What should I expect when I visit?
The Old Stocks may look a little different to the last time you stayed with us, but we hope it will feel the same. Our Troupe will continue to be the people delivering the same attention to detail and personalised service that you are used to here at The Old Stocks Inn. We want to reassure you that we’re putting measures in place to keep you and our teams safe so that you can confidently enjoy a stay with us.
Upon reopening in July we have made a few operational changes to make you aware of:
- The Little Stocks Coffee Shop will be closed until further notice.
- We will be serving lunch on Saturdays & Sundays from 12.30pm-2.30pm only at the hotel until further notice. Pre-booked tables only.
- We are offering a slightly reduced fixed 2 & 3-course menu in the evening.
- If you wish to dine at the hotel you must make a reservation, no additional guests will be permitted.
- We we open our Little Stocks Cocktail Lounge for guests out of house for cocktails and drinks between 4pm and 8pm on Saturdays for bookings only.
- We will not be able to serve drinks at the hotel bar to non-residents unless they have booked a table to eat in the evening.
**UPDATED GUIDANCE** - In line with Government guidelines, from Monday 14th September, we cannot legally accept any bookings for more than 6 people from 2 households only. This impacts dining, drinks, bedrooms and Parsons Barn bookings.
- We will not accept bookings of more than 6 across several tables.
Find out more about our commitment to keeping everyone safe whilst they’re with us below.
Booking A Room & Arriving
- We will offer flexible rates with cancellation or amendment policies up to 48hrs before arrival on any new bookings from June onwards.
- We will automatically charge your card on the day of arrival for accommodation and additional reserved products to reduce interaction at check-in.
- We will provide a self-service check-in to the hotel that will enable digital signature and provide keys, that have been sanitised, in sealed envelopes.
- We will ask all guests to complete a simple ‘Health Check’ and confirm the details of their booking in the days leading up to arrival. We will also take temperatures of all guests at check in.
- We will only ask for a 25% deposit on Parson’s Barn to book, the remaining amount will not be due until 14 days before arrival.
- In line with Government regulations, from 8th August all guests must wear face masks in Reception, Public Areas & Corridors of the hotel until you are seated in the restaurant, bar or garden terrace or are back at your bedroom.
General Hygiene
- We continue to use Ecolab sanitising and disinfectant products throughout the hotel that are proven to be effective against COVID-19 and are used in NHS Hospitals.
- All bedroom linen continues to be laundered offsite with a leading commercial provider to both Hotels and the NHS.
- We will reduce the number of soft furnishings in bedrooms where possible.
- We will implement a regular focussed clean across all the high touch point areas in the public areas and guest bedrooms.
- Our Front of House, Housekeeping & Kitchen Team will wear appropriate PPE to protect both our guests and them whilst working on duty.
- We will provide hand sanitiser stations in the public areas of the hotel.
- We will reduce the use of printed material and menu housing throughout the hotel.
- We will provide all Menus online if required alongside single-use copies.
Food & Beverage Changes
- We have removed 50% of our tables from the restaurant to enable us to have effective distance between diners.
- Breakfast will be available each day but without the open buffet. We will offer a plated hot breakfast in the restaurant and also the option of a continental in your bedroom.
- We will serve breakfast until 10.30am to ensure we can accommodate all our guests.
- We will offer two sittings for dinner with a 2-hour allocation – Early sittings from 6pm to 7pm and later sittings from at 8pm to 9pm.
- We may operate flexible opening & closing times depending on bookings per day.
- We will ask all customers to reserve a table and time slot, in advance, for both Breakfast and Dinner. We will not allow customers who have not booked in advance to dine. (hotel & non-hotel guests alike).
- Tables are fewer and demand is high. We cannot be responsible for no availability or limited availability of dining for guests who have not booked a table and require a table at short notice.
- We will also be offering outside dinner dining (weather permitting) on our terrace.
- We will be offering a 2 & 3-course dinner menu for both lunch and dinner.
- Maximum table size of 4 people will be allowed in our restaurant and garden for any service. Family groups from two households staying at the hotel and Bolt Hole can be seated together, up to a maximum of 6 people. Please get in contact with us directly to arrange via email: info@oldstocksinn.com
- Private dining functions will not be permitted until Government guidelines change regarding social distancing.
Operational Changes
- We will operate as a “Cashless” business upon reopening in all outlets.
- We will not enter or service your bedroom once you have arrived. If you are comfortable and would like your towels or linen refreshed, you can request this with reception.
- We have installed a protective screen at reception between the Troupe and our guests.
- We will use directional floor markings to guide guests round the hotel safely and where needed, social distancing signage to assist.
- All Troupe members will receive additional training on keeping you and themselves safe. This will be reflected in how they interact with you during your stay.
All procedures and policies will be constantly reviewed and updated where necessary in line with government guidelines. We will try an evolve into the “normal” service as soon as we safely can.
FAQ’s
When can I stay at The Old Stocks Inn?
We reopened on Wednesday 8th July for bedrooms and dinner reservations only. Please be aware that this is conditional and subject to change in line with Government guidance. We have opened up bookings until December 2021.
Demand has been extremely high for all areas of our business and our team are working very hard to deal with all enquiries as quickly as possible, but we do suggest that where possible you make your hotel booking online.
Please note: our Front desk is open daily from 8.30am until 5.30pm.
After that, please drop us an email: info@oldstocksinn.com and the team will be in touch the following day.
Can we book into The Bolt Hole?
Alongside the hotel we expect to reopen our Self-Catering property on the 8th July. We have availability across the summer and have also opened up bookings until December 2021. All reservations can be made online for The Bolt Hole.
Can I book a table for dinner?
We will be operating with a reduced number of tables in our restaurant, so times and availability is limited. We are taking Dinner bookings only in our restaurant for non-hotel guest from Wednesday 8th July. We will not accept walk in bookings, all tables must be reserved in advance. We will offer terrace dining each night if you would prefer to eat outside, although we will only take reservations for inside dining tables only.
What happens if I need to cancel my booking?
Hotel bookings can be cancelled or transferred up to 48hrs prior to arrival with no charge. If you need to cancel or amend your booking within 48hrs of arrival due to COVID-19, we can transfer your booking to another suitable date, however rates may differ between dates.
Any cancellations or amendments within 48hrs, that are not as a direct result of COVID-19, will result in our retaining the charge for the first night of your stay.
Can I come in for just a drink?
We have opened our Little Stocks Cocktail Lounge on Saturdays between 4pm -8pm to allow guests not staying in house or dining to enjoy a cocktail or drink with us. This is pre-booked tables only via our website.
We are not able to offer bar service unless you are dining with us at the hotel. We welcome guests and non-residents to book a table on the terrace or in the restaurant, we will then provide you with table service for drinks during your visit.
Will everything be open as usual?
Upon reopening in July, we will not be running a lunch service or opening the Café in the beginning. This decision has been taken to ensure we can operate safely with our guests and also ensure distancing in smaller back of house areas. We will continue to review these changes each week against government guidelines.
