‘Great British Maycation’ underway as 12,600 sausages get national hotel chain ready for day of reopening

Team members at Warner Leisure Hotels, which operates 14 luxury castles, manor houses and seaside getaways across the UK, are enjoying some positive news for the travel sector, and have been busy ordering in 12,600 sausages, 4,312 gallons of beer, cider and lager and putting fresh linen on over 3,000 beds in preparation for reopening!

The team’s online booking system saw a colossal 25,000 bookings in the last four weeks alone – over 50 per cent more than in the same period in 2019 – as Brits began counting down the days until they could check in.

Live music is also set to return at Warner with performances every night of the week. 196 bands have been booked, 360 new costumes ordered and 350 new team members hired across the hotels to meet demand.

The nation’s long-awaited return to summer holidays has also been reflected in Warner’s June/July bookings, with a 30 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2019.

Simon Thompson, managing director of Warner Leisure Hotels, said: “With the next phase of reopening finally upon us, we’re getting thousands of enquiries every day for last-minute stays and over 90 per cent of our rooms are booked out for May – we’re calling it the Great British Maycation!

“This trend isn’t reserved to just May however - for the summer months, over 60,000 guests have already booked to stay at Warner, 30% more than in 2019. There is huge appetite for people to enjoy meaningful and relaxing experiences again, and with the continued uncertainty about international travel, I’m sure the staycation sector will see this trend across the board - it’s going to be a great British summer.

“We know that guests have missed a year of their lives and are determined to live 2021 to the full, so we’re offering our usual leisure opportunities like archery and spa trips, as well as new experiences such as sunset yoga, gin festivals – as well as a £3m investment into new restaurants as we’ve definitely all missed having someone else cook for us from time to time!

“This has been one of the toughest years any of us has experienced, so we’re delighted to be able to whisk guests away from the house they’ve been stuck in and let them enjoy whatever it is that makes them happy. Whether that looks like an action-packed day of Nordic walking, archery and exploring the local area, or back-to-back treatments in the spa – they definitely deserve it!”

For more information on ‘Maycations’ and beyond, visit warnerleisurehotels.co.uk