Felicity Long
With all the anxiety-producing headlines coming out of the U.K. these days -- particularly the spread of Covid-19 variants, the grim virus death toll and the news that the government is imposing mandatory hotel quarantines on some international visitors -- it's easy to get lost in pessimism about its future as a travel destination.
For the record, as of Jan. 18, the U.K. had already required all incoming travelers, including its own citizens, to present a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of arrival. The new rules, announced Jan. 27, will refuse entry altogether to visitors from a list of 30 high-risk countries, while British citizens and permanent residents coming from or transiting through those countries will be taken directly from the airport to hotels for a mandatory 10-day quarantine at their own expense.
So far, the U.S. is not on the list, but as the South African and Brazilian variants have been discovered here, this could change.
But in these dark times, it often helps to regain perspective by looking at the past. Great Britain has been through a lot in its long history -- from the Black Death in the 14th century, the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the relentless Blitz bombings in the 1940s, just to name a few of its most harrowing periods.
The U.K. has always come back from these challenges, and from a tourism point of view, it has hogged its spot at or near the top of the list of most-visited destinations among Americans for generations.
One indication that this resilience will continue after the pandemic is safely behind us is the robust slate of new hotel openings planned for the coming year.
"We expect a pent-up demand for travel as we look ahead to 2021 and can't wait to showcase the best of Britain when travel returns," Paul Gauger, VisitBritain senior vice president, the Americas, told Travel Weekly.
He pointed to the lineup of hotel openings and renovations as proof of "green shoots on the horizon" as well as to VisitBritain's "We're Good to Go" branding, designed to help tourism and hospitality businesses prepare to welcome international visitors back safely when restrictions can be lifted.
Here is a sampling of what you can expect in 2021 on the hotel scene in London and beyond:
•The NoMad Hotel is set to open in London in February.
The 91-room property, the company's first outside of the U.S., will be housed in a renovated 19th-century building, preserving many of the original architectural features of its previous function as the Bow Street Magistrates' Court and Police Station.
The hotel will feature a NoMad Lounge and the Side Hustle, a restaurant serving pub fare.
• The Londoner, set to open in London in March, is Edwardian Hotels London's first purpose-built hotel, and it will be located near Leicester Square.
The 16-story property will feature 350 guestrooms, including 35 suites and a tower penthouse, six eateries, a state-of-the-art ballroom, two private screening rooms and a subterranean gym and spa.
• The Pan Pacific London will open in London sometime this year, representing Pan Pacific Hotels Group's first foray into Europe.
To be located at One Bishopsgate Plaza, just across from Liverpool Street train station, the hotel will offer 237 guestrooms and suites designed by international design firm Yabu Pushelberg and will offer a ballroom billed as the Square Mile's largest, an 18-metre infinity pool with cityscape views and landscaped outdoor space.
• In Cornwall, the Bodmin Jail Hotel is poised to open in February as part of the nearly $55 million redevelopment and preservation project of Bodmin Jail, an immersive visitor attraction that opened in October 2020.
The four-star boutique hotel and restaurant will feature 70 bedrooms, and the restaurant will serve afternoon tea and classic British fare.
• The Artist Residence Bristol, the newest and largest hotel from Artist Residence group, is gearing up to open in Bristol by March.
To be located in Portland Square in the heart of the city, the Artist Residence Bristol will offer 23 guestrooms, a cafe, bar, garden and event space.
• The Harper will open in North Norfolk in March with 32 rooms, a spa and fine dining with an emphasis on local ingredients.
• Also opening in March will be the Qbic Manchester, a 261-room, sustainability conscious property. Located in the Deansgate neighborhood of the city, the hotel will be the company's fourth in Europe.
• Leopard Creek at the Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve will open in the 600-acre Kent wildlife reserve in April.
Situated in the heart of the reserve, the property will feature two huts for couples, three cabins for families of up to two adults and two children and two luxury wigwams with space for four adults.
• Graduate Hotels in Cambridge and Oxford are both set to open in June and July, respectively. The company's first locations outside of the U.S., the properties will reflect the culture and creativity of the two universities.
The 148-room Graduate Cambridge, previously the Doubletree by Hilton Cambridge City Centre, will be located on the banks of the River Cam and will feature an on-site restaurant, cafe and bar.
The 151-room Randolph Hotel in Oxford, previously the Macdonald Randolph Hotel, will retain the Morse Bar, scene of the Inspector Morse TV series, among other amenities.