Reopening success for Alcuin Lodge Guest House
Alcuin Lodge, an independent guest house, located in York’s city centre reopened last month is seeing hugely positive feedback from customers on the additional safety measures they’ve put in place. The guest house which is a Visit York member, has recently been named in the top 25 B&Bs and Inns in the UK in the 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best awards based on their positive customer reviews.
Run by Darren Scott-Shaw and his husband Mark for the last eight years, the guest house closed during lockdown, with the couple using the time proactively to make improvements to the property and plan for a safe reopening.
The guest house opened its doors again to customers at the beginning of August, with the couple taking time to implement robust new safety measures to ensure visitors have a comfortable and relaxing stay whilst also being reassured that social distancing is in place.
The measures include reducing the numbers of rooms they offer to allow for more space per person, a one-way system on the stairs, rigorous additional cleaning processes and new systems in place for check-in and breakfast service. Enhancing their already five-star food hygiene rating, the couple have improved their breakfast offering by developing their own online ordering app for guests to pre-order breakfast. Breakfast is then served in their redesigned dining room where each table has an individual cabinet for cutlery and condiments.
Darren Scott-Shaw said, “It was important for us when we were planning our reopening that we took the time to really get things right for our customers. We pride ourselves on our customer service and the personal touches which make a stay at Alcuin Lodge so special, and we were keen to maintain these high standards with the new safety measures we were putting in place. From freshly baked goods placed in individual tins in each room to taking guests breakfast orders and bringing them to the table side each day, we’ve worked hard to maintain our personal and friendly service.
“It’s been wonderful to see both our regular customers returning and to welcome new visitors to the city, and we’ve been delighted with the feedback we’ve been receiving from guests. It’s great to hear that the measures we’ve put in place have helped people feel really comfortable in order to enjoy their stay and feel at home.
“Finding out that we had been named in the top twenty-five B&Bs in the UK in the 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best awards just as we were about to re-open is a fantastic boost. As it’s all based on customer reviews, it makes it even more special. We love welcoming people into our home and we look forward to having more guests stay with us over the coming months and experience a visit to the beautiful city of York.”
Mark added, “York has such a range of accommodation to suit all needs but we think that staying in a guest house gives visitors an experience similar to staying with friends so we’re able to provide a real York welcome”.
In addition to being ranked at number 22 in the the top 25 B&Bs and Inns in the UK in the 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best awards, the guest house is also ranked in the top one per cent of hotels worldwide in the B&B category. Read their Tripadvisor reviews here.
For more information visit http://www.alcuinlodge.com/ or call 01904 629837 to book directly.
