Hotel group reopens swimming pools and hot tubs amid ‘positive feedback’

A hotel group has welcomed back customers to its swimming pools and hot tubs after lo ckdown measures across Scotland were eased.

Crerar Hotels, which has five luxur y hotels and t wo inns, has reopened health cub facilities in five of the seven businesses.

Chief executive Chris WayneWills said the business had seen a continuous rise in bookings in recent weeks.

Mr Wayne -Wills said: “Our spas have obviously been open for a number of weeks now offering treatments, but this now adds in the swimming and the hot tub stage of things as well. From yesterday, pools and g yms across the coun - try were allowed to reopen as restrictions were eased.

Mr Wayne -Wills said that while his facilities were reo - pening, they looked slightly different to pre - coronavirus times.

He said: “We’ve obviously got the p erso nal protective equipment for the teams and screens, hand sanitiser etc.

“The operational protocols and the risk assessments that we have in place for the hotel, we were able to close up and then tailor-make them to the gyms and the pools.”

H e s a i d s w i mme r s a t t h e hotel pools enjoy the advant a g e o f n o t h a v i n g t o u s e changing rooms, adding that this helps with social distancing.

Mr Way n e -Wi l l s s a i d t h e hotels had continuously seen a we e k - by - we e k r i s e i n t h e number of guests hoping to take a break.

He said: “We have seen an increase in bookings just sort o f c o n t i n u o u s l y we e k a f t e r we e k s i n c e J u l y s i n c e t h e hotels opened themselves and I think it took for the first sort of wave of guests to come and visit and find out that actually it’s still a great experience.

“I think a lot of people have concerns ab out going away and staying but we’ve had such positive feedback.”