[COVID Travel] Hong Kong Quarantine - 14 Days in Penta Hotel - What You Need To Know

Two weeks of solitary confinement. No fresh air. No human interaction. 

It' not a prison drama, but it is the new normal for international travellers going through mandated hotel quarantine. 

In this article, I will share my comprehensive review of my recent quarantine experience in Hong Kong Penta Hotel. All your questions will be answered:

Who arranges the quarantine? How much is the quarantine accommodation? How will I be monitored for COVID-19? How will I be monitored for leaving my room? What's the food like? Are visitors allowed? Can my friends and families deliver stuff to me? etc.

You will find a jackpot section at the end of the article which includes a comparison between Hong Kong Quarantine and Australia Quarantine. I also tipped on what to pack for a hotel quarantine.
Hope you will be better prepared and feel that quarantine is more tolerable after reading this!

I stayed in a standard plus room with twin beds and a work area.

Apparently it is more spacious than the standard one. 

Each room is provided with a rack outside to put food/deliveries and rubbish/used towels.  

A few extra sets of bathroom amenities are prepared on arrival.

I like how toilet cleaner is provided too.

Just a whole bunch of warnings on leaving the room...

I was on the 31/F and I got a pretty good view of the surrounding high-rise.

I do miss this view of concrete jungle.

Who arranges the quarantine?

You need to make your own arrangement. Currently the HK government provides 36 hotels as designated quarantine hotels. Refer to this website for the full list:

https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/designated-hotel.html

That said, you need to check the hotels on the list one by one for availability. Their online booking system is very updated, so you don’t need to call the hotel. From my experience, these hotels are VERY full. It would be best to book 2-3 months in advance. If your trip is last minute, you really need to try your luck – and this is exactly my case. 

I started planning my quarantine stay only one week beforehand. There were only two rooms left from all the 36 hotels – no kidding! One is a president suite at Regal Airport Hotel which is HKD10k per night (Holy Moly!). The other is an executive suite at Sheraton for HKD2k per night. I was ready to book the Sheraton one but constantly monitored the status of the other hotels. At the end I was super lucky to find a cancellation from Penta Hotel the day before my departure flight and I immediately locked that in. I was so relieved, and that feeling is better than winning a lottery.  

How much is the quarantine accommodation?

Depends on the hotel you booked. Penta Hotel is a medium-priced hotel from the list. Below is their package and I paid HKD800 per night for a more premium package with better food. 

How will I be monitored for COVID-19?

There will be one deep throat saliva sample collection on day 4 and two nasal and throat swabs test on day 9 and day 12. Officials from Department of Health will knock on your door and conduct the test at the door. Test results will be sent to you via SMS. 

You will also be asked to self-monitor by measuring body temperature twice a day using the thermometer provided and recording on the logbook provided. No one really checked the logbook at check-out though, but I think it’s still good to do this to keep track of the dates. 

How will I be monitored for leaving my room?

You will be given a wristband on arrival at the airport and wear it at all time (include showering and sleeping) until check-out of the quarantine. You are required to download StayHomeSafe App and turn on Bluetooth and GPS during the whole stay.

Food

Three meals per day is included in the quarantine package, and depending on the hotel, you might have the option to choose from a menu. You can also order takeaway at your own costs. I can’t order bottled wine or coffee from Penta Hotel which is disappointing. 

Food from Penta Plus Quarantine Package is actually pretty good. The first row is breakfast, second is lunch and third is dinner. There are 4 options for breakfast and 16 options (8 Asian/8 Western) for lunch/dinner. All meals come with drinks, while lunch comes with daily soup (Chinese/Western) and dinner comes with fruit. 

Delivery

Friends/families can deliver care package/food within designated time. They will be asked to leave the package to the hotel staff at reception and the staff will make the delivery to your room. There are not many restrictions on what you can deliver except only one bottled wine per day is allowed for safety reason. 

Laundry

Laundry is not included in the quarantine package. You can either pay for hotel laundry service or hand wash your own clothes.

