Soneva, which operates luxury resorts in the Maldives and Thailand, announced mandatory guest testing upon arrival from Q3 2020. (Pictured: Soneva Fushi in the Maldives)
Hotels and resorts have been somewhat slow to adopt Covid-19 testing
protocols for guests, but as the pandemic stretches toward the one-year
mark, the concept of testing as an amenity is starting to gain traction.
Among those that have pioneered the concept of on-property testing
are Spain-based chain Room Mate Hotels, which in September unveiled
plans to make complimentary rapid antigen Covid-19 tests available to
its guests portfolio-wide, and Soneva, which operates luxury resorts in
the Maldives and Thailand and announced mandatory guest testing upon
arrival from Q3 2020.
Such comprehensive on-site guest testing programmes, however, have
generally remained few and far between, with many hospitality players
relying on national, regional or local pre-travel testing mandates—such
as requirements calling for proof of a negative PCR test result within
72 hours of departure—to serve as the guest-testing component of their
Covid-19 safety plans.
But according to Dr Teresa Bartlett, senior medical officer for the
claims management firm Sedgwick, pre-travel testing requirements are far
from foolproof.
"Testing is only good up until the moment you take the test," said
Bartlett. "A person could have contact with a positive individual any
time during the 72 hours and during their travel or even in a cab or
public transportation upon arrival. It would be best if [hotels and
resorts] had testing on-site again when guests arrive to ensure they are
negative."
Bartlett acknowledged that for hospitality operators, introducing
Covid-19 tests as part of the guest experience can be tricky, with
on-site testing policies at risk of being seen as "an invasion of
privacy".
Still, with the widespread rollout of Covid-19 vaccines projected to
take the better part of 2021, a growing number of hospitality operators
appear willing to take that chance, positioning on-property testing as a
competitive advantage.
In early December last year, the W South Beach Miami announced that
it had partnered with New York-based medical concierge group Sollis
Health to offer on-site Covid-19 PCR testing exclusively to guests and
staff.
Under the programmes, W South Beach guests are able to schedule a
test using a QR code available in their room, get tested on the hotel's
ground floor and receive their results within 24 hours.
A meetings room at the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, where Helix operates a testing program for hotels guests that can provide results in 48 hours or less.Another Florida property, the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach
Resort & Spa, has similarly beefed up its Covid-19 response via a
testing partnership with local medical provider Helix Urgent Care.
"As we looked toward the holidays, I began thinking that we should
start doing some on-site Covid-19 testing because most of our guests are
coming in from states that may have travel restrictions for their
return," said Roger Amidon, general manager at the resort.
Launched around Thanksgiving, the Palm Beach property's on-site
testing programmes operates out of a meetings room three days per week,
with guests able to take a nasal swab Covid-19 test and receive results
in 48 hours or less. According to Amidon, Helix Urgent Care accepts most
major insurance. Without insurance, the cost per test is approximately
US$125.
"There is a sense of confidence and comfort that comes with knowing
you can get a test," said Amidon. "And it's convenient. Our guests don't
have to leave the resort, go to some urgent care that they're not
familiar with and wait in line there. They can make an appointment,
maybe the day they check in, they can get a Covid-19 test, and two days
later, before they check out, they have the result."
Amidon added that by outsourcing all testing operations to an
established provider like Helix, the resort is absolved from guest
privacy issues.
"I do not get any test results whatsoever, because of the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act," said Amidon. "Though if
someone does test positive, that guest is obligated to tell us, and
we're hoping that they would."
In addition to being essentially uninvolved in testing logistics, the
resort hasn't had to make any investment to ramp up the programme.
"I've been asked the question, 'How much do they charge you?'" said
Amidon. "But they don't charge me anything. And I'm not charging them.
It's zero investment, zero profitability, but it offers pure convenience
for our guest. It was really easy, and I do wonder when more hotels
will start doing this."
More are certainly on the way.
In mid-December 2020, Marriott International announced that it would
be making a new roster of optional Covid-19 protocols available for
meetings at select Marriott-branded hotels in the US. Set to be
available to planners for meetings and events at Gaylord Hotels and
Resorts properties in Florida, Tennessee, Texas and Colorado this
January, the protocols include Covid-19 testing administered by a
third-party testing provider on-site.
Likewise, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox has said the company plans to
open its own on-site Covid-19 PCR testing lab in Las Vegas, with testing
expected to be required for all employees and any guests planning to
visit a nightclub or attend a show, convention or other event. That lab
is projected to be up and running sometime this month as well.
"Typically, our resort, along with many other hotels throughout the
country, rely on group business," Amidon said. "We're looking to get to
the other side of Q3 and Q4 and have that group business start to come
back in. And anything that is going to give planners a sense of
confidence will be a big help. They're going to want to know that the
people they're putting on the road can get a test, if they need one."
Source: Travel Weekly Asia