Quarantine may never have looked so luxurious. In Thailand, by July’s end, 30 hotels had been certified as alternatives to state quarantine centers, as the popular tourist destination moved forward with its step-by-step plan to reopen after a lengthy lockdown.
Tourism remains restricted, with no visas being issued and flights still curtailed in August. Yet returning Thai residents, expats with work permits and official delegations can lockdown in safety, and comfort, in what may be a preview of what awaits visitors, as hotels hope to welcome back tourists in the near future.
Contributed by Ron Gluckman
Cleanliness and security have been ramped up all around, which hoteliers say will be common post COVID-19. The emphasis is evident at entry to Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, which upped the ante over hand-held infrared thermometers with a scanner that not only takes temperatures but checks for face masks. If guests have no mask, a red light circles their face, and the machine barks a reminder to put on a mask.
Most measures aren’t so visible, although hotels are pushing cleaning standards and publicizing them on social media. When Anantara Siam reopened, the hotel created a special training room for heightened hygiene. All cleaning solutions and cloths are stocked in a room where everything, from bedding to remote controls, have color-coded sticky notes that identify exactly which solutions should be used, with which cleaning cloth.
“We already had these standards,” said General Manager Daniel Simon, “but now we are re-emphasizing.” And stepping up. Everyone remembers how, not so long ago, check out was noon, so rooms could be rented again at 3 p.m. “Now, we have no guests in rooms for 24 hours after turnaround,” he said. The added time allows for intensive deep-cleaning using sprays that penetrate carpets and sanitize every corner.
‘More than ready’
Tourism is a major industry for Thailand, which welcomed over 40 million visitors in 2019, contributing an estimated 18% of GDP. “We don’t expect to get back to that number anytime soon,” conceded Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor for marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). “I think 20 million to 25 million is possible,” he added. “We are more than ready to welcome tourists back.”
Moving cautiously, Thailand has drawn international praise for its response to the pandemic. The nation had the first confirmed case after China in January, and Chinese have been the mainstay of tourism, 25% of visitors last year. By aggressive tracking, a lockdown including bans on inter-provincial travel and a curfew, Thailand became a poster child for containing COVID-19 in Asia. At the end of July, this country of 70 million people had totaled only 3,304 cases and less than 60 deaths.
Thailand has increased its vigilance with new industry standards. TAT issues the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) certification to hotels meeting its standards. Some hotels go further in guest reassurance, like on Phuket, an island dependent on overseas visitors. Phuket hotels have banded together to add 50 steps of the COVID-19 certification of the international Hotel Resilient Standards.
“This is a higher level,” said Dominic Egger, general manager at Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay. The luxury property, which reopened July 11, also adheres to its own Wyndham Destinations standards. Applying for the SHA certification is free, he said, but the property spent nearly US$2,000 adding acrylic barriers for reception, plus sanitization stations, personal protective equipment and new hospital-grade disinfectants.
“You cannot go too far for safety, and to reassure guests,” added Egger.
Quarantine hotels go through heightened regulations. They must partner with a hospital, which coordinates testing and transportation of guests from airport arrival through 14-day quarantine period. Initially, Thailand allowed home quarantine, then set up quarters at military bases. By comparison, the hotels offer an increased level of security and comfort.
Anantara Siam was among the first certified for Alternative State Quarantine. Manager Simon notes the stringent conditions, which include requiring that guests be isolated for two weeks, essentially locked down for the first week. Anantara dedicated a set of villas and an isolated wing, reached by a separate elevator, closed to other use. Checks were made by the health and defense ministries, with requirements that included stripping away all carpet, even on luggage racks.
Two-week packages run 77,000 baht (about US$2,500) for the rooms, and 144,000 baht (US$4,590) for villas with a private terrace. That includes all service, COVID testing and three meals a day. The partner hospital gets 25% of the fee.
It’s an odd but welcome revenue stream in these tough times. “We all look forward to getting back to normal, someday soon,” Simon said. “In the meantime, hotels have to do everything they can for their guests.”