After suffering the wettest summer in 100 years, sun starved Britons are set to bask in warm sunshine this weekend and bosses are warned that staff will be throwing ‘sickies’ to enjoy it.
The Met Office has predicted a glorious weekend, particularly for the South, with temperatures reaching as high as 26oC in London on Saturday. As a result, Travelodge, which operates over 500 hotels in the UK, has seen a surge in bookings for Friday through to Sunday at its coastal hotels.
Southend-On-Sea, Plymouth and Newquay Travelodge hotels are fully booked and hotels in Worthing, Brighton, Torquay and Bournemouth are all seeing a double digit increase in occupancy.
Research by Travelodge conducted earlier this year showed that 41% of Britons were planning on holidaying in the UK this summer. While the staycation trend offers an affordable getaway, July and August didn’t give UK holidaymakers much weather to enjoy. Now, with some sun on its way it seems the UK is making the most of what will probably be the last opportunity to enjoy some bright blue sky.
Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge spokeswoman said: “Traditionally, this week we welcome back our business travellers after the summer break. However, this sudden turn in weather has seen our seaside hotels enjoy a last minute boost from our leisure customers wanting to make the most of the sunshine. We’ve seen a lot of bookings come from Northerners who are looking to enjoy the southerly sun this weekend.
“Most people would agree that we’ve had a pretty dismal summer and everyone has been waiting for some decent sunshine. I think a lot of bosses are going to notice a sudden drop in staff on Friday.”