Boris has said hotels can reopen from the 4th July, 'Super Saturday' it seems, but how has Manchester's hotel scene coped with the lockdown and will they see a resurgence in 'staycationers' this summer?
One hotel that opened on the very first day after lockdown is The Cow Hollow.
Beautifully designed for a luxurious stay, this glamorous and chic hotel is a lovely little venue in the Northern Quarter – adding little touches you don’t get elsewhere like cookies and milk at bedtime.
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Jamie Lloyd, assistant General Manager, has explained that The Cow Hollow will look a little different come next week, however.
“Interior wise, there have been a number of changes inline with government guidelines – such as perspex screens at the check in desk, hand sanitising stations throughout,” he explained.
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“We have rearranged some of the seating to enable guests to feel safe and comfortable, without sacrificing the relaxed friendly social vibe that we are known for. “
He is also expecting to see an increase in domestic tourism in terms of guests, with some rooms already being booked up.
“The general feeling is that we’re going to see an increase in staycations through the rest of the year, which will balance the fall off from the cancelled events/lack of international travellers in the city over the summer,” said Jamie.
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“We have had steady flow of reservations throughout lockdown, with quite an influx just this week when easing of lockdown was announced. These have been mainly British guests which confirms that line of thought.”
Another hotel reopening in July is The Velvet Hotel on Canal Street in the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village – a venue with a reputation for wonderful catering and luxurious decor.
Kim Krohn, Managing Director, explained the hotel is aiming to make the changes chic, rather than clinical.
“One thing that we are striving for is to keep the same service levels and high standards that we are known for, as so many of the new guidelines the government have released could feel very clinical and unwelcoming for a small independent hotel,” she explained.
“We have put a lot of time and effort into making sure the hotel looks and feels the same, and all our new ‘Be Aware’ collateral is fully branded, so it won’t look like a hospital corridor.”
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The Velvet Hotel Covid-19 awareness signs
The Velvet has made some very exciting changes to their offerings with a funky new food menu including a range of new summer dishes like Superfood Salads, Pizzas, and some amazing new burgers.
“We have worked hard on our new cocktail list including frozen daiquiris & pitchers,” Kim tells us.
“New food and beverage offers will be available all day every day, which include two for £12 Cocktails, Burger and a Beer for £14.95 or Pizza and a Beer for £12.95.
“These are just some of the exciting summer offers we are pleased to provide to our valued customers.”
Local hoteliers appear to have an optimistic approach to reopening – even if things aren’t quite the same as they used to be…
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‘Deeply worrying’ figures reveal one in seven NHS staff were physically attacked last year
Emily Sergeant
The NHS is ‘deeply worried’ after figures revealed one in seven staff were attacked by a patient or member of the public last year.
According to the latest NHS staff survey, 14.47% – which works out to almost one in seven staff members – were physically attacked by a patient or the public in the last year, which sadly works out to be the highest rate for three years.
On top of this, the shocking statistics also saw a record percentage of staff say they were subjected to ‘unwanted’ sexual behaviour, rising steeply to almost one in three ambulance staff (31%).
It also found that nearly one in 10 staff (9.26%) said they were subjected to discrimination from patients and the public, which is the highest on record.
The 2025 NHS Staff Survey results are now published.
Thank you to all NHS staff who took the time to share their experiences.
The survey helps us understand what’s working well and where improvements can be made.
Presumably because of figures like this, the survey revealed that the number of staff who would recommend their workplace to others fell slightly to 58.05% in 2025, which is down from 60.79% last year in 2024.
“These figures paint a deeply worrying picture of the abuse our hardworking NHS staff face,” commented Danny Mortimer, who is the Director General (People) for NHS England.
“Staff safety and wellbeing is paramount, and we want everyone experiencing any kind of unwanted incident to feel confident enough to report it. But while that behaviour is completely unacceptable, we must look at what more we can do to support the people who keep our services running.
‘Deeply worrying’ figures reveal that one in seven NHS staff were physically attacked last year / Credit: rawpixel
“We know about the everyday pressures staff face and we haven’t moved fast enough to fix them.
“Staff have worked so hard to improve NHS performance and deliver care over winter as shown in the latest performance figures. These survey results show it is now for the NHS to deliver improvements for staff because there is so much more to do to make the NHS a better place to work.”
However, despite all of this, an overwhelming 87.78% of respondents did say they felt their job ‘made a difference’ to patients.
As mentioned, all of these statistics have been revealed as part of the latest NHS staff survey, where more than 766,000 workers in England responded – providing what is said to be ‘vital data’ for employers and stakeholders about the staff experience.
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Bolton’s bid for the Ryder Cup has received a big boost
Danny Jones
Bolton’s much-anticipated bid for the Ryder Cup has received an added boost of positivity and optimism, which could prove key in bringing the competition to the town.
It also starts with an improvement to local infrastructure, which it appears that the borough will benefit from, regardless of whether or not they win the bid.
Talk of Bolton throwing their hat in the ring to hopefully host the Ryder Cup first began rumbling around during the pandemic, before ramping up even further in 2023, and is now gathering a little more speed.
And a lot of it could come down to upgraded travel links in the form of an even longer-rumoured new road connecting the M61-M6 junctions, which would need to be completed in time for the tournament – along with a fresh big golf course, too.
A bid is being prepared for Bolton to host the Ryder Cup in 2035. Previously, there was an option to hold it in 2031. The golf course would be built on the Hulton Park estate near Westhoughton. This is what the ancient parkland looks like now ..https://t.co/Bie8ikyEkppic.twitter.com/Y3Dq8MFfLk
While the plans to transform the land around Hulton Park have been in the pipeline for some time, the case for creating easier routes between Bolton, Wigan and the surrounding area was pitched as far back as the post-WWII period.
As for the Ryder Cup itself, it hasn’t been hosted in England for decades; the last time an associated event was held was in 2002 at Warwickshire, and it goes without saying that it would be a huge win not just for Greater Manchester but the North in general.
In fact, the wider masterplan that makes up part of the bid doesn’t just include the new £70 million link road, but also feeds into GM’s overall Good Growth Fund, which looks set to almost double thanks to more investment in the National Wealth Fund.
Put simply, the sum of around £2bn set aside for grants and funding across the country – including Bolton’s 2035 Ryder Cup bid – could see huge revenues brought in.
Regarding Bolton, were they to clinch from competitors like the London Golf Club in Sevenoaks, over in Kent and Luton Hoo Hotel and Spa in Bedfordshire, it’s estimated that it could generate more than £1.2bn for the local economy.
Besides a new premium golfing venue, the M61-M6 link road and the recently announced Metrolink expansion into Bolton, the regional funding allocation already factors in various bits of future property development, including more housing and subsequent job creation.
Put simply, it could be transformational for Bolton and beyond. However, it still requires them to win the bid on the basis of the GMCA, Bolton Council, developers, and other partners delivering everything promised, not to mention on time for the biennial Ryder Cup slot up for grabs.
Despite initial rejection and still plenty of pushback, Peel Land are promising three things for the land: “Restoration. Sustainability. World-class golf.”
Mayor Andy Burnham has insisted it is an opportunity not only to improve life, leisure and business in the old Lancashire stronghold, but “as well as the new jobs and tourist spend the Ryder Cup would deliver, there’s also a chance to deliver a lasting legacy.”
What do you make of the grand vision thus far, and for Boltonians, is this something you’re fully behind? Speaking of big sporting events, another one is coming up in Manchester city centre this weekend.
Jess Walmsley -
4th July 2020 
