In late January the US added a pre-travel testing requirement for all arriving international travelers. Hotels outside the US have been trying to adapt to this, given that it’s a potential complication for international travel. Well, Marriott has just introduced a (somewhat) coordinated testing procedure for the Caribbean and Mexico.
Continue reading: Marriott Adds Free Coronavirus Testing At Select Caribbean & Mexico Resorts
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
It would be nice if they provided a free Covid test for places that require it for coming. (Looking at you Hawaii)
Regarding testing at Marriott Stellaris Resort and Casino in Aruba - can the author provide details on when this went into effect? I just returned on Feb 14 and at that time there was no free testing offered. Also, with respect to discounts for extending stays due to not getting results in time, or testing positive....if a traveler tests positive, in Aruba you are not allowed to stay at your original hotel. You are taken to a quarantine location. I'm quite sure the same rules apply to most, if not all, other vacation destinations.
@Angie Zwicker I would be interested in learning what the rules are for various countries regarding where one is required to stay when quarantined. Do you have a source for this for Aruba? For other countries? In Aruba, what is the quarantine facility like?
surprised westin lagunamar is not included
AA flight attendents stay at the Cancun Casamanga Marriot often
I've been through the testing at the JW Marriott in Cancun, which is the same site as the regular Marriott. It was a huge relief to not have to figure out testing. I can't emphasize enough how grateful I am for the testing program. But, the process is not smooth and you need to prepare for it.
They contract with a pharmacy for testing and the online system necessary for the process was up and down constantly. I had to wait 3hrs for the system to come online on my test day. One woman waiting with me hadn't been able to get tested the previous two days due to the system being offline, and was leaving for her flight in two hours.
My advice is to sign up for testing as soon as your arrive, for the earliest day possible. Only plan to be at the hotel on testing day - don't make plans to leave. Make sure your kids are well fed and have entertainment when you leave in case your wait is hours. Just be prepared for things to be a bit bumpy.
Someone needs to get this stupid testing requirement dropped! If you’re cowardly enough to believe in this time wasting garbage then just stay home.
@guflyer Aruba has very specific protocols for dealing with COVID-19. All arriving visitors must present a negative PCR test (administered within 72 hours of travel to the island, or test upon arrival at the airport and quarantining at their booked accommodation until results are received). If a visitor tests positive (either upon arrival or departure), they are taken to an undisclosed quarantine location for a minimum of 10 days. All visitors are required to purchase special COVID insurance coverage from the island, which covers accommodations and medical care (up to $75k) if one should become ill. The quarantine facility is not a single facility. The government has contracted with local property owners to lease out their vacation properties for this purpose. Anyone going into quarantine is bound by a confidentiality agreement (which is rumored to include no social media posting). There is little published info on quarantining. What is available can be found here: https://www.aruba.com/us/traveler-health-requirements#symptoms