Staycity reports UK bookings surge

Aparthotel operator Staycity has reported that it has seen UK bookings surge this week following the government’s recovery roadmap, announced on Monday, 22 February.
 
Bookings across the group’s 11 UK properties rose by 333% in the 24 hours after the announcement, compared with the previous week, with £312,000-worth of business taken on 23 February alone.
 
Staycity co-founder and CEO Tom Walsh said the surge in demand was “exciting news” for Staycity, which suffered earlier than most from the impact of the pandemic with its property in York being at the centre of the first Covid-19 cases in the UK in January 2020.
 
Walsh said: “This demonstrates the demand for travel and the fact guests are keen to book trips and to have something to look forward to. It’s a huge relief to us, and the hospitality industry as a whole, to have this clear evidence that people are keen to make up for lost time – and also that they have confidence in the stringent hygiene protocols the industry has put in place.”
 
Hotels are expected to re-open on 17 May, according to the government’s roadmap for recovery.
 
Walsh added: “It’s been a difficult 12 months for the hotel sector, but it seems that at last we can look forward to some light at the end of the tunnel. Aparthotels, with their well-equipped self-catering facilities, will prove a popular choice for travellers going forward and the bookings we have seen this week is welcome evidence of this.”