Hotels in search of a shot within the arm amid the coronavirus pandemic are including COVID-19 tests to their list of amenities for guests wanting to receive fast negative results on-site, according to a report.
The tests, which are mostly at the visitor’s expense, are often offered in partnership with local labs or medical firms, according to NBC News.
“If universities, basketball teams, and other large organizations can offer rapid testing, hotels should be able to present this as well,” Robert Rauch, CEO, and chairman of San Diego-based hotel management firm RAR Hospitality informed the network.
Beth Whitman, a frequent flier from the Seattle space, gave a thumbs-up to the trend.
“I might definitely take part in a COVID testing program if it meant that I may travel and achieve this in a fashion that was also protected for the destination — even when I had to pay for the service,” Whitman informed NBC Information.
However, some individuals expressed reservations about mingling with companies who were awaiting to test results.
“I feel it’s a nice concept if the testing is … to have documentation for access to an airplane,” Big Apple resident Francine Cohen informed the outlet. “But when the intent is to reach on the property and get a check to see if it’s safe to remain, then no.”
Among the many properties jumping on the bandwagon is the Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas, where the Reviv wellness spa affords a test with results promised within 24 hours, according to NBC News.
It also affords antibody checks, with discounts for guests who bundle their tests with sure spa treatments.
In Hollywood, the Chateau Marmont Hotel, Cottages and Bungalows provides free tests, with results out there in 24 hours, as part of its facilities.
On the posh Nobu Hotel Palo Alto in California, the company can request a private test administered by a medical professional in full protective gear, according to the report.
And at Sofitel motels at Heathrow and Gatwick airports in London, guests can take self-administered saliva test that is rushed to a lab that delivers results in time for their next-day flights.
Bruce Rosenberg, a chief working officer at the HotelPlanner booking site, advised NBC News that motels that impose testing requirements — or proof of vaccinations — might have a marketing edge.
“It’d boost client confidence and ease the visitor’s thoughts knowing that everybody who stays at that lodge has both the vaccine or a negative test result,” he stated.