Lockdown has been tough on the tourism industry, but for the owners of the Wisteria Hotel in Oakham, Rutland, a newly-completed renovation, a lockdown baby and home-schooling in an empty hotel added a few extra complications.

Chris Newsham and Kristy Carey have welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement today (Tuesday) that hotels can reopen from 4th July. They purchased the hotel two years ago and invested more than £150,000 to transform the bar, two restaurants, snug, reception area and all 26 bedrooms. This included new furniture, carpets, curtains, wallpaper and paintwork, ensuring a stunning facelift throughout the hotel.

The ambitious project was completed just one day before the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, instigated the national lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus. At eight-months pregnant, Kristy found herself furloughing staff and facing the prospect of zero income for months ahead.

Finley arrived on 16th April, making him a lockdown baby and brother to the couple's six-year old son Freddie.

Co-owner Chris Newsham said: “The lockdown had an immediate impact both on our business and on our family. Due to lockdown restrictions, although I was able to be with Kristy during the birth at Peterborough City Hospital, I could not accompany her onto the post-natal ward as the pandemic was at its peak. This was a very strange experience for us both.

“And despite the hotel being closed to guests, we had lots of tasks to complete. Our 21 members of staff, with the exception of ourselves, were all furloughed. We had to renegotiate our fixed costs given we had no income coming in at all and we had to maintain the hotel throughout the lockdown period.”

The family also live on-site in their own apartment and due to school closures, they somehow had to find time to home-school Freddie.

Kristy said: “The lockdown period was a difficult time for many people, filled with highs and lows. One of the low points was being awakened at 5am - not by Finn - but by the fire alarm, caused by a leak from a bedroom into the kitchen.”

The family are now very positive about the future and are ready to re-open their family-run, boutique hotel from 4th July. They have invested in new photography to capture their elegant rooms, which will help to promote Rutland as a tourist destination and a great place from which to explore the county.

Chris said: “We are very proud of the refurbishment and are keen to show off all the hard work that's taken place. Our reviews already prove that we have the best hotel in Oakham. The bedrooms look incredible and the hotel is our pride and joy.

“With the summer nearly upon us, we have updated our website and our third-party listings, selling summer breaks with a flexible cancellation policy allowing guests to travel when the time is right.”

The Wisteria Hotel is based in Catmos Street, Oakham and has a fantastic restaurant - Hunter's Bar and Grill - and function rooms which can host weddings, meetings and other events. They will be operating a pop-up bar in the car park as part of the reopening celebrations.

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For more information contact Megan Allen at megan@rural-roots.co.uk

Link to images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/89d2opyxbm72d1a/AACFduE0UJ6ciZ9NAAF7gUgpa?dl=0

About the Wisteria Hotel

Proudly independently owned and operated, the team at the Wisteria Hotel aim to bring a new level of hospitality to Oakham. Bought in 2018 by Kirsty Carey and Chris Newsham, the couple have invested more then £150,000 into a full refurbishment of the hotel, bar and restaurant, which date back to 1604, making the facilities open to locals for the first time in years.

They have recently been awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the second year running.