Woman Details 14-Day SHN in Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa Resort & How 400 People There Became Friends

By
Shawn Ambrose
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Last Updated on 2020-04-25 , 2:31 pm

Imagine you’re about to board a flight back home, and your government announces that you’ll have to be quarantined for two weeks when you get back.

That’s what happened to Andrea Goh, a Singaporean who was informed of the new quarantine rule a day before she left London to return to Singapore.

At that time, only travellers from the US or UK had to be in quarantine upon their return.

Yes, it was a simpler time, where the number of new cases a day didn’t breach a thousand and a “circuit breaker” was just an electrical switch you turned on in your house.

Image: Singapore Plumbing Works

Stayed At Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa

But it wasn’t all bad news for Andrea. At first, she thought she might be stuck in “army barracks or bunk bed situations”.

Her fears were not irrational, as I can still hear sergeants shouting the distance and smell the faint aroma of Febreeze in the nights. 

No, instead, she was put up in a room at this magical place:

Image: YouTube

Yes, that five-star beachfront resort on Sentosa Island in Singapore. The majestic hotel has six restaurants and bars, a landscape garden, pool, and spa, and normally costs around $250 for a standard room per night.

Andrea must have spent a bomb, right? Oh no, it was absolutely free as all the expenses were absorbed by the gahmen. 

Image: Giphy

Reader: That’s so unfair. What is the gahmen doing for me?

Didn’t they give you $600 recently?

Reader: Well, yes they did.

And didn’t they give you another $500 as part of the temporary relief fund?

Reader: OK FINE, yes they did. Sorry, gahmen.

And, as Andrea explained, while the hotels may not make anything, it’s good news for the employees.

“…what I’ve heard is the hotels don’t make anything. They are just covering the cost of maintaining the property”, she said.

The government just pays for food and labour, which is usually paid hourly. In this way, it has created jobs, Andrea said.

Vlogged Her Experience

According to Insider, many of Andrea’s friends were curious as to what her stay at such a luxurious hotel would be like.

So Goh decided to answer them all at once by vlogging the duration of her stay.

Her vlog started from Heathrow Airport, after which she uploaded a video every day to show her friends what her stay was like.

She also wanted to provide information to anyone who was coming back to Singapore unsure of what to expect, reported Insider.

Andrea felt pretty lucky, as not many undergoing the mandatory two-week quarantine would have been given such fancy accommodation.

She even had a room with a balcony facing the South China Sea, had $20 of free laundry service a day, and was given meals catered by the Shangri-La chefs.

The illusion of a vacation was broken anytime she received a text from immigration control, however, as they would text those under quarantine every day and ask them to share their location.

The hotel also had surveillance on every corridor to make sure nobody was wandering around.

Formed a Community With 400 Other Residents

Andrea wasn’t the only lucky one, though, as 400 other people were placed in the Shangri-La hotel for quarantine when they landed back in the country.

Andrea said that although she never saw a lot of the other residents except for her direct neighbours, all the residents and hotel staff became a community thanks to a Facebook group they were all invited to.

“It was so funny to engage with people I had never seen face to face before”, she said.

Everyone could chat with each other and set up Zoom calls, take part in “happy hours,” and give the hotel some feedback, according to Insider.

The hotel even set up special classes, presumably online, where chefs showed them how to cook pizzas and Madeleines, while the housekeepers demonstrated how to make animal shapes out of the towels.

Reader: Damn. Is there a voluntary quarantine programme?

Yes, it’s called the circuit breaker and everyone can be a part of it.

Reader: Touche.

To show their support for healthcare workers, many residents went out on their balconies at 8pm to clap. One played the violin and another played the Chinese flute.

Goh also spoke about the recent explosion of coronavirus cases among workers in dormitories, and hoped that it would bring awareness to the many foreign construction workers from Bangladesh, China, and India who are living in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

She compared her situation to theirs, saying those coming back to Singapore from abroad are usually put up and made comfortable in hotels, while foreign workers are living in tight conditions ideal for the spread of Covid-19.

She certainly has a point.

Sad Goodbye

While many would have torn at least half their hair out after two weeks alone in a room, Andrea said it was a sad goodbye for her when her quarantine ended because of all the friends she made.

“I was quite sad leaving because I started to become very comfortable with the living situation,” she said. “Even though I was on my own I never felt completely alone.”

Well, if I were living in a five-star hotel with free food I’d get pretty comfortable too, so I understand.

She said some of them have made a plan to go back to the hotel one day when the Covid-19 pandemic is over, and all stay in the same rooms they were assigned to during the quarantine.

Gahmen: Eh, we are not paying for that one also, ok?

But in the end, there’s nothing like home.

“It was the start of the circuit breaker for all households in Singapore so we went from one quarantine to another quarantine,” she said. “But at least there were other people around. And nothing beats your own bed. And your own toilet.”

Yes, even if you’re staying at a five-star beachfront resort, there’s nothing quite like pooping in your own toilet.

Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]