Quarantine hotel bills rocket to £200 a night

HOTEL quarantine costs are to soar to more than £200 a night, it was revealed last night.

All travellers returning from red list countries – such as Brazil, Turkey and South Africa – must quarantine in a Governmentapproved hotel for 11 nights.

Until now, the cost of staying in a ‘managed quarantine facility’ has stood at £1,750. But yesterday ministers agreed to hike prices by more than 30 per cent to ‘better reflect the increased costs involved’.

From next Thursday, the price will jump to £2,285 for a single person. Additional adults and teenagers will be charged £1,430 – more than double the current £650 rate.

The price for children aged five to 12 will remain at £325, while under-fives will continue to stay for free.

The rise means that, for a family of four with two teenage children, the cost will jump from £3,700 to a staggering £6,575 – a rise of 78 per cent.

Officials said the cost would include transport to the hotel, security and food.

It would also include provision of welfare services and two coronavirus tests which are required by law on days two and eight of quarantine.

Some travellers have complained of ‘prison-like’ conditions in the hotels, with little access to fresh air and poor food. Others have been forced into debt by the crippling costs.

Last month, the Government announced that solo women travellers would be given female guards, following allegations of sexual harassment.

Failure to arrange a quarantine hotel is an offence carrying a £4,000 fine for people returning from a red list country. Offenders still then have to pay for a hotel. Breaking quarantine rules attracts a fine of £10,000.