S’pore Residents Can Now Book Hotels for Staycations, Even Those Housing SHN Guests

Mark this day: 3 July 2020.

Today’s the day that some businesses are cheering.

It’s announced today that cinemas can finally reopen come 13 July 2020, which is announced by IMDA.

And today, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) also announced that hotels in Singapore can now apply to resume two activities: providing accommodation to guests for the purpose of leisure, and opening their recreation areas for children.

If that’s not clear enough, it’s this: staycation is finally allowed.

S’pore Residents Can Now Book Hotels Locally for Staycations

About 5 days ago, STB announced the reopening of tourist attractions that can only attract locals now.

It doesn’t take long for them to revive the businesses in another area: hotels.

While some hotels could stay afloat after they were being designated as government-contracted facilities for Covid-19 purposes, the rest of them are merely open to nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Which is why news of hotels closing down isn’t…new or news le.

Hotels must adhere to safe-management measures to reopen to locals, which includes reducing capacity and inter-mingling of hotel visitors in the hotel’s lobby and guest facilities, such as disallowing more than five individuals from different households from gathering in any guest room.

Yes, the five-people rule still applies.

In hotel function areas, they can be open (if not we stayca for what sai) but the hotel must have a system to prevent or disperse crowds, like deploying “safety ambassadors to remind attendees against clustering and loitering in common areas.”

But, if for some reason you’d like to stay in a hotel that also houses people who are on SHN because their #HomeTours have attracted you, you can still do so, though I wonder if staying at home has somehow fried your brain.

For those hotels, there would be additional measures. For example, you’d get to see a notice that tells you that the hotel is also housing COVID-19 related guests. If your middle name is Risk, go ahead and take a selfie with that notice.

Also, these special guests would be housed in a separate individual floor or block. For that, even if your surname is Risk, don’t risk it by heading there lah.