Before Booking That Beach Escape, Make Sure Your Resort Checks Off This Safety List First
Feb 16, 2021 • Kyzia Maramara
Got beach plans in the works? Summer is just around the corner and a quick escapade with friends or fam might do your community quarantined soul some good. The majority of beaches and tourist destinations in the country have opened up but not without implementing some strict health protocols. So if you’re planning on hitting the beach soon for that safe beach staycation, you should be ready for some heavy social distancing (as it should be). But it’s all good. After all, if we’re living in a country blessed with the most gorgeous stretches of sand and blue sea, we’re missing out on a lot if we stay home.
For your next beach escapade location, make sure the resort you’ll be staying at follows these health protocols. It’s the key to having the best time in the middle of a pandemic. As long as your chosen accommodation ticks these items off, you know you’re in good hands.
A contactless process
Via 8List.ph
Contactless transactions — whether for money or processing info — are the future. It takes some time to get used to, especially for the elderly population, but it will be a breeze once everyone gets the hang of it.
Look for a resort where you have the option to scan QR codes for a smoother pre-departure registration and contactless travel document processing. It also helps if restaurants you plan on visiting have QR codes you can scan for the menu to limit interaction with the staff. Lastly, check they’ve got online payment options so you won’t have to dig for cash.
Transportation that minimizes contact
Via 8List.ph
If you don’t have a private car (or if you’re traveling to somewhere that’s a plane ride away), look for transportation that makes travel as safe as possible. Thankfully, local airlines like Cebu Pacific make this easier with their contactless process. This means that the entire crew is outfitted in PPEs and passengers check themselves into their flight and tag their own luggage. Cebu Pacific’s staff also make sure that everyone boards and deplanes properly to avoid crowding. The airline has even started offering CEB TravelSure COVID Protect, which is insurance specifically for the coronavirus. This covers up to Php1 million in COVID-related hospitalization and medical expenses.
And of course, a resort with a shuttle service is a godsend. It minimizes your contact with strangers and ensures your safety to and from the resort. Bohol’s Amorita Resort, for example, has an efficient and well-coordinated shuttle service from the airport to the resort. The hassle-free experience adds to the truly relaxing vacation.
Sanitation stations galore
Via 8List.ph
It’s a protocol to have hand sanitizers, alcohol sprays, and even disinfecting mats at the entrance and front desks of every establishment. These have become important basic necessities and if an establishment doesn’t provide them, that’s a red flag right there. Before you book that resort, inquire if they have sanitation stations strategically placed around the area. It’ll help with your peace of mind and let you know if the resort actually has their customer’s safety in mind.
They’ve got travel/tourism bubbles
Via 8List.ph
While travel restrictions have been loosened, that doesn’t mean we’re totally free to do anything like it’s pre-pandemic. The beauty of a travel or tourism bubble is that it keeps everyone safe in their own, well, bubble. For example, if you book a resort in Panglao, Bohol, a tourism bubble means you can only go around the resorts within the area. This is to ensure the safety of tourists, as well as the locals.
They have meticulously disinfected rooms
Via 8List.ph
One of the major things that held people back from booking resort and hotel rooms mid-pandemic is the fact that strangers used them before. But if you’re staying at an establishment that values customer safety, you won’t have to worry. Bohol’s beautiful Amorita Resort has a cleaning crew that takes 24 hours to fully disinfect each room before guest occupancy. Even the tiniest corners are meticulously cleaned so you’ll feel safe and have that worry-free vacay you deserve.
Staff and guests’ strictly adhere to health and safety protocols
Via 8List.ph
You wouldn’t want to ruin your vacation because of strangers who aren’t as careful as you, right? Make sure the resort or hotel you’re planning to stay at implements a strict safety protocol. Staff must be wearing face masks and face shields at all times and must encourage guests in common areas to do the same. We’re here to have fun but we’re also here to do that in a safe space.
Awesome outdoor amenities
Via 8List.ph
Since you’re there for a safe beach staycation, you’d naturally want to go outside and actually experience the great outdoors. Expect a great resort to implement social distancing in common areas and look the rules up in advance. There are some even who let guests schedule pool visits for minimal contact with other people during swimming time. At the beach, the resort should have marshalls in place to remind people about physical distancing.
Authentic local delicacies on the menu
Via 8List.ph
You’re on a vacation but you can’t really move around as much as you’d like (travel bubbles, remember?) so you should look for a resort with a great restaurant. Bohol’s Amorita Resort serves local authentic delicacies in their restaurant so you can still go on a gastronomical adventure while staying within the vicinity. You can even opt to dine al fresco if you don’t feel safe taking off your mask indoors.
Keep these in mind the next time you plan on booking your next safe beach staycation. Sure, we’re free to travel for leisure, and at this rate, if we can, it’s a huge privilege, but we also have the responsibility to keep ourselves and everyone around us safe.
Planning to fly to a beach destination soon? Check out what Cebu Pacific is doing to make flying safer!
To learn more about Amorita Resort, visit their official website.
