Room Mate Hotels is partnering with healthcare professionals from Quirónprevención to help it become the first hotel chain in the world to provide guests with free Covid19 tests.
The pandemic has wreaked havoc across the hotel industry as travellers stay away amid concerns they could catch the virus during their stay, but one Spanish hotel chain has come up with a novel solution to reassure customers. We find out more.
Hotel chain to begin mass testing for coronavirus
Room Mate Hotels will start offering rapid antigen tests with help from Quirónprevención from mid-October. As well as accurately detecting the virus from the moment it’s transmitted, these tests are exceptionally fast – delivering results in just 15 minutes.
Approved by the FDA and Spanish public health services, and having secured CE marking, these tests will be complemented by the use of a Quirónprevención-developed symptom-tracking app. All of this will be made available to hotel employees, or ‘roomies’, as well as guests.
“People always lie at the heart of every single decision we make as a company,” said Kike Sarasola, CEO and founder of Room Mate Hotels. “Right now, our priority is the health of our guests and our roomies. That’s why we have teamed up with Quirónprevención to become the first chain to offer free antigen tests to all of our guests at our hotels in Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States and Turkey.”
Offering travellers greater reassurance during the pandemic
Once the initiative begins, guests will be able to take a test upon arrival at the hotel, anytime between 1pm and 10pm, or by visiting a Quirónprevención clinic near their home; those staying for a longer period will be given a test every three to five days. The service will also be available to clients having events in these properties.
Initially, these tests will be available at the four hotels that the group has open in Spain at present: Room Mate Óscar in Madrid, Room Mate Anna in Barcelona, Room Mate Valeria in Malaga and Room Mate Leo in Granada. The next phase will see this initiative roll out across the rest of the brand’s hotels around the world, along with its beach hotels set to open next summer.
The news follows the gradual reopening of the chain’s hotels. It currently has properties up and running in Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the US and Turkey.
Room Mate is a Spanish boutique hotel brand. Each Room Mate property has a different name – Grace, Carlos, Alicia, Leo, etc – and a different personality.