Reopening for Drinks & Picnics
(Updated 26th June 2020)
Following the government's announcement we are pleased to confirm that we are reopening the bar & terrace on 4th July.
We are still closed for overnight stays but our sister hotel, Minster Mill, will be open from 4th July.
A Message of Reassurance
A word from Beverley Molmans, Regional General Manager:
Our preparations to welcome you back to the Old Swan began from the moment we closed our doors, and we’ve been working to reimagine everything that we offer, making certain that it can be offered to you with exceptional service, but most importantly, safely.
I’m delighted to be able to tell you that we’re ready to open from 4th July 2020, serving drinks and a selection of picnic boxes in our bar or on the garden terrace. The Old Swan remains closed for overnight stays, but do take a look at our recently furbished Minster Mill, which us just across the way and re-opens from 4th July.
We still won’t rest though, as we are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and any developments in the Government’s guidance. This will continue well past our opening and we promise to continue to do all that we can, assuring you that we are and will remain COVID-19 secure.
I’m looking forward to welcoming you back from 4th July 2020. Until then, I know that you may have questions about what to expect when you visit us, so here's a bit more about what we’re planning…
Our Guest Promise
As our guests will know and expect, exceptional service, pristine cleanliness, hygiene and safety have always been amongst our values at the Old Swan, and delivering these consistently is set in our nature.
We can confirm that we have complied with the ‘COVID-19 Secure’ guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19’. Our company’s own environmental health professional has led our health and safety response to coronavirus since the very first case arrived in the UK.
We are also proud to introduce our very own ‘Silver Tick’, a discreet pin badge worn by all members of our team to symbolise their personal participation in daily temperature screening, their completed training in COVID-19 prevention steps & social distancing, their own commitment to follow our clinical style of handwashing and their enhanced approach to cleaning and disinfection throughout the inn.
Due to the developing nature of the situation and guidance, our procedures and operations will be continuously reviewed and promptly updated when required. The information that we are sharing with you about how we will operate may therefore be subject to review and change without notice.
We politely request the support and assistance of our valued guests in this newly changed environment, so that together we manage the COVID-19 health crisis and ensure that the Old Swan continues to provide a relaxing space where our guests and team can feel comfortable and safe.
If in the unfortunate event, you or your household experience COVID-19 symptoms such as a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a change to your sense of taste and smell, we must ask that you follow the Government advice and stay at home.
We further ask that any guest who has arrived in the UK from Overseas within the 14 days prior follows stay at home guidance.
Our Team & Their Training
- All team members will be required to stay at home if unwell, and must follow official guidance on self-isolating as required.
- Our team will have their temperature checked upon arriving at work, and will wear our discreet ‘Silver Tick’ pin badge as a symbol of their participation in this check.
- We teach all team members to follow a clinical standard handwashing routine from day one, and always have done. We have our very own 8-step handwashing procedure, which our staff are required to follow every time.
- Our commitment to investing in the best training continues. Since 2018, our company has established its own approved Highfield Compliance Training Centre, meaning that we deliver Highfield’s certified qualifications in Food Safety Management and various other safety disciplines to key department managers and head chefs at all of our inns and hotels.
- We have developed our very own company specific COVID-19 cleaning and disinfection online learning course and exam, which will be completed by all of our team, ensuring that they really are experts in implementing our enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols.
- You can be confident that we hold ourselves to the same top cleanliness standards back of house as we do in our guest spaces, and we’ve taken steps to ensure that our employees observe social distancing too.
- The General Manager will be responsible for the implementation of our COVID-19 procedures and will be pleased to assist with any questions or queries. Alternatively, please speak to the Duty Manager.
Our Silver Tick
We are proud to introduce our very own ‘Silver Tick’, a discreet pin badge worn by all members of our team to symbolise their personal commitment to the measures we are taking to protect our Guests and Employees from the risks of COVID-19.
The Silver Tick symbolises:
- Employee participation in daily temperature screening, at the beginning of each shift
- Completion of our bespoke training in COVID-19 Risk Awareness and our Enhanced cleaning and disinfection measures
- A commitment to follow our own clinical 8-step handwashing procedure
- A visual reminder of the importance of our COVID-19 prevention measures, including social distancing.
Picnics & Drinks
Were pleased to announce that our bar and terrace will be open serving drinks and picnic boxes from 4th July.
- Weather dependant, we will aim to maximise the availability of outdoor spaces for dining and drinking.
- Our picnic box menus have been specifically designed to allow them to be cleaned and disinfected properly.
- Our bars and service points have protective screens in place.
- We will ask guests not to congregate at the bar after ordering drinks, and we will collect all empty glassware from your table.
- To help us avoid the unnecessary handling of cash, we will invite all guests to make payment by contactless or card wherever possible.
- We proudly hold a 5-star food hygiene rating, so you can be confident that cleanliness, hygiene and safe food and drink handling have always been high on our agenda.
- We have completed a complete review of our Food Safety Management Systems during closure to ensure that they fully incorporate the required COVID-19 prevention controls.
- All public areas, including lounges, bars and the garden terrace have been thoughtfully rearranged with furniture spaces to allow proper distancing.
- Unnecessary soft furnishings have been removed, and anything that remains will be included in our enhanced cleaning and disinfection programme at appropriate frequencies.
- Working with our partners at Diversey, we’ve identified the most suitable coronavirus-effective cleaning products, and will use in all areas.
- We have designed a comprehensive enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedure and guide which individually covers all areas of our inn.
- Staffing levels will be set to ensure that public spaces can be continuously cleaned and disinfected throughout the day, in line with our enhanced cleaning programme.
- We've given our operation a lot of careful thought to ensure that even whilst keeping their distance, our team can look after you with our usual warm hospitality.
Our Guests
- We politely ask that any guests who are required to undertake self-isolation, household isolation or overseas travel related isolation remain at home in line with the Government advice.
- We will ask that all guests observe the social distancing requirements at all times and you will notice some reminders to do so, placed around the inn. We will replace physical greetings such as handshakes with an alternative way of showing our pleasure in welcoming you.
- Guests are advised to wash their hands regularly or use hand sanitiser.
Bookings Help
Bookings Made Through a Third-party
In the first instance, please refer to whoever you booked through, you will need to cancel or amend directly with them.
Bookings Made Directly with Us
Existing bookings
If you were going to be staying with us from 23rd March – 3rd July 2020, your booking has been automatically cancelled. If you have pre-paid or paid a deposit, your booking will be held and credited to a future date of your choice within 12 months of the hotel re-opening or moved to Minster Mill. If that doesn’t work for you, please get in touch with a member of our team who will be able to issue a full refund for you.
Existing group bookings
If you have a group booking and are due to arrive before 3rd July, you can postpone the event and deposits will be moved to the re-scheduled date within a 12-month window. For groups bookings after 4th July, normal terms & conditions for cancellation/postponement apply as per your contract. However, please note this policy will be reviewed regularly and we will continue to work with our clients to have a fair policy as the situation develops, taking into account UK Government guidelines. Please check back here for updates or contact the hotel event manager directly.
