Hotels try and adopt some curfew creativity

Rocco Forte Hotel’s The Balmoral in Edinburgh has launched The Curfew Club, featuring a range of experiences guests can have delivered to their room once its social spaces have to officially close.

The new in-room “after-dark” experiences include a virtual whisky tasting with the hotel’s whisky ambassador, to a complimentary movie night accompanied by a cinematic inspired menu.

For the whisky option, the hotel sends a selection of three from its collection of 500 single malts to the room and the ambassador Cameron Ewen can then share some whisky history and tasting notes via his virtual tasting experience, from £30 per person.

For the cinema night option, guests can pick a film to watch, and can then choose from a new movie menu including hand-pulled sourdough pizza topped with Balmoral cure smoked salmon, mascarpone, truffle oil, soft quail eggs and caviar; a selection of popcorns; or the sweet macaron ‘burger’, along with a bucket of beers.

In a bid to prove that “nights in at The Balmoral, are the new nights out”, the hotel can also send in-room mixology kits so guests can try their own cocktail-making session. A selection of glassware, shakers and ingredients will be provided, from £15 per cocktail set-up, to £40 for three.

Meanwhile in London, The Hari in London has launched a Curfew Cocktail service, whereby its bartenders, Giuseppe Abbracciante and Alessia Massone, travel a quick loop of the hotel corridors at 10pm, making any cocktail from The Hari Bar menu for guests.

At newly-opened hotel The Mitre in Hampton, a bartender is similarly on alert to mix up a drink and send to guests’ rooms as they filter out of its bars and restaurants to abide by the curfew.

And some hoteliers have also sought to fight back and gain exemptions from the curfew for their bars and restaurants, with Robin Hutson, who runs the Pig Hotels and Limewood Hotel, "writing to No.10 asking for immediate exemption for hotel residents dining in hotel restaurants and small restaurants with less than 100 covers".