Q: Why have Point A Hotels decided to give something back to NHS staff?
Nobody needs to be reminded of the unimaginable sacrifices NHS workers - right the way from senior doctors to cleaning staff - have made since this awful pandemic gripped the UK. Our health workers had to quickly become frontline heroes, however, after speaking to over 250 NHS staff members, we realised the strains of this pandemic have impacted all areas of ‘normal’ life.
The fight against Covid-19 has meant that one in three health workers have seen relationships with family, partners or friends deteriorate in recent months, whilst regular sleep schedules and healthy diets have gone out the window for over half of them. One in seven health workers admitted to having no ‘downtime’ at all during a typical week fighting the pandemic...
And that's exactly why we want to give back, offering NHS workers the opportunity to enjoy a special weekend of R+R with us, totally for free. Come and explore a new city - we have hotels across London, Glasgow and Edinburgh - or come purely to put your feet up and unwind.
Q: What will this Weekend of Thanks consist of?
NHS staff can book a free one or two-night stay at any point from Thursday to Sunday. Our special guests will obviously have the signature Point A experience, enjoying our comfortable, centrally located hotels and the attentive hosting our staff are renowned for.
We’re also making sure that guests are able to take advantage of our A-List membership scheme, meaning there are some great discounts available at some of the local businesses that have reopened in recent weeks. Depending on the status of lockdown restrictions, our health heroes will be able to enjoy discounted meals out at some of the amazing restaurants near our hotels, as well as taking in the sights with expert tour guides and (hopefully) heading out for cut price drinks at a range of local bars.
We’re also working on providing a couple of surprise extra luxuries for our guests, keep an eye on the Point A Facebook page for more details.
Q: When will this weekend be taking place?
Our Weekend of Thanks will be taking place across the August bank holiday (Thursday 27th- Sunday 30th) with guests able to book a one or two-night stay within this period.
First and foremost, we had to make sure that the weekend is timed so that it fits in with the government’s plans for reopening the hospitality sector following lockdown. Secondly, this gives us plenty of time to make sure that operationally we are as prepared as possible for opening our doors again, from a customer experience perspective, as well as meeting (and surpassing) the required health and safety standards.
Thirdly, we obviously had to time the weekend so that it comes when our health service is running at a level where health workers have sufficient time to enjoy a long, relaxing weekend.
Q: Will they be able to take someone with them?
Yes, definitely. Our research found that COVID-19 is often having a detrimental effect on health worker’s relationships - with a lack of downtime meaning time spent with family, friends and partners has been severely limited. That’s why ensuring NHS workers are able to book for themselves and one ‘guest’ was absolutely crucial to the initiative.
Whether that person is a family member, spouse, partner, or just a friend you’d like the company of across this special weekend, they are more than welcome.
Q: How does Point A see itself recovering after the pandemic?
These have been some incredibly challenging months for Point A, but we believe that we’re well positioned to recover from this crisis.
We operate in the budget-boutique sector, and previous records suggest that this price-range is typically more resilient to hardship than others. We expect to see a boom in staycations as well, with Brits less likely to be travelling abroad but still wanting to spend their holidays somewhere exciting. Our centrally located hotels throughout London, Glasgow and Edinburgh will be the perfect bases for staycationers looking to take advantage of some of the UK’s most eclectic cities.
Nic Wenn - Managing Director of Point A Hotels
Nic Wenn is the Managing Director of Point A Hotels, a family run budget-boutique hotel chain with nine premises across the UK. Point A's Weekend of Thanks will be taking place across the August bank holiday and more details can be found here: https://www.pointahotels.com/thank-you-nhs/
