Best Western boss says hotels still ‘in the dark’ around quarantine plans

Best Western GB boss Rob Paterson (pictured) has said the company is still “in the dark” around what will be expected of operators once quarantine procedures are introduced for inbound travellers.

The prime minister announced last week that travellers from high risk ‘red list’ countries entering the UK will have to isolate in government-provided accommodation, such as hotels, for 10 days. He said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was looking to establish these facilities "as quickly as possible".

But despite several hotel companies, including Best Western, offering to accommodate quarantined travellers, Paterson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he was “yet to hear anything” from the government.

He said he had no understanding of what demand levels or security protocols would be expected, adding: “In any normal company, if you went out and announced a programme nationally and you hadn’t thought about how you were going to plan that and you hadn’t spoken to the people involved, I’m not sure if I’d have a job if I did that in my company.”

A DHSC spokesperson said: “The government is taking a precautionary approach against the risk posed by new variants. We are building on the stringent measures we already have in place – adding another layer of protection against the virus. We will set out a detailed implementation plan soon.”