Puyat Informs ‘Staycation Hotels’ Of The Importance Of Following Regulations And Protocols

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat reminded “staycation hotels” to follow the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) guidelines and protocols to provide a pleasurable and safe staycation for visitors who are taking a break after months of quarantine.

The tourism chief went to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bonifacio Global City to assess the hotel’s health precautions.

“While we all want to have a little fun with our families, hotel operators must ensure that the health and safety of their visitors and personnel is not jeopardized,” added Puyat.

There are ten star-rated hotels holding the DOT’s certificate of authority to operate (CAO) for staycations as of Tuesday (Oct. 13). 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 are among the hotels on the list.

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

“We’re making progress. The most critical aspect of a staycation is safety. “We want to make sure that when our guests come here, they feel completely safe,” said Hyatt General Manager Gottfried Bogensperger.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) updated its staycation hotel standards to include hotels in general community quarantine (GCQ) regions outside of Metro Manila that have received 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 must be at least four-star,” Puyat said.

Puyat recently signed an administrative order revising the GCQ’s requirements for hotel operations for staycations.

Those with underlying medical issues or who are currently pregnant will not be allowed to enter the lodging establishment, according to Puyat.

Contactless and cashless interactions for taking bookings and payments are also required to promote minimal physical contact between staff and guests. Authorized hotels must create staycation packages that are tailored to the current market demands and conditions.

A staycation is defined as a leisure activity that includes at least one overnight stay in a lodging establishment that is not an obligatory COVID-19 quarantine facility.