

Gary Atkinson, Owner, Carmelite Hotels

Colin Gunn, GM, Moxi Hotels

Andrew Thomson, Head of Hospitality, The Royal Yacht Britannia

Gordon Mackintosh, GM, Carnoustie Golf Hotel

Susan Craig, GM, Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh

Michael Nawrot, GM, Hotel Indigo, Edinburgh

James Fraser, GM, Jupiter Hotels

Peter Dornom, GM, Norton House Hotel & Spa

Harry Fernandez, GM, Roxburghe Hotel

Kannan Nair, GM, Cairn Hotel Group

Rohaise Rose-Bristow, Owner, The Torridon Hotel

Craig Webster, GM, Hampton By Hilton, Edinburgh Airport

Mark Mckenzie, GM, Ten Hill Place Hotels

Janice Fisher, GM, Novotel Glasgow

Stuart Douglas , GM, Yotel Edinburgh

Isabella Macdonald, Owner, Kinloch Lodge

Douglas Campbell, GM, The Bonham Hotel

Stuart Smith, GM, Glenmorangie House Hotel

Amy Cullen, Sales Manager, SCHLOSS Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course

Linda Johnson, Owner, Auchrannie

Tristian Nisbett, GM, Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa

Ivar Van Dipen, GM, DoubleTree by Hilton, Edinburgh Airport

Karine Girard, GM, Novotel Edinburgh Park

Graham Steven, GM, Glencoe House

Alan Fry, Operations Manager, Fonab Castle Hotel

Angela Finlay, Director, Perle Hotels

Penny Ellis, Owner, Knockomie Hotel

Charlotte Harrop, Sales & Revenue Manager , Glenapp Castle 

Rohan Barrept, Commercial Director, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh

Sarah Williamson, Business Manager, Surgeons Quarter Hotel

John Martin, Owner, Poppies Hotel

Mark Forrester, Owner, Rufflets Hotel

David Ibbotson, Owner, Knockinaam Hotel

Stephen Leckie, Chairman/CEO, Crieff Hydro Family of hotels

John Keating, Area GM, Fairmont, St Andrews

Majdi Orifij, GM, Ibis Budget Edinburgh Park

Monica Ross, GM, Carlton George Hotel

David Barkley, GM, One Devonshire Gardens

Morag Peattie, Operations Manager, The Old Manor Hotel

Paul Temming, Owner and Director, Hotel in the Skye Ltd

Bette Temming, Owner and Director, Hotel in the Skye Ltd

Alex McKie, Group MD, Fusion Group of Companies

Ian McAndrew, Owner, Blackaddie Country House Hotel

Calum Ross, MD, Loch Melfort Hotel

Noru Innes, Owner and Director, Loch Leven Hotel

Christopher Manumbali, Director, Ramnee Hotel

David Wilson, Owner and Director, Kilberry Inn

Frances Ryan, Owner, Crinan Hotel

Calum Ross, GM, Hilton Glasgow

Andrew S Mackay, Owner, The Caithness Collection

Jock Urquhart, MD, The Ceilidh Palace

Sunny Verman, MD, Jupiter Hotels

Martin Lawrence, GM, Dakota Glasgow

Alistair Saddler, Proprietor and Director, The Old Manor Hotel Lundin Links

Mhairi Preston, Marketing, Glen Cova Hotel

Christine Fox, MD, Argyll Hospitality Management

David McGhie, GM, Ardanaiseig Hotel

Ellie Lamont, Owner and Director, Mackays Hotel

David McLaughlin, GM, Abode Glasgow

Craig Minto, GM, Well Fed Pubs

Les Solly, Owner, Kings Manor Hotel

Chris Jeffries, Hotel Manager, Bettyhill Hotel

Andrew Mowat, Director, Seaview Hotel, John O’Groats

Marc Jones, GM, Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express Theatreland

Angus R D Fordyce, Owner, Cavens House Hotel

Neil Ellis, GM, The Place Hotel (and Chairman of Edinburgh Hotels Association)

Niall O’Shaughnessy, Cluster General Manager, Jurys Inn Glasgow & Leonardo Inn Glasgow.

 

Hotel Partners who have also endorsed the letter:

Julie Grieve, Founder & CEO, Crition

Alistair Letham, Hotel & Leisure Consultant, Graham + Sibbald

Heather Matthews, MD, Little’s

Kenneth Good, Operations Director, Little’s 

Roddy Whiteford, MD, Hotelfone

Annie Boslem, CEO, Hotel Consultant

Bill McNeill, Director, YourTex

Paul Wilson, MD, Xpress Recruitment

Stuart Broster, Director, Scotland Retreat

Lawrence Morison, MD, Business Coffee Solutions 

Simon Blyth, Associate Director, Aston Lark

Cyrus Todiwala, Director, Café Spice  

Allan Nelson, CEO, For-sight

Andreas Maszczyk, MD, Global Talent

Scott Mullins, Director, Big Flavour Marketing 

Martin Murray, CEO, Dunnet Bay Distillers

Tim Kirkwood, CEO, Wildland Scotland

Gary McLean-McQuinn, Owner, Scottish Hotels Covid-19 Action Group

Elena Torrez, Owner, Exec Air

Carol Ward, Account Executive, Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers

Mhairi Smith, Membership Manager, Scottish Tourism Alliance

Christine Hodder, Hotel Director, The Hotel Management Company

Renata Fernandes, Founder, Hotel News Scotland

 

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