A few hotels in Delhi’s Aerocity are rendering quarantine facilities. While some remain unavailable to comment, Shwetank Singh, Vice President — Development and Asset Management, InterGlobe Hotels who are giving quarantine facility at ibis Aerocity explains how the entire process works.
Anupriya Bishnoi
Can you tell us more about the quarantine facility at your hotel?
At ibis Delhi Aerocity we are providing full support and assistance to the government in their efforts to control the situation. At present, we have reserved 149 rooms across three dedicated floors for guests who have been instructed by authorities to undergo a self-quarantine process after returning from abroad.
We remain committed to continuing this facility till this pandemic is managed and we are informed that the state and private healthcare facilities can handle the situation and take it forward. Given the multiple lockdowns, all the hotels are currently functioning with minimum staffing. Having said that, the safety and well-being of our staff and guests is our priority and we are following stringent hygiene procedures as per government directives to ensure that the facilities are managed well.
What are the charges per room and is government paying for this facility?
The charges are being paid by the guests or individuals availing the quarantine facility at the hotel. The government has not made any specific announcement with regards to any benefits yet. However, any relief measures can wait as our focus currently remains on ensuring that maximum number of people can benefit from our facilities.
The charges for this facility are INR 3,100 + taxes per day. This includes three meals, tea, coffee, and two bottles of mineral water every day along with the other hotel facilities such as Wi-Fi services and TV. Additionally, the hotels will also be making sure that the laundry of the guests who are quarantining is not mixed with other guests.
Will you extend this to other hotels as well?
Currently this facility is only operating at ibis Aerocity. Although, if there is a requirement or a government advisory or an appeal for any region, we would be happy to consider extending this service to other hotels as well. The reason why we have not made any such decision until now is because setting up such facilities requires approvals from the government authorities where there must be a certain volume of people who need help on the basis of an appeal from the government. We are monitoring this situation very carefully and ensuring that all the necessary steps are taken with a quick turnaround time.
How are you taking care of the laundry and food services since this service requires special attention? How is sanitisation being taken care of?
Owing to the ongoing lockdown, our goal is to minimise the wastage and excess preparation of dishes. As a result, we have discontinued all three buffet slots in all hotels until further notice as the occupancies and the requirement of a buffet is low. Considering the decline in the amount of occupancies, the concerned guests can directly order a-la-carte to their rooms. During breakfast hours, a menu is provided from which the guests can order accordingly. While the dishes are prepared and served fresh, this would help us control costs and avoid wastage in these crucial times.
That being said, all General Managers and Operation Teams are working together to ensure that preparation is done judiciously. With regards to sanitisation, we are making sure that our hotels are being sanitised every two hours and all hygiene standards are being followed as per the guidelines. In addition, all our raw materials for food and beverages are properly sanitised and washed before being prepared.
