EDINBURGH-based Apex Hotels has become the latest Scottish hospitality business to cut jobs in light of the “severe impact” on trade caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Family-owned Apex revealed today that it has entered a consultation period with staff in a move which will involve employees at its 10 four-star hotels around the UK, as well as its head office in the Scottish capital.
The company, which employs around 1,100 people across its hotel and head office, said it was too early to say how many redundancies it will ultimately have to make. It expressed the hope that through consultation it will safeguard the future of the business and protect more jobs in the long term.
Angela Vickers, chief executive of Apex Hotels, said: “Throughout this period we have made use of the Government’s Job Retention Scheme with the aim of protecting jobs for as long as possible, but the impact coronavirus has had on our industry has been devastating.
READ MORE: Crieff Hydro rocked by redundancies as virus crisis rips through Scottish tourism industry
“Our sector will be the last to reopen, and when we do it will be with many restrictions in place on how we can operate.
"Around 40 per cent of our travellers come from overseas so international quarantine measures combined with strict 2m social distancing rules will all be a reality and severely impact our business.
"Without additional hospitality sector support, it is simply not feasible for us to open our doors and resume trading anywhere close to pre-Covid-19 levels.”
The Apex portfolio includes hotels in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee, as well as London and Bath.
The redunancy move comes after the Crieff Hydro group revealed on Sunday that 241 jobs were at risk at its hotels as it moved to cut costs in light of the downturn sparked by the pandemic.
Last week staff at the Kimpton Blythswood Square and Grand Central hotels in Glasgow were told they are at risk of redundancy as luxury operator InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) moved to restructure its teams in Scotland.
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