Prognosis
Hong Kong’s Abrupt Quarantine End Triggers New Crisis for Hotels
- Ovolo group saw 1,500 cancellations after city axed measure
- Tourists unlikely to fill void until virus curbs further eased
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Hong Kong’s former quarantine hotels are awash with empty rooms, after the city axed its dreaded mandatory isolation rule for arrivals but kept other virus curbs likely to repel inbound tourists.
The Ovolo group’s Southside and Central properties had just four bookings left on Monday after logging some 1,500 quarantine cancellations over the weekend, said Mael Vastine, director of operations in Hong Kong. “Business has been impacted and it will take some time to recover,” he added, noting that neither hotel had taken a new reservation in recent days.