THE MANAGER of a flood-hit hotel in Worcester has praised the kindness of other businesses in the area for helping him to keep trading.
Steve Pirone, general manager at Diglis Hotel, was left to pick up the tab for hundreds of pounds worth of damage after his business was devastated by floods last week.
Water swept into his cellar and garden as river levels rose to record levels in the city at 5.69metres last Wednesday (February 12).
Mr Pirone said it was the worst his hotel had been hit since he took it over four years ago, but he said the situation could have been a lot worse without the dedication of his staff and support from other businesses.
“We have lost business as we have lost passing trade,” he said. “No one really knows what is involved when you get flooded as there is the clear up and the complete disruption, which has an affect on so much.
“But the community spirit has been fantastic. Worcester aquatic centre gave us their pumps, so we could get water out of our wine room and the manager at the Whitehouse Hotel phoned up and offered assistance.
“My staff have been amazing as they have come in on days off and done double shifts. But when you see local businesses saying you can borrow this and a hotel phone you to say ‘can I send you any staff’ it is great.”
Roy McDonald, marketing manager at Diglis Hotel and chairman at Worcester Tourism Association, insisted the hotel’s rooms and the car park were still in operation.
He added: “The floods have had an impact on footfall, but all the shops are open in the city and we have to do everything we can to encourage people to come back to Worcester.
“This is a minor distraction compared to what is happening in other places in the country. There has not been a huge amount of people affected and only a few businesses have been affected, so although it looks spectacular the overall affect hasn’t been great.”
