Singapore opens quarantine-free hotel and conference centre
Added: (Thu Mar 18 2021)
Singapore has opened a purpose-built “bubble” facility, dubbed Connect@Changi, to support Covid-safe meetings between foreign business travellers and Singapore residents.
Located five minutes from Changi Airport, the venue will initially launch with 150 guest rooms and 40 meeting rooms.
Offering the “test-stay-work-meet” experience for a business trip to Singapore, the quarantine-free hotel and conference centre is the first of its kind worldwide. It also features amenities such as an indoor courtyard and gym pods.
By May, Connect@Changi will expand to about 660 guest rooms and 170 meeting rooms, which can each seat four to 22 attendees and have floor-to-ceiling glass partitions.
As reported previously by Business Traveller, the opening was postponed from January to allow for finishing touches to the facility. The project was developed by a consortium led by Temasek Holdings, which includes Changi Airport and hospitality giant The Ascott.
Robin Hu, Head of International Policy and Governance at Temasek, said:
“Without such a facility, travel options are essentially binary – either stay at home due to travel restrictions, or fly overseas and endure long periods in quarantine.”
“After close to four months of intense, round-the-clock construction and collaboration with our partners, various government agencies, vendors and subcontractors, we are now ready to offer business travellers the option of resuming in-person meetings in a safe and contained manner, and do our part to catalyse economic recovery for Singapore and across the region.”
Room rates start at S$384 (US$289) for a 24-hour stay, which includes three meals, round-trip airport transfers, and mandatory Covid-19 tests.
Submitted by:Angela Lau