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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The simple hack that can save healthcare workers and teachers money on their holidays
Danny Jones
With cost-of-living pressure ever-present in the background of most everyday lives, finding some spare pennies for a getaway feels more difficult than ever, and if there’s anyone who deserves discounts on a holiday, it’s healthcare workers.
That’s why, when we became aware of the simple hack that can save those working in healthcare services money on holidays, we thought we’d help spread the word.
We’re sure lots of you working within the sector already know plenty about this booking strategy, but for anyone who doesn’t, how do you fancy saving up to half a grand on your next jolly?
In fact, even those working in education can cut their costs, too.
With searches for ‘holiday voucher code’ up by 73% on Google, and even the likes of TikTok seeing ‘money saving tips’ up by 45%, travel agency TUI have decided to team up with the Health Service Discounts platform for 2026.
Providing those who work for the NHS with a ‘Holidays for Heroes’ (HfH) access code on various popular peak-season trips, this exclusive discount can be added on top of all other seasonal TUI deals, including the company’s ‘First Choice’ package holidays.
With the HfH code alone guaranteeing workers an extra £100 off their bookings, play your cards right, and you could get up to £500 in total discounts overall.
How to access the healthcare ‘Holidays for Heroes’ deal
Separate from standard Blue Light card savings, here’s how it works, and don’t worry, it’s all very simple:
As mentioned, education workers can also benefit from similar money off, with an extra £50 per person through the TUI x Discounts for Teachers partnership, as well.
Ella Foden-Lynch, Partnerships Manager for TUI, said in a statement: “Getting away is absolutely vital for wellbeing, especially for those working in high-stress healthcare and education roles.
“With the cost-of-living crisis still putting a strain on household budgets, we know how hard it is to stretch your pay to cover a much-needed family break. By unlocking these exclusive TUI deals, we hope to give our key workers the realistic recovery time they deserve without the financial worry.”
So, for those of you healthcare heroes and teachers looking for a well-deserved break, we urge you to find an affordable holiday that suits you very soon. With cheaper airport pints also inbound later this year, here’s hoping you save even more spends for when you’re away.
New ‘cutting-edge’ cancer treatment to be rolled out on NHS from next week
Emily Sergeant
A new ‘cutting-edge’ cancer treatment is set to be rolled out on the NHS from next week.
Thousands of men with prostate cancer are to be offered high-powered ‘precision’ radiotherapy on the NHS to target the disease more effectively – helping reduce side-effects and spare them 15 courses of treatment.
The highly targeted SABR (stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) delivers radiotherapy to the tumour from many different directions to help reduce the risk of cancer spreading or returning.
SABR has been proven to be effective at far fewer doses than conventional radiotherapy.
Standard radiotherapy can often be a major burden for patients and loved ones, due to the substantial treatment and travel time involved, but SABR is typically delivered in just five doses within a fortnight, compared to at least 20 doses with external beam radiotherapy.
Thousands of men with prostate cancer are to be offered high-powered ‘precision’ radiotherapy on the NHS to target the disease more effectively, helping reduce side-effects and spare them 15 courses of treatment.
Around 17,500 men are diagnosed with low or intermediate risk prostate cancer in England each year and could be offered the option of SABR radiotherapy.
It is expected that the cutting-edge technique for localised prostate cancer will be offered at all 48 radiotherapy providers across England in the coming days – with the first centres making it available on the NHS from next week.
The roll-out could free up around 50,000 appointments for prostate cancer treatment each year, helping the NHS continue to bring down waiting times for patients.
NHS chief executive, Sir Jim Mackey, said the news will ‘transform’ treatment for thousands of men with localised prostate cancer.
“This cutting-edge approach will transform treatment for thousands of men with prostate cancer, helping the NHS provide far more powerful and convenient care to stop their cancer spreading,” Sir Mackey commented.
“Having been proven effective in keeping cancer under control, this technology will not only help reduce the risk of certain side effects but also the major ‘to-and-fro’ burden of hospital treatment, which can be really draining for so many patients and their families.”
Jess Walmsley -
4th July 2020 
