Staycation in Manila isn’t such a novel concept as it used to be. No matter where you’re from in the Philippine capital, if you have the resources and want to get away from your usual routine, all you have to do is book a room in any hotel in Metro Manila — there’s plenty of them at your disposal!
But now, it’s a little different. Among many other things, you have to make sure that these Manila hotels for staycation are accredited to operate in the new normal. We’re still in a pandemic, after all. The Department of Tourism (DOT), headed by Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, has also made it clear that quarantine hotels aren’t to be used for staycations, or these properties could face grave penalties.
Also read: From Manila to Taguig — Here’s How You Can Prepare for Your COVID-19 Vaccination in NCR
Hotels designated for staycation in Manila
As of January 2021, only 14 hotels in the National Capital Region are allowed to accept leisure guests. They are:
- Grand Hyatt Hotel
- Makati Shangri-La Hotel
- Okada Manila Hotel
- Shangri-La at the Fort
- Nobu Hotel
- Joy Nostalg Hotel and Suites Manila
- EDSA Shangri-La Manila
- Solaire Resort, Hyatt Regency City of Dreams
- Nuwa Hotel City of Dreams
- The Peninsula Manila
- Aruga by Rockwell
- Sheraton Manila Hotel
- Hilton Manila
- Hotel Okura Manila
To operate as an accredited accommodation establishment or staycation hotel in Metro Manila, a property should first apply for a Certificate of Authority to Operate as Staycation (CAOS) hotel. In the process, the hotel would undergo “rigid inspection” to ensure that it is properly implementing COVID-19 safety measures.
DOT has further pointed out that being a government-accredited hotel does not automatically entitle one to accept leisure guests at this time. In addition, hotels do not need to be four- or five-star-rated in order to qualify for accreditation.
“Our guidelines explicitly prohibit the use of quarantine hotels for staycation purposes and vice-versa,” stated Romulo-Puyat. “We all are hard at work setting the environment to restore businesses and bring back job and livelihood opportunities to benefit our people who rely on tourism.”
Know more about staycation in Manila and other Philippine hotel protocols amid the pandemic on our COVID-19 travel advisory.
Featured image credit: Grand Hyatt Manila | Official website
