HOTELS across the county have finally been able to reopen for guests after Covid regulations forced them to close in December.

The hospitality industry was given the green light on Monday to finally welcome guests back inside venues after the Government eased more Covid restrictions.

Excited staff at the voco Oxford Spires hotel, based off the Abingdon Road, and its sister hotel voco Oxford Thames, based in Sandford-on-Thames, marked its opening in style, offering guests complimentary Moët & Chandon on arrival.

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Melissa Dunn, who is the food and beverage lead at Oxford Thames, said: “The team is incredibly excited to be back at work.

“While some of us helped maintain the hotel while we were closed, it’s fantastic to all be together again.”

The Sandford hotel used the last lockdown period to renovate its new restaurant called Napiers.

The restaurant, which has now opened for the first time, was named after the priest George Napier, who previously owned the house and farm in the 16th century when it existed on the grounds of the hotel.

The grounds stayed in the Napier family for several generations, but the priest only became famous after he was executed in Oxford for being a Catholic.

His chapel now forms part of the hotel.

The Oxford Spires hotel has also opened a new outside drinking terrace area, which can accommodate up to 30 guests for drinks, afternoon tea, or lunch.

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Ms Dunn added: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be welcoming guests back to our hotels and getting back to doing what we do best; delivering exceptional service and giving our guests a really memorable stay.

“We tend to have a lot of guests visiting us to celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings and there are lots of celebrations to catch up on.”

The new holiday rules allow groups of six from different households, or an unlimited number of people from two households to go away together and can socialise indoors at pubs, restaurants, and entertainment venues.

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Hotels across the county had to close for the third time on Boxing Day last year, as Oxfordshire entered Tier Four restrictions.

Accommodation sites were then forced to remain close for a further five months due to national Covid restrictions.

Wendy Proctor, general manager of both hotels, said: “voco Oxford Thames hotel is steeped in a rich history that goes back centuries.

“The past year and its effect on the hospitality industry will add to the hotel’s history and we wanted to come back and reopen acknowledging some of the fascinating stories behind the hotel.”

“Renaming our hotel restaurant, Napiers, embraces the character and its place in history.

“While the name looks back in time, we hope that the reopening today marks the start of a new dawn for our industry and that our team can get back to what it does best – delivering exceptional service to diners and overnight guests.”