THE Old Course Hotel in St Andrews has become the latest big-name hospitality operation in Scotland to temporarily close its doors.
The venue, which overlooks the famous links golf course, has joined Gleneagles and a growing number of hotels to suspend operations as restrictions to halt the spread of coronavirus tighten.
It announced the decision in a thread of posts on Twitter today, stating: “All of us at Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa really appreciate our guests and our community for helping to make the last few months enjoyable and safe.
“We are committed to the health and safety of our guests, staff, and the public, so we will be temporarily closing… the Old Course Hotel from Monday 16th November. This includes hotel bars and restaurants, Kohler Waters Spa, the Pro Shop, Jigger Inn and Hams Hame This is a very difficult decision for us to make, but under the current Tier 3 COVID-19 restrictions...
“…we believe it is the right thing to do. We look forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as we can. In the meantime, The Duke’s Golf Course and Clubhouse, and the Fitness Centre will remain open with COVID-19 cleaning protocols and social distancing measures in place.”
The hotel added: “We will continue to monitor updates and follow guidelines from the Scottish Government and will keep our guests and staff informed as the situation evolves. Thank you for your patience, understanding and support during this time of unprecedented uncertainty.”
Last week, Gleneagles announced it would close until February as Perth and Kinross moved into tier three of Scotland’s lockdown system.
Conor O’Leary, managing director of Gleneagles, said: “Following the Scottish Government’s announcement that Perth and Kinross will be moved up to protection level three in the national coronavirus restriction system, we’ve taken the very difficult decision to temporary close Gleneagles’ doors for the second time this year – from Friday, November 13 until Sunday, January 31, inclusive.
“Having worked so hard to provide a safe environment across our estate, we are saddened by this development, especially in the lead-up to Christmas, the highlight of our calendar for both teams and guests."
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