Lights on for the NHS

Hotel manager Adrian Andrews, who manages hotels in Cardiff Bay and Cardiff City Centre, had a personal reason for choosing to light up Cardiff Bay. Adrian’s aunt, Kaye Walters, decided to change her career to qualify as a nurse, and had spent the last four years at the Open University, becoming fully qualified just three months prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK.

The first night was particularly poignant for Adrian – it was the day was set to have been when his aunt’s graduation ceremony should have been held, but instead of a cap and gown she was working alongside her NHS colleagues at Bradford Royal Infirmary donning PPE.

While Cardiff Bay is showing its support with the light display, our Cardiff City Centre hotel is one of 37 Premier Inn hotels still open for key workers, including those who work for the NHS. In total we have over 5,000 rooms open to allow key workers to keep working.

Other Premier Inn hotels large and small across the UK have since been inspired to turn on their lights in support of the NHS and other key workers. The hotels are lighting up their windows and spelling out the letters ‘NHS’, displaying lit-up heart shapes or lighting up rainbow signs in the windows.

Adrian said: “Our team wanted to show how proud we are of our NHS and key workers in whatever way we could. It was especially important to me, as my aunt now works as a nurse and so we wanted to celebrate the important work that she and all key workers are doing. By lighting up our hotel we are able to show in our own unique way how much their commitment means, and based on the local feedback and messages we have received we know lots of keyworkers driving past or living nearby were able to see our lights.”