As well as the new cleaning and operating procedures introduced by all hotels and venues to keep you safe there are a number of third party accreditations that the venues have been working towards achieving.
“We’re Good to Go”
Issued by Visit Britain. This is a self assessed industry standard mark. Visit Britain do carry out random spot checks to ensure each business awarded the standard is adhering to the guidance. They also offer compliance support and up dated advice in line with all the new guidelines when issued.
“Quality in Tourism Safe, Clean and Legal”
Quality in Tourism is an independent company that has been in operation for many years. They have updated their industry standard accreditation in line with the new Covid – 19 guidelines. Each venue displaying the standard has been independently checked and covers all aspects of venue safety not just those that have been put in place recently. Quality in Tourism check that the venues have all the correct documentation including fire and food safety.
“AiM Secure”
This is awarded by the Meeting Industry Association for venues who have proven that they can deliver first-class service, excellent facilities and a total commitment to upholding legal compliance and health and hygiene protocols. This is again self assessed but it then checked annually by independent assessor.
Hotel Chain Standards
Most of the well known brands and chains have their own safety standards that all venues under their banner have to adhere to. These again detail the venues commitment and additional procedures to make sure guest and delegates are safe. Here are just a few examples.
Hilton has “Clean Stay” and, for meetings, “Hilton Event Ready”.
Best Western has “Hotels that Care”.
InterContinental (that operate a number of brands in the UK including Indigo, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Express and Staybridge Suites) were one of the first to introduce their new clean standards, “IHG Clean Promise”.
Marriott has “Commitment to Clean”
All the independent venues have also shared their own new procedures and safety standards; we would not work with someone who has not published a clear safety policy.
We have been very impressed at how quickly the hotels and venues responded to the situation and how much work they have put in to ensure guests and delegates are safe. Many hotels and venues have had to remove chairs and cushions in lobbies and books and newspapers from rooms. So for the time being you may find things a bit more stripped back. Breakfast is normally a grab and go set up or indeed room service. You may find that evening meals are room service or from a limited menu. All these things have been put in place to ensure that the staff can offer the best service whilst keeping everyone safe. Some venues have even made videos to show what guests can expect to find at the hotel. We have found that these really help guests feel more relaxed. If you are planning a conference or have a guest that is particularly nervous please just let us know, most venues are happy to offer virtual tours if they don’t have a video.
Our clients that have stayed overnight or used meeting rooms have all commented on how safe they felt and how much the extra care the Hotels and venues were taking was in evident.
We have lists of all the accreditations and policies that the venues have, and we will include these on your proposal or booking. But please do get in touch if you have a question about a specific venue, new capacities, or levels of service. We are ready to help.
