MIQ hotels prepare for major revamps as managed isolation and quarantine ends for most international arrivals

Wednesday, 2 March 2022

A plane from Sydney touched down in Auckland on February 28, the first of a number of flights from Australia since the need to go through MIQs for vaccinated Kiwis was lifted. (Video first published on February 28, 2022)

Managed isolation and quarantine hotels are preparing for major revamps as MIQ requirements wind down.

Hoteliers are hopeful investing in new carpets, beds, mattresses, linen and soft furnishings will help ensure prospective guests do not shun former MIQ facilities, and some unwanted furniture may be recyled.

Having hosted more than 228,500 overseas arrivals and 3600 community cases, New Zealand’s 32 MIQ hotels are now largely redundant under new isolation rules, with all vaccinated travellers among the 1413 still in MIQ able to leave on Saturday.

Some managed isolation will remain for unvaccinated arrivals and community cases as needed, and although contracts with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) officially run until the end of June, industry sources suggest some will end sooner.

**READ MORE:

Auckland residents were urged to remain vigilant for Covid-19 symptoms after people who completed hotel quarantine at the Pullman Hotel MIQ tested positive for the coronavirus, and the hotel’s ventilation systems were upgraded as a result.

* Covid-19: Border workers should be tested weekly to stamp out outbreaks – study

* Health and wellbeing of 'hero' staff key for MIQ provider in renewing Government contract

* Covid-19: Spotlight on air conditioning in managed isolation hotels

* Covid-19: MIQ processes largely unchanged as expert warns of risk of new strains

Hotels are busy planning revamps for worn MIQ rooms, and some of the old furnishings may be recycled after a thorough clean.

Rydges Auckland general manager Vinicius Belotti said its MIQ contract finishes on April 30 after accommodating more than 10,000 isolating travellers, and the hotel would reopen to the public in stages as it was refurbished, with the first rooms available on May 1.

Sudima Hotels chief operating officer Les Morgan said he had not been told anything at this stage about MIQs closing, but plans for revamps were well advanced for their four MIQ hotels in Auckland, Rotorua and Christchurch, and the cost of that had been included in the room rate they charged the Government.

“The Government has been very clear from day one that there would be no “make good” amount granted to us at the end of the contract, and it was our responsibility to factor that into our price.”

Because of the rigid restrictions imposed on entry to MIQ facilities, Morgan said it has been extremely difficult keeping on top of maintenance with the rooms occupied for longer periods, and some tradespeople were reluctant to take MIQ jobs because of the perceived infection risk.

“Many companies have not wanted to enter the facility, and we understand that.”

Morgan said MIQ staff would be given an extra week off on full pay when hotels ceased MIQ, and then have a week's retraining, so they were ready for going back to face-to-face engagement with guests.

Accor operates nine MIQ hotels, and senior vice president operations for New Zealand, Pacific and French Polynesia, Gillian Millar, said they were still working through the exact dates for their hotels to enter the market, but they would shut down for a full clean and replacement of furnishings where required.

Although bearing the brunt of wear and tear on rooms, MIQ hotels will benefit from being able to keep tax-payer funded improvements to security and air conditioning systems.

MBIE spent $350,000 on the latter to prevent Covid-19 transmission between guests after concerns about that occurring at Auckland’s Pullman hotel.

Wellington’s Bay Plaza quit MIQ a month ago and general manager Shane Evans said when they replaced beds, the old ones were donated to charity as was their practice prior to Covid.

“We were up front about their history and the charity did not seem to mind. All the linen was dumped.

“There was a tremendous amount of waste during IQ operations, by necessity all the meals were served on disposable containers … now we’re trying to return to our normal recycling model.”

Auckland University associate professor of microbiology Simon Swift said Covid-19 transmission was mainly via respiratory droplets, and with respect to surfaces, it was clear that the virus was inactivated within a week of contamination.

“So, I don’t see this being a barrier to recycling or reuse of appropriately disinfected and cleaned MIQ hotel furnishings.

“After all the cleaned and disinfected rooms and furnishings were clearly safe to be used by the next MIQ visitor.”