Some Families Are Being Forced Into Luxury Hotels For Quarantine- But Some Aren’t So Lucky

Traveling during a pandemic is a gamble.

With mandatory quarantine periods, mask mandates, and countless attractions closed, your vacation is going to look very different from previous years.

That couldn’t be more true than when flying into Singapore where your mandatory 14-day quarantine is at an undisclosed facility where only the government decides the rules.

Joy Van Dee knew taking a trip to Singapore was going to require her to isolate for the first two weeks of her stay, but decided to go anyways with her toddler son.

Traveling 12 hours with a toddler who must wear a mask or you’ll risk being kicked off the plane, as we’ve previously reported on, is no relaxing ride.

But the adventure didn’t stop there.

Upon landing, the 42-year-old interior designer from Amsterdam and her son were told to get onto a shuttle bus that was waiting outside the Singapore airport.

Only the driver would not tell the passengers where they were going!

Much like a prisoner being transferred to a remote government site, so were the weary travelers being shipped to an undisclosed location where their physical contact with the outside world would be cut off.

The worst part?

These brave souls– who chose to visit Singapore despite all the rules and regulations –were forced to foot the $1,600 bill for the secret accommodations.

However, Van Dee feels she hit the quarantine jackpot –her shuttle bus pulled up to the five-star Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore where she’d stay in a 549sq.ft. room with a river view.

“We hit the jackpot,” said Van Dee when she finally saw where the government was taking her, reports the Wall Street Journal.

For having no choice in where you’ll stay, a marble bathroom, big screen television, and meals prepared by renowned culinary experts isn’t a bad setup – especially when you have a toddler to entertain through it all.

Booking a room at the Ritz-Carlton, one of the swankiest hotels in Singapore, would have cost the average person somewhere around $5,850 for a two-week stay, according to Fox News.

Unfortunately, Van Dee was not able to access all the fancy amenities like the golden-lit swimming pool with poolside service or the Ritz-Carlton Spa.

During quarantine, guests are not allowed to leave their rooms at all, housekeeping does not enter, and meals are left outside the door for a no-contact delivery.

But it could be worse.

Half of Singapore’s 67,000 hotel rooms have been designated as quarantine areas, reports Yahoo Lifestyle, and they are not all five-star accommodations.

The Singapore government has used even more extreme measures than just shuttling you to an unknown location for quarantine.

Just like many other countries during a time of fear and uncertainty, the government is taking advantage of the moment by exerting their power and control.

A few months ago, tourists and residents coming into Singapore had to wear tracking devices like animals, as Proud American Traveler has previously reported.

And they aren’t the only country to jump on this bandwagon.

The United Arab Emirates uses tracking devices and has check points set up all over the territory to “catch” those trying to live their lives freely.

So, if Singapore is a must on your travel itinerary,you better hope you don’t get the short straw on your top-secret, government-mandated quarantine destination.

Until the pandemic is over, perhaps consider travelling to a country that actually wants you to visit – like Paris.