The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the way that we live and work upside down and the last 18 months have been like no other, particularly for the hospitality and events industry.
Here at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, we are reflecting on the journey that we have taken throughout the pandemic and are grateful to be finally emerging into the ‘new normal’.
In March 2020, the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, like many hotels up and down the country, closed its doors as the country was plunged into lockdown. Little did we think that our doors would remain closed to the wider public until July 2021!
During this time, our Sales and Events teams were quickly put to work contacting conference clients and rescheduling dates, reassuring organisers that we would work with them to help their event take place safely when they were ready to return.
Technical co-ordinator, James Perrie, was working hard behind the scenes, researching developments in conference technology and upgrading our meeting room facilities to allow for virtual and hybrid meetings to take place. We now have a range of options available, from hosting a 1:1 interview via Skype or a fully virtual conference streamed online. For more information, see our brochure for details.
Some of our operational team members across the hotel embraced a range of roles across the NHS from working in other hotel departments to being redeployed to support our colleagues within NHS Golden Jubilee and NHS Louisa Jordan. Emma Finlayson, Event Planner, said ‘My time at NHS Louisa Jordan was hugely rewarding. It was great to adapt my skills to a new role and felt like I was giving back to the NHS at such an important time.’
Finally, in May 2021, the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel was given the go-ahead to begin a phased re-opening. We carefully considered each area of the hotel and put measures in place which allowed us to welcome guests and conference delegates back in the safest way possible.
With the option to offer socially distanced meeting capacities and sanitation kits in place in each of our meeting rooms, rest assured that it is safe to meet with us. We have made changes to our food and drink offering, giving the choice for more in-room dining for both hotel guests and in meeting rooms for delegates to minimise contact in public areas. Tea & coffee stations are now located in all meeting rooms and we have introduced individually wrapped food items and environmentally friendly single use products to help reduce contamination. Our Housekeeping team are also hard at work with enhanced hygiene measures in place throughout the hotel.
Our doors were able to fully re-open in July and we are slowly beginning to see things return to a new way of normal. Members of the Sales Team were even able to exhibit at the first Scottish events show since the pandemic in September and it has been great to see and speak to clients face to face again for the first time in months and hear about their future plans.
With Glasgow currently preparing to host the COP 26 Conference in November, there is lots to look forward to across the city and the team at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel are hopeful for the future and ready to welcome you back.
