{"id":28024,"date":"2021-03-12T17:39:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T17:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/cjsnews\/?p=28024"},"modified":"2021-03-12T17:39:02","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T17:39:02","slug":"cardiff-hotels-hesitant-to-open-if-pubs-and-restaurants-stay-shut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/cjsnews\/cardiff-hotels-hesitant-to-open-if-pubs-and-restaurants-stay-shut\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiff hotels hesitant to open if pubs and restaurants stay shut"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

City centre hotels are facing “serious questions around whether it would be financially viable to open” without pubs, restaurants and and tourism attractions being open too, according to a leading hotelier.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-contained accommodation in Wales can open from March the 27th, but many other types of business will remain closed or be working under restrictions, which will affect the demand for hotels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Tom Gaskell, Vice-chair of Cardiff\u2019s Hoteliers Association, it will be no good reopening hotels with tourism destinations still closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If we were to re-open our hotel with room service only, non-essential retail will be open by then, or at least some of it, but there will be an awful lot of areas of the economy which won\u2019t be open,\u201d said Mr Gaskell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, if you\u2019re a city centre hotel, you have to make a decision as to whether or not it\u2019s viable for us to open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At today\u2019s three-week review First Minister Mark Drakeford did not give an indication as to when or how pubs and restaurants in Wales will reopen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In England, Boris Johnson has provided a roadmap which includes dates for the reopening of sectors, with pubs and restaurants able to welcome people outside from 12th of April. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nick Newman, Chair of Cardiff\u2019s Licensees Forum and General Manager at The Philharmonic, said that pubs need certainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe hoped we\u2019d get at least some indication about when we can open and how we\u2019re going to open,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe really do feel we\u2019ve done enough in Wales and in Cardiff in particular to keep our venues safe. We proved that during the re-opening phase from August to November last year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Minister also confirmed at the press conference today that English tourists wouldn\u2019t be able to visit Wales at Easter, despite the opening of self-contained accommodation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotelier Mr Gaskell said: \u201cWales is significantly dependent on travel from England and I think all we\u2019ve found out today is that financially, it\u2019s going to be very difficult for us going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newman and Gaskell were speaking as part of Checking In<\/a>, CJS News\u2019 Facebook Live programme about the hospitality and tourism sectors in Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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