Hotels reject staycation guests to be dedicated SHN facilities

Singapore – More hotels have turned into dedicated stay-home-notice (SHN) facilities to accommodate people in isolation.

Meanwhile, over 12,000 people currently in quarantine have to isolate themselves in the same locations for one more week.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that all travellers arriving in Singapore from 11.59  pm on Friday (May 7) have to undergo 21 days of SHN  instead of 14 days, as before, except those coming from Australia, Brunei, China, New Zeland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

As for those who did not complete their SHN by midnight on Friday, they must spend another seven days in quarantine at their current facility to minimise the risk of transmission.

Each traveller will have to pay an additional S$1200  for one more week of food and accommodation at a hotel and one more Covid-19 test on the last day of SHN.

The 14-day SHN used to cost each traveller S$2000.

The new rules forced some hotels to postpone or cancel all the bookings for staycations, reported the Straits Times.

Reservations at Park Hotel Clarke Quay and Mandarin Orchard were  postponed or cancelled.

At least seven hotels have turned into SHN-only facilities with a total capacity of 3,000 rooms.

Singaporeans who have used SingapoRediscovers Vouchers to book staycations at these hotels can have a product exchange or cancellation or refund if their bookings were affected.

Hotel operators promised to help their guests cope with the new SHN requirements, reported the Straits Times.

Accor’s hotels, including Fairmont Singapore and the Ibis Budget chain, will  expand the food and beverage menus to offer more variety.

The Westin Singapore has also intensified the cleaning regime.

Phuong Le Ha is an intern at The Independent SG/TISG