Two Best Western hotels to be first turned into discharge hospitals

Two Best Western hotels in Dorset will be the first in the UK to be turned into discharge hospitals to support low-risk patients and care workers to reduce pressure on the NHS during the coronavirus crisis.

The Grange at Oborne will accommodate 12 patients and six carers, while the Best Western Rembrandt will take in 31 patients and 13 carers.

“We expect this to be a trend of more hotels opening up to help,” said Rob Paterson, chief executive of the Best Western GB marketing consortium, speaking to the BBC.

The group was the first to raise its hand last month, offering 15,000 hotel bedrooms and more than 1,000 meeting rooms to help the NHS and local authorities through the crisis.

Best Western Great Britain is a membership organisation of approximately 270 independently owned hotels – the 15,000 bedrooms figure represents over 90% of the group’s hotels.

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