Between June 2 and June 5, the United Kingdom will celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her coronation, with a four-day holiday.
No other British monarch has reigned for so long; second in tenure on the throne was Queen Victoria, who spent 64 years as monarch.
Events, parties, pageants and concerts will be staged during the four-day holiday, which usually only occur at Easter and Christmas, and hoteliers are looking forward to increased bookings for the Thursday-to-Sunday period that likely also will see good June weather.
The Castle Hotel in Windsor, home of Windsor Castle, one of the Queen’s homes, has long been an in-demand tourist destination, and is planning activities around this year's jubilee.
General Manager Sam Goss said the hotel and the town, located about 20 miles outside of London, are “humming with excitement.”
Windsor was the site of the May 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“However, we have absolutely seen an increase in interest for visits from both international and domestic guests. We’re incredibly fortunate to be located so closely to Windsor Castle, especially now that Her Majesty is permanently residing there,” he said.
One of the hotel's celebratory offerings is its Jubilee Afternoon Tea, which Goss said has so far sold more than 3,000 to the end of June.
The hotel also has put together a Jubilee Stay Package, which Goss said is selling well, too.
“We expect this high level of interest to continue throughout the summer. There’s already fantastic atmosphere in the hotel and with so much happening in Windsor across the long weekend, from the traditional ox roast taking place on Bachelors Acre at the back of our hotel to the picnic on the Long Walk (in Windsor Great Park) and the beautiful Jubilee decorations throughout the town and … at our hotel, it’s an honor to be a part of the celebrations,” he added.
According to May 9 business-on-the-books data from STR, CoStar’s hospitality analytics firm, there has not been a huge change in performance metrics due to the jubilee.
Domestic travelers might decide to spend the jubilee in their own neighborhoods, towns and villages, rather than travel elsewhere.
Of the 20 nights between May 29 and June 17, the two nights with the highest occupancy are the Friday (June 3) and Saturday (June 4), the final weekday and the first weekend day of the four-day national holiday.
Saturday nights have been the standout in terms of occupancy since hotels have reopened out of the pandemic.
At press time, business-on-the-books occupancy on June 3 is 52.5%, while on the Saturday is 53.2%.
Torsten van Dullemen, general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, said his hotel will illuminate its façade in regal purple and serve locals and guests complimentary Jubilee ice cream and coronation treats.
He added the hotel’s restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, is tweaking its menu with reinvented coronation dishes, as well as adding royal afternoon teas in The Rosebery and a celebratory cocktail in the Mandarin Bar.
“With our own private royal entrance, the hotel has deep historic ties to the Royal family dating back to 1902," Van Dullemen said. "We have had the pleasure of welcoming Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on multiple occasions from dances, charity events and banquets. We also had the honor of hosting the pre-wedding celebration of Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.”
Charles Oak, general manager at The Londoner, said his hotel has a month-long agenda of celebrations.
“Our Jubilee Summer Series has been curated with experiences and events to delight all the senses,” he said.
New offerings include afternoon teas featuring chocolate biscuits — reportedly a favorite of the Queen's — floral installations and art exhibits.
“The reaction has been tremendous, with so many in-house and external guests either stopping for the obligatory selfie moment outside with our floral tribute or catching a live music performance at The Stage or Joshua’s Tavern," he said. "There is a real sense of occasion throughout the hotel."
In comparison, business-on-the-books occupancy on the next Saturday, June 11, is 46.7%, a 12.4% drop from the holiday’s Saturday.
On the other two nights of the holiday, occupancy on June 2 is 44.4%, while June 5, a Sunday, is 42.6%.
Hoteliers have stated previously in the pages of Hotel News Now that royal marriages can be a mixed bag in terms of results, mostly because the general popularity of London does not result in metrics showing notable differences.