After months of being confined to home, the little ones are now demanding a vacation during the September school holidays. But with Covid-19 still lurking around in the community, is it really safe to have a family staycation?
While hotels across the world have pulled out all stops to safeguard the health and safety of their guests, many parents still have a whole host of concerns around bringing the little ones out at this point of the pandemic.
With questions such as ‘how am I going to keep my kids from touching the surfaces while they are out?’, ‘are the hotel rooms and amenities thoroughly cleaned before each use?’ and ‘if we’re going to be nervous about this, is going on a staycation now even worth our while?’ running through their minds, can parents still bring their families on a staycation safely without dampening the holiday mood?
READ MORE: We share the best Malaysia staycations for locals
To put your mind at ease, our friends at Expedia have put together 5 important tips to consider while planning for a fun-filled family staycation.
Look for approved hotels
Across the world, most countries are opening up to allow local holidays. With a wide variety of staycation packages now offering perks such as early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfasts, dining credits, attraction tickets, kids’ activities and more, parents can be spoilt for choice with the myriad of choices on offer.
However, before hitting the button to confirm your staycation booking, check if your choice of hotel has been certified by a regulatory body or adheres to a strict standard of cleanliness. In Singapore, this means being an SG-Clean-certified property. Hotels that are certified under the SG Clean scheme have passed through a seven-point checklist to ensure that the necessary healthy screening, safety and hygiene as well as contact tracing measures recommended by the Singapore government are in place to safeguard the health and safety of all guests.
If you’re planning a staycation in Sydney, you can get the cleanest and best hotels in Sydney CBD as it’s the historical and main commercial centre of the city.
Choose a hotel that caters to your children
We all know what a mammoth feat it can be to bring your family out on a holiday while keeping everyone in the brood smiling, engaged and entertained, as the adults enjoy some much-needed downtime. The great thing is many hotels in Singapore understand that too and are going the extra mile to make staycation extra special for you and your tots.
To take the stress of planning a family staycation off your shoulders, choose a hotel that caters to your little ones. From child-friendly beds and amenities, to age-appropriate children’s activities, to glorious pools that are perfect for splashing good times with your little ones, there are plenty of good options to consider that will give you more bang for the buck.
Pack for the family staycation
With the little troops in tow, packing for a getaway – however short or long it may be – can be a daunting task for any parent. Before you feel compelled to pack everything, rest assured that most hotels are able to take care of the sleeping facilities, toiletries, food and drinks for young children.
To help take the load off your luggage, be sure to check the complimentary room amenities the hotel has to offer so you can focus on packing for your little ones’ fun and comfort while leaving the rest in the hands of your hotel team.
READ MORE: ACCOR Singapore shares their best luxury staycation deals to celebrate the reopening
Steer clear of crowded places
With much excitement in the air while on holiday, it is easy to get overly excited and forget the need to observe safe distancing and avoid the crowds. Apart from going on a staycation on off-peak periods such as weekdays instead of weekends, you can also head to hotels that are located at less-crowded parts of the island to have more space for you and your family.
Looking for a large resort or hotels that practice strict capacity limits are also options that you might want to consider.
Pre-book your slots for the hotel amenities
To make full use of your time at the hotel, remember to pre-book the amenities slots as soon as you can upon check-in. With various safe distancing measures in place, hotels have reduced the capacity of their amenities significantly to prevent over-crowding during this period of time. Be sure to check in with the hotel concierge on which are the best timings to go for breakfast without the crowds, visit the pool, or head to the gym, before confirming your booking.
Take advantage of the many deals being offered by hotels looking to restart their industry. Great services like Expedia offer so many options, so you can definitely find the type of staycation you are looking for.
