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27 August, 2020

Accommodation Association calls for transparency after Travelodge hotel booted from quarantine program

The Accommodation Association has thrown its support behind Travelodge Hotel Sydney after the property was booted from NSW’s mandatory quarantine program.

The hotel, located in Surry Hills, was the first hotel to be taken off the NSW government’s list of hotels used to house returning travellers for their mandatory two-week quarantine after multiple customer complaints.

According to ABC News, police and state government began receiving complaints about the cleanliness of the property not long after the hotel quarantine program began.

Guests at the hotel complained not only about grimy rooms but also food quality, meals not showing up and security guards not wearing masks.

Many said they felt the hotel profited while they struggled to get the basics, ABC News reported.

However, of the $3,000 that consumers pay for the program, hotels receive an agreed nightly rate of around $120, with the rest used by the government to cover costs of isolation including catering and medical staff, according to the Accommodation Association.

The association said in a statement that there have been no safety breaches that the hotel has been notified of.

“If there has been an issue which resulted in the decision to rotate the hotel out of the isolation program, the hotel needs to know so that it can make sure its frontline team members are safe,” it said.

Accommodation Association CEO Dean Long has called for greater transparency from the government and authorities to assist participating hotels to safely accommodate guests and keep team members safe.

“We are extremely disappointed. The decision was made with no consultation and no transparency,” he said.

“There was no opportunity to remedy the issues, which we are yet to receive formal advice on.”

Long said the association was extremely proud of frontline workers for stepping up during this crisis, and that it strives to protect hotel workers as well as guests.

In a statement from Travelodge, the hotel confirmed that 366 guests were relocated from its hotel to other accommodation.

The property passed a site inspection with police and health authorities on 28 July and said it was not aware of any “subsequent audit”, or any COVID-19 related concerns.

“Travelodge Sydney has strict protocols in place around COVID-19 cleaning and these have not been brought into question by the NSW authorities. All hotel rooms are deep cleaned thoroughly before and after guest use,” it said.

“We respect the decisions that authorities need to make in these times and remain committed to supporting them.”

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Accommodation Association Dean Long hotel quarantine travelodge