A Scarborough hotel has surprised residents and visitors by announcing it is already fully booked for the whole of 2024.
A notice in the window and on the website of the Red Lea Hotel says: “We regret to inform you that The Red Lea is fully booked for the entirety of 2024, and we are currently unable to accommodate new reservations.
“We appreciate your understanding and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
It has left people wondering how this has come about, just a month into the year.
However, at least part of the mystery may have been solved after multinational mining company Anglo American revealed that it was utilising local accommodation to house some of its specialist workforce.
The company said that as it needed people with specialist skills to help it construct parts of the Woodsmith Project in Whitby, it was using local accommodation providers accordingly.
A spokesperson for Anglo American said: “We’re currently employing over 1,000 local people in the construction of the Woodsmith Project, which is already delivering significant benefits in the local area.
“We provide accommodation in a variety of facilities, including the Red Lea, across the local area for our workforce who live further afield and that bring the specialist shaft sinking and tunnelling skills that we need.”
The Red Lea Hotel, a three-star establishment on Prince of Wales Terrace, was also contacted for a comment but did not respond by the time of publication.