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Singapore students return and book into hotels, service apartments to serve stay-home notice

Although postgraduate student Kimberley is serving out her 14-day stay-home notice confined in a hotel room and away from her family, her mother has ensured that she will not miss the familiarity of home.

A hotel employee walks into Grand Park Orchard. The hotel is among several where students returning home from overseas have booked in or are checking in to serve their 14-day stay-home notice.

A hotel employee walks into Grand Park Orchard. The hotel is among several where students returning home from overseas have booked in or are checking in to serve their 14-day stay-home notice.

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SINGAPORE — Although postgraduate student Kimberley is serving out her 14-day stay-home notice confined in a hotel room and away from her family, her mother has ensured that she will not miss the familiarity of home.

The 23-year-old, who is doing a master’s degree course on affective disorders at a British university and who wanted to be known only by her first name, said that her mother will try to deliver both lunch and dinner on “most days” to her. She has so far received her favourite bacon bone curry, among others, and even a yoga mat to help her stay active. 

“She’s honestly the best,” Kimberley said of her mother, who leaves the items by the door of the Fraser Suites service apartment before running away.

Kimberley said: “She’s very fast. By the time we get to the door, she’s not even on the floor anymore.”

The postgraduate student returned to Singapore from the United Kingdom with her 24-year-old brother and her 25-year-old boyfriend on Tuesday evening, and they are now staying together in the same service apartment. 

The trio are just one group of returning students out of many who are making their way back after the Singapore Government asked them to return home on March 17 due to the Covid-19 crisis. 

CHANGING TRACKS

The hotel industry here has been in a slump due to the lack of tourists caused by the global crisis.

On Thursday, a message by President Halimah Yacob was read out in Parliament where she noted that Singapore’s hotel occupancy rate is at just 20 per cent presently.

Now, hotels are gearing up to change tracks by taking in guests such as Kimberley who must serve their mandatory stay-home notice.

Those who are served the notice cannot leave their place of stay or residence during the period, which begins from the time they land in Singapore.

Some hoteliers told TODAY that being able to take in guests serving their stay-home notice has been an unexpected lifeline for them, given the gradual decline in tourist arrivals.

Mr Adrian Siow is manager for Rest Bugis Hotel and Hotel 1888 Collection in Chinatown. Both properties are offering their rooms at a lower fixed rate for such individuals.

He noted a “small surge” in demand as well after Malaysia’s lockdown recently, with Malaysian workers needing accommodation after they chose to stay and work here.

However, Mr Siow said that their stay will not be indefinite and the industry is “struggling right now”.

Since February, tourists who had visited mainland China have been barred from entering Singapore, in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This travel ban was extended to all other tourists on March 22.

MINIMISING RISK BETWEEN TWO GROUPS

Elsewhere, to boost occupancy rates, some branded hotels have begun offering staycation deals for residents who have had to cancel overseas holiday plans, while at the same time offering their rooms for those serving stay-home notices.

Several of these properties are on the Singapore Global Network’s list of hotels for people who need to serve out their notice.

They declined or did not respond to TODAY’s queries about what precautions they were putting in place to keep all guests and staff members safe from the risk of infection.

However, when this reporter posed as a potential guest at three hotels, they gave assurances that they have a system in place to minimise or even eliminate contact between those serving their stay-home notice and guests just looking for a quick getaway. 

In all instances, they said that the guests on stay-home notice are not allowed to leave their rooms at all times until the 14-day period is over.

This applies for Mr Siow’s establishment as well.

Mr Siow said that regardless of which hotel such guests are staying, housekeeping staff members are not allowed to enter the room during the notice period. A “deep-cleaning” process will be carried out once they leave, he said. 

Guests on stay-home notice who have checked into Grand Park Orchard are provided with a greater quantity of toiletries. Photo: Yong Jun Yuan/TODAY

Employees at both JW Marriott Hotel and Grand Hyatt Singapore also said that they have designated certain floors just for individuals on stay-home notice when this reporter asked as a guest. 

