Family win 'quarantine lottery' at Singapore Ritz-Carlton

NZ Herald

10 Sep, 2020 08:15 PM3 mins to read

The Ritz: Two weeks in 52-square metre suites, was a pleasant surprise. Photo / Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore

If you're going to spend an enforced 14-day stay with your toddler, it might as well be in a five-star luxury hotel.

Joy Van Dee who arrived in Singapore with her son after a 12 hour flight from Schiphol airport, knowing she would have to spend a two-week quarantine period with her young son. It was something she was dreading.

However, when her shuttle bus stopped outside the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore the small family realised their Covid 19 quarantine period would be served in a luxury hotel.
"We hit the jackpot," Van Dee told The Wall Street Journal, saying that passengers arriving in Singapore are not told which hotel they will be staying.

From her 51-square meter suite with view over the Singapore River and Marina Bay, Van Dee said she had won the "quarantine lottery".

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Reconnect and recharge with a luxurious #staycation at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. With a minimum stay of two nights in our Elevated Kallang room or Premier Suite, enjoy up to SGD 100 hotel credit per stay, to enhance your experience. Check into the esteemed #RitzCarltonSpa for a rejuvenating #spa treatment, or indulge in a sumptuous meal at award-winning #Colony or the one Michelin star #SummerPavilion. bit.ly/2PobNbL

A post shared by The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia SG (@ritzcarltonmilleniasingapore) on Aug 4, 2020 at 9:25pm PDT

Quarantine facilities are randomly assigned by the Singapore Government.

"No one has any choice in where they go and bus drivers shuttling travellers from the airport won't say where they are headed," said Chong Koh Ping of the Journal.

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This exquisite amuse bouche - steamed Alaskan crab meat with black caviar and egg white, sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience at the one Michelin star Summer Pavilion.

A post shared by The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia SG (@ritzcarltonmilleniasingapore) on Sep 4, 2020 at 8:33pm PDT

Singapore introduced a system where inbound travellers must pay $1,600 per traveller towards the cost of their 14-day quarantine period. However, considering starting rates for rooms at the Millenia are normally $672 a night before taxes – Van Dee was not complaining.

There were some alterations to normal Ritz service, from pre covid times. The family were consigned to their rooms, with no housekeeping calls and room service was left outside their door.

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"My favourite journey is looking out the window" - Edward Gorey #bathroomgoals #bathtubgoals #RcMemories #marinabay #staycation

A post shared by The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia SG (@ritzcarltonmilleniasingapore) on Aug 28, 2020 at 9:01pm PDT

Yahoo News reports that over half of Singapore's 67000 hotel rooms have been redesignated as isolation facilities for those arriving in the country or diagnosed with Covid 19.

The Ritz-Carlton is far removed from the experience of many other travellers facing mandatory isolation. In New Zealand there is a similar "lottery" system being operated, reports Isaac Davidson.

"$800-a-night hotels with a sea view, and others are shipped off to a mid-range hotel with basic meals," he told The Spinoff.

Hotels range from $40 backpacker-style hotels to five-star luxury hotels on Auckland's waterfront. Sadly, which hotel or room they are assigned is not up to the travellers.