Looking for hotel in Manila that DOES NOT house quarantined overseas workers.

[Mylilelar1 8]

I have tried numerous Google searches for NON quarantine hotels that do not house overseas workers and all I get is hotels that DO house quarantined workers and others.

My wife takes her COVID test of course before her flight and it made her very nervous at another hotel by the embassy  for her interview that had hundreds of quarantined overseas workers.

Anyone here that has stayed in a hotel that does not have quarantined people required to stay in it would be welcome.

[flicks1998 1,044]

This is the link of all of the hotels that are approved to take quarantine passengers, etc etc.

http://quarantine.doh.gov.ph/facilities-inspected-as-of-december-21-2020/

 

Your best bet is to find a hotel not on this list, but the problem is you will probably find the hotel closed as most hotels are only open for quarantine purposes.  Regular guests are not allowed. You could try Airbnb, however many condo buildings have a minimum stay requirement of 3 or 6 months, and others that do not will require a COVID test (PCR) before check-in.  You will need to coordinated with the owners or owners rep for steps required for check-in.  Do not book until you get the exact instructions from the property contact as they vary widely. 

 

My personal opinion having stayed in a quarantine hotel and gone through the process as well as staying in Airbnb's not used as a quarantine facility, it is much safer in a quarantine hotel.  Quarantine hotels have strict protocols from the moment you step up to the front door (temp check, shoe disinfectant (no purposes to it), mask and face shield required in lobby, etc).  Quarantine hotels do not allow anyone to step out of their door for the length of the quarantine.  Also, the new quarantine procedure is after 5 days stuck in the room, a person does the PCR test and if negative, they are free to leave under very strict home quarantine.

 

Non quarantine places there tend to be temperature checks, masks are required but many times loosely enforced, etc etc.  I have switched to a different Airbnb until the date I leave for the US and I can tell you, NOBODY wears a mask, either around the condo, in the condo gym, the restaurant, anywhere.  

[Jordan & Jenet 48]

Just book her an AirBNB there is several close by that you can look at. I stayed in the Shell condos in December without any issues.

 

Jordan

[flicks1998 1,044]

52 minutes ago, Jordan & Jenet said:

Just book her an AirBNB there is several close by that you can look at. I stayed in the Shell condos in December without any issues.

 

Jordan

Shell is an SMDC property so all SMDC properties should have the same rules.  I wouldnt just book an Airbnb without communicating with the owner or owners rep to understand any protocols in place.  I had contacted 5-6 owners before I found one that only required a PCR test, the rest of them the developers had rules in place of minimum booking periods of 3 or 6 months, PCR tests, health forms, travel passes etc.  Manila is still in GCQ so the same rules should still apply. 

 

If Shell gave no problems, the OP should just find a property there and book and not mess around with it.  

[Allovertheworld 355]

9 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

Shell is an SMDC property so all SMDC properties should have the same rules.  I wouldnt just book an Airbnb without communicating with the owner or owners rep to understand any protocols in place.  I had contacted 5-6 owners before I found one that only required a PCR test, the rest of them the developers had rules in place of minimum booking periods of 3 or 6 months, PCR tests, health forms, travel passes etc.  Manila is still in GCQ so the same rules should still apply. 

 

If Shell gave no problems, the OP should just find a property there and book and not mess around with it.  

Are you actully in Philippines at the moment?  If so are you in the Manila area?

[flicks1998 1,044]

2 hours ago, Allovertheworld said:

Are you actully in Philippines at the moment?  If so are you in the Manila area?

Yes until Feb 19th but hoping to get out of here before then.   Its time

[Allovertheworld 355]

3 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

Yes until Feb 19th but hoping to get out of here before then.   Its time

So what's it like there?

 

Most bars and clubs shut down?

 

Buses? Trains? MRT? Taxi? Grab? are they still going full force or they limited?

 

I guess some hotels have closed there doors?

 

Overall is Manila shutdown?

[flicks1998 1,044]

1 minute ago, Allovertheworld said:

So what's it like there?

 

Most bars and clubs shut down?

 

Buses? Trains? MRT? Taxi? Grab? are they still going full force or they limited?

 

I guess some hotels have closed there doors?

 

Overall is Manila shutdown?

Some bar and clubs have closed permanently, while other bars are open but they close around 11pm or so.  Clubs I have no idea about but I would imagine those are closed.

 

When I first got back here at end of November, it was really hard to find a bus along Edsa.  There were a few but they were running very specific routes.  Now, there are more buses within Manila and the inter-city and inter-province buses have started back up but on a limited basis.  In fact for Victoryliner, you need to book 2 days in advance online and its very limited routes as well.  To stay afloat, Victoryliner has moved more into the shipping business and using the buses to move things between provinces.  The terminals are empty of people but very busy with packages etc.  MRT is open but social distancing is required.  They are quite strict.  A temperature check is done before entering the station, a health form need to be completed when going through security and there are very strict lines and boarding procedures to get on the trains.  There are also pieces of plastic separating the seats on the train.  

 

Grab is pretty normal.  Just have a plastic barrier between the front and back seat.

 

Hotels should be open for quarantine purposes only but there are some taking other guests.  There are no tourists here at all.  Only long timers and people with families and spouses.  The problem now with alot of long term stayers is they have reached the 3 year maximum on extensions of their 9a and now are really screwed as BI has not given any guidance.  It appears most are taking the overstay route and hoping for the best.

 

Alot of hotels are shut down but its hard to tell if its permanent or just temporary.  That wont be known until later this year.

 

Traffic is still awful in Manila.  The malls are a bit less crowded during the week but they are quite busy on weekends.  Closing time for businesses is earlier as well, I think some malls are closing at 7 or 8pm, many 7-11s close around 10pm or 11pm and only a few are 24/7.  Since there is technically a curfew, its pretty quiet at night.  Nothing like it used to be.  However if you get onto Edsa, you would never know there was a pandemic or economy shrinking worse than any time since WWII.  I had to get out of the city center so we are on the outskirts of Manila which is much better, but mask wearing etc is 50% at best, some places no one wears one.  

 

The BPO/Call Centers are booming, no slowdown in hiring etc but hotels, airlines, restaurants, etc are taking a beating, similar to the rest of the world.  

[Jordan & Jenet 48]

So what the shell condo owner did was present me as a "Friend" staying with her, Brought me up to the room after signing the guest sign in book and gave me the keys and left. Was easy peasy. But she also messaged me later and said they are accepting short term reservations now so maybe that is not necessary.

 

Jordan