HospitalityNews

“Scottish Hospitality For Heroes” Launched

Scottish hotel company Crerar Hotels has announced the launch of ‘Scottish Hospitality for Heroes’. This initiative will give the company and the public an opportunity to express their gratitude to the heroes within the NHS that continue to work tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 crisis.

The ‘Scottish Hospitality for Heroes’ campaign will begin with two key initiatives as part of the launch which will give these heroes an opportunity to experience the true “Spirit of Scotland” through Crerar’s ‘Spiorad na h-Alba’ hospitality and outstanding locations.

NHS Hero Celebration Weekend

Once the lockdown is lifted and travel restrictions are eased, the company will announce a chosen weekend in 2020 when all Crerar Hotels will be given over EXCLUSIVELY to NHS, care workers and their families. The tentative date is last weekend, or so, of August.

Every Crerar Hotel will give every bedroom, executive room and suite to this for a very special EXCLUSIVE Friday and Saturday night stay. In addition to the free stay, dinner (be that AA rosette dining or a casual inn dining) and breakfast during the stay will be gifted and there will even be wine to toast with!

Across Crerar Hotels that weekend there will be close to 2000 NHS workers and family enjoying a “night away” on Scottish hospitality.

Crerar Hotels CEO, Chris Wayne-Wills, “We are determined to make this as big a thank you as we can. Already we have been really encouraged by the reaction of the loyal Crerar guests we have contacted to ask that their bookings get moved to free up the availability we need (date can only be confirmed after lock down lifted). Every single one has said yes and more – many turning their deposit into a donation to help the big thank you. Of course for those that do this we will make sure in every room given through that kindness there’s a wee something extra, and a letter of gratitude is left for the NHS/Carer hero on behalf of the Crerar guest that has gifted it.”

“Local hospitality for heroes”

Crerar Hotels will be working to encourage local hospitality businesses and local people to get behind this big thank you.

CEO Chris Wayne-Wills,  “…this is everyone’s business and a chance for everyone to say thank you, when we welcome these frontline heroes we’d like to have help from our local partners and we are talking with them right now. Tickets to distilleries, wildlife boat trips, a fiddler for entertainment, access to museums, a cask of beer behind the bar from a local brewery or whatever a local can give would be great. Everybody can make this their special thank you.”

“Local people can express their thanks too. We really want the hotels to be exclusively for NHS and carers – these people will need our care as we needed and still need theirs. So, coming in to the hotel to say thanks and buy a round of drinks is maybe ill advised even if well intended. We believe if that’s what a local wants to do then do it “virtually” and give the folk we are saying thank you to space to relax and be normal.  Let us do it for you – buy a round, a steak, a bottle of wine or whatever you like. Do it in advance and we will make sure it’s delivered as your thank you.”

NHS workers can register their interest in applying for a free weekend break by emailing from an NHS account to hospitalityforheroes@crerarhotels.com

NHS workers can also be nominated by the public via Crerar Hotels Facebook pages.

Details of availability and how to make complimentary bookings will be confirmed once the lockdown is lifted and the dates for the “NHS Heroes Celebration Weekend” are confirmed. Allocation of room and type will be dictated on first come basis and subject to room configuration.

Gifts of Gratitude….and a half!

Crerar Hotels will also be issuing NHS Hero Gift Vouchers. The public will be able to express thanks to any NHS workers by purchasing monetary gift vouchers, with Crerar Hotels adding half as much again to the value!

Chris Wayne-Wills, “…we have already had people asking us to do this for them, all we’ve done is take it a stage further.  It’s really simple, for example if a grateful member of the public wants to gift £100 to thank an NHS hero then Crerar Hotels will issue gift vouchers to the value of £150 to the NHS worker. We give half as much again!”

Details of how to purchase the NHS Hero Gift Vouchers will be available on the company’s website www.crerarhotels.com

Help for Local Heroes Vouchers

The Crerar Trust have also gifted a very generous £25,000 towards a “Help for Local Heroes” scheme.

The scheme is to support a Crerar Hotels gift voucher issue to local heroes; key workers such as shop workers, emergency response personnel, refuse collectors who have contributed during the crisis.

Crerar Hotel employees and guests can nominate a local hero who has supported their communities during the crisis, the vouchers would be redeemable at any Crerar Hotel. The nominations can be sent to localheroes@crerarhotels.com