Staff were told to leave the Britannia Hotels site immediately (Picture: Aviemore Coylumbridge Hotel/Twitter)

Staff at a hotel in the Scottish Highlands have been sacked on the spot and told to leave their accommodation immediately – with the company pinning the blame on government coronavirus advice.

A letter was sent to workers at the Coylumbridge Hotel in Aviemore – which is run by the Britannia Hotels group – who appear to have made the decision based on advice from the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. A member of staff at the hotel said some people had been affected, but that it was not 30, as had been reported elsewhere.

The ‘heartless’ letter, circulating on social media along with calls for a boycott, has been slammed by politicians, industry leaders and the public alike, with Britannia being hammered for offering ‘one week’s pay in lieu of notice’ – despite new measures to help businesses. It says: ‘Taking the latest government advice, this letter is to confirm that with effect from March 19 2020, your employment has been terminated as your services are no longer required.



‘Your final payslip will include all hours worked up to and including your final day, together with any accrued holidays not already taken and one week’s pay in lieu of notice.


The letter from Mark Johnston (Picture: Twitter)

‘You are asked to vacate the hotel accommodations immediately, returning any company property to John Macfarlane, Hotel Controller before leaving the hotel.’

The head of the Scottish Tourism Alliance has said he was left ‘speechless’ by the ‘deplorable’ move – but added that staff had been given offers of alternative accommodation.

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The letter, from Holding General Manager Mark Johnston, continues: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to wish you every success in securing future employment and thank you for your time at Britannia Hotels.’

The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, labelled the ‘brutal’ move ‘unacceptable behaviour’, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today Show that ‘no one should be treated like that’.

In October 2019, Britannia was ranked Britain’s worst hotel chain for the seventh year running, with guests reporting unflushed toilets, and a dead pigeon rotting outside a window.

It comes just days after the Scottish Government announced financial actions being taken to help businesses across the country affected in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The hospitality sector was one of the first to receive special support with a full year’s 100% non-domestic rates relief announced on Wednesday.

The hotel is run by Brittania Hotels, known for being Britain’s ‘worst’ chain’ (Picture: Aviemore Coylumbridge Hotel)

Marc Crothall, the chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland on Friday: ‘I was absolutely speechless as to the actions that Britannia Hotels have taken.

‘There is huge anger among our industry as well, this is not reflective of how all of our businesses that we know and our members behave.

‘Hundreds and hundreds have come out to condemn what is a deplorable action.’

Mr Crothall confirmed another of Aviemore’s hotel operators, Macdonald Hotels, has stepped in to offer accommodation to the Coylumbridge staff, while there have been countless offers of accommodation and work for them on social media, after a local MP posted about it on Facebook.



Finance Secretary Kate Forbes also piled in against Brittania, tweeting: ‘It’s a tough time for everybody, that’s why we’ve tried to help the hospitality industry, so it’s disappointing to see what appears to be the heartless treatment of staff.’

Drew Hendry – MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey – called the hotel’s move ‘unacceptable’.

He also said: ’It is a worrying time for the hotel trade and urgent support is needed, but everyone is in this emergency together.

‘This fails even the most basic test of how to treat people. I have written asking them to rescind these letters.’

Mr Hendry continued: ‘I have offered to help to discuss how a different path can be taken that seeks to support everyone affected fairly and humanely.

‘If ever there was a time for looking out for others, this is it, even when businesses are rightly concerned.

‘Got to say, where the letter from the Coylumbridge Hotel was shocking, it is just fabulous the way the wider community is rallying round with offers of support for those affected on my FB page.

‘Well done to our communities.’

Comments on the Facebook page include offers of accommodation from other nearby hotel owners.

Britannia Hotels later apologised and said there had been an administrative error.

Thousands of workers have already lost their jobs as the economic crisis from the coronavirus continues to escalate.

Later today, the Chancellor is set to announce further financial measures to prop up the economy and help those in need.


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