It would be wise to pack a pegless travel clothesline and detergent.

Linens & Towels

Housekeeping service will not be provided (as no one is allowed to enter your room). A few sets of clean linens and towels are prepared at your room. I am sure you can ask for more if these still run out.

Workout

No workout gear hiring service. Either bring the essentials with you or ask your friends/families to deliver. 

Post Quarantine

You need to do two more COVID tests on day 16 and day 19 at a community centre. They are free of charge with the quarantine order which you will receive on arrival at the airport. You do not need to self-isolate after hotel quarantine.

Environmentally Friendly

Not at all. I don’t think they will recycle any of the used water bottles or the unused plastic cutlery which comes with every meal. I should have told the hotel staff that I brought my own cutlery and stopped giving me the plastic one.   

JACKPOT!

Here comes the bonus section...

Hong Kong Quarantine VS Australia Quarantine

	Hong Kong Penta Hotel	Australia (Queensland) Rydges Fortitude Valley
Who arranges the stay?	By yourself	By the government
Who arranges transport from airport to hotel?	By the government	By the government
Who arranges transport from hotel to home/post quarantine stay?	By yourself	By yourself
What’s the duration?	Depends on your departure country	14 days
How much?	Depends on the hotel you booked	Standard fee set by the government
Payment method?	Pay upfront	Pay after quarantine upon receiving an invoice from the government
How will I be monitored for COVID-19?	Self-monitor by measuring body temperature twice a day using the thermometer provided & recording on the logbook provided	Routine telephone call (either to your personal mobile/hotel room landline) to check if you have developed COVID symptoms – occur around day 3, day 8 and day 12
How many COVID tests during the stay?	1 deep throat saliva sample collection (day 4) & 2 nasal and throat swabs (day 9 and day 12)	3 nasal and throat swabs – day 1, day 5 and day 12
How will I be monitored for leaving my room?	Wristband + StayHomeSafe App + asked to turn on Bluetooth & GPS during the whole stay	CCTV at the corridor which is monitored by the police 24/7
How many community COVID tests after the stay?	2	1
Do I need to self-isolate after hotel quarantine?	No	Yes
Is food included?	Yes	Yes
Is there a menu to choose your daily meals from?	Yes	No
Can I order takeaway?	Yes, at your own costs	Yes, at your own costs
Is laundry included?	No	Yes
Can I hire workout gear?	No	Yes, at your own costs
Can my family/friends deliver things to me?	Yes, on a non-contact basis	Yes, on a non-contact basis
Housekeeping service?	No	No
Can hotel staff enter my room?	No	No
Can I use the common facilities in the hotel? (eg: gym/pool)	No	No
Is it environmentally friendly?	No	Yes

You can read more about my Australia quarantine experiences from my other post: Link

What to pack for a hotel quarantine?

• Masks/sanitizer/wet wipes – even though you are stuck at the hotel room on your own, it’s still wise to maintain hygiene. After all, you are still trapped in a quarantine hotel with travelers from around the world. Also, you need to wear a mask before opening the hotel room door to collect food/other deliveries.
• Vitamin C – keep your body strong when you are having a different diet and lacking sunlight and daily exercises. Don’t forget about all the COVID tests you need to do during the stay!
• Yoga Mat/resistance bands/other workout essentials
• Cutlery & dishwashing liquid – so you don’t need to use the plastic cutlery. It’s also environmentally friendly in this way.
• Pegless travel clothesline & detergent – if laundry is not included in your quarantine bill, at least you can hand wash your undies and save some bucks from paying hotel laundry services.
• Masks/face moisturizer/body cream – lifesaver for your dehydrated skin in an air-conditioned room.  
• Room Spray – when you work out, eat three meals per day and do all the other atypical things in the hotel room, it could really stink up the place. A room spray of your favourite scent would be handy to refresh the air and make you feel more comfortable.
• HDMI Cable/Chromecast – for you to binge watch your favourite Netflix show on the hotel room TV instead of your laptop/tablet/phone.
• Portable speaker – so you can play your jam all day long.