Puyat reminds ‘Staycation Hotels’ to follow rules, protocols

October 15, 2020

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat issued a reminder to “staycation hotels,” to adhere to the guidelines and protocols set by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and ensure a memorable and safe staycation of guests taking a break from months of quarantine.

The tourism chief inspected the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bonifacio Global City to check the health measures implemented in the hotel.

"While we all long for a little bit of fun with the family, it is the responsibility of hotel operators to make sure that the health and safety of their guests and employees are not compromised,” said Puyat.

As of Tuesday (Oct. 13), there are 10 star-rated hotels with the DOT’s certificate of authority to operate (CAO) for staycation. These are the Grand Hyatt, Makati Shangri-La, Okada, Shangri-La at the Fort, Nobu Hotel COD, Joy Nostalg Hotel and Suites, EDSA Shangri-La, Solaire, Hyatt Regency COD and Nuwa COD.

Presently, there are 28 DOT star-rated hotels in Metro Manila: 16 five-star and 12 four-star.

"We are moving forward. Safety is the most important part of staycation. We want to ensure that our guests are feeling absolutely safe when they come here," Hyatt General Manager Gottfried Bogensperger said.

The DOT amended its guidelines for staycation hotels to include those in general community quarantine (GCQ) areas outside Metro Manila with at least a three-star rating from the DOT.

“To ensure that the staycation quality standards for health and safety protocols are in place, only hotels outside of the National Capital Region (NCR) with at least a three-star rating from the DOT can accept guests for staycation while hotels in Metro Manila should at least be four-star,” Puyat stressed.

Puyat recently signed an administrative order amending the guidelines on the operation of hotels for staycation under GCQ.

“Those with underlying medical conditions, or are currently pregnant will not be permitted to enter the accommodation establishment,” Puyat added.

To promote minimal physical contact between staff and guests, contactless and cashless transactions for taking bookings and payments are also mandatory. Authorized hotels are required to develop staycation packages that are appropriate for the present market demands and conditions.

Staycation refers to leisure activities involving a minimum of an overnight stay in an accommodation establishment that is not utilized as a mandatory COVID-19 quarantine facility.