At the Mandarin Orchard hotel, an employee said that it has dedicated one of its two towers just for this purpose.

When asked what the chances were of a guest on stay-home notice checking in at the same time as a regular guest, the employee said that the chances are low because there are separate check-in counters for both categories of guests.

All three hotels also said that they have stepped up cleaning frequency within their premises.

Grand Hyatt, which was the among the first hotels here to receive the SG Clean certification, “frequently cleans up and wipes down high touch points” as well, its employee stressed. 

To obtain the certification by the National Environment Agency, firms must meet a checklist of seven requirements. This includes the appointment of an SG Clean manager to oversee the hotel’s practices, putting in place processes to monitor the health of employees, and ensuring frequent disinfection of common facilities.

DEDICATED HOTELS FOR RETURNING STUDENTS

Aside from Grand Hyatt, Village Hotel Sentosa and Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa have also obtained this certification. These three hotels have all been linked to Covid-19 cases before.

Village Hotel Sentosa and Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa will join a list of government-designated hotels for returning students from the United States and the UK. 

The Ministry of Health said that from March 26, Singapore students returning from the US and UK have to serve their stay-home notice at facilities such as the hotels on the list that have agreed to dedicate their entire premises just for this purpose.

The ministry said that it will arrange for the students to be taken directly from the airport to the hotels and the returnees will have their own room and toilet, and have all their meals provided.

All these arrangements will be provided for free.

Guests serving their stay-home notice at Grand Park Orchard receive meals prepared by the hotel. Photo: Yong Jun Yuan/TODAY

The full list of government-designated hotels has not been made public, but TODAY understands that it also includes Village Hotel Albert Court, The Elizabeth Hotel and Grand Park Orchard.

Mr Arthur Kiong, chief executive officer of Far East Hospitality — which manages the Village Hotel chains and The Elizabeth Hotel — said that as a homegrown company, he felt that it was a “national duty” to support government initiatives and help Singaporeans and residents get through this Covid-19 storm.

This was a sentiment shared by Ms Tan Shin Hui, executive director of Park Hotel Group, which manages Grand Park Orchard, located opposite Paragon mall. 

Both Mr Kiong and Ms Tan said that their designated hotels have several precautions in place to prepare for the arrival of these returning students. 

For instance, from now till May 31, only guests serving their stay-home notice can access the designated hotels under Far East Hospitality. No other guests will be accepted. 

Over at Grand Park Orchard, Ms Tan said that it has “taken extra precautionary measures” such as providing clear segregation of entry for individuals serving the notice and for employees or the public. 

An alternative entrance for guests who are serving their stay-home notice at Grand Park Orchard. Photo: Yong Jun Yuan/TODAY

For both hotel groups, they have also minimised the need for their older staff members or those with pre-existing health conditions to tend to guests who are serving stay-home notice. 

Employees who need to deliver food or other items will leave them by the door without meeting the guest.

Mr Kiong of Far East Hospitality said that upon these guests’ departure, the hotels will work closely with a government-appointed vendor to clean and sanitise the rooms, which includes the use of hospital-grade disinfectant.

These precautions aside, Mr Kiong said that he understands the frustration and boredom that comes from being cooped up in an enclosed space for a long period of time. 

“To help ease cabin fever, our staff members have been trained and will be deployed as an ‘e-buddy’ to check in on all our guests daily via phone to provide that human connection.”

Such a service would have come in handy for Mr Clarence Tan, who is staying over at Grand Park Orchard.

The 25-year-old, who is doing his master’s in finance in the UK, returned to Singapore on March 23 and had to serve out his stay-home notice.

While he appreciates the city view from his room, he is growing tired of it. “There's (also) only so much you can watch and read before it gets boring,” Mr Tan said, adding that he has now resorted to doing home workouts in his room.

Once his 14-days are up, he is looking forward to eating hawker food such as Hokkien mee, mee siam and kway chup. “Provided the stalls are still open.”

Related topics

hotels Staycation stay-home notice students Covid-19 coronavirus

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