smes

How will they prove that you have pre-paid? Would be very easy to photoshop something together. Some gate agent abroad isn't going to be able to verify the specifics. I also don't see them integrating this into ArriveCAN. Way too complicated.

If you are quarantining and have already done a test I'm not sure what the police are going to do. Maybe give you a ticket? With the three lawsuits that are before the court right now I don't see this lasting very long.

Finkface

But if you are exempt from the hotel jail, then you do not and can not book and prepay. And according to what mapleloaf was told, s/he does not have to prebook a hotel because s/he is exempt and the CBSA officer will review his paperwork on arrival. So how will mapleloaf prove that to the airline before s/he boards? Ergo, I suspect it will not be up to the airline as how would they know if someone was exempt? Take their word for it? Anyone could say that and even believe they are exempt, only for CBSA to deny the exemption. Then what? And if they deny boarding to a truly exempt person? What a cluster.

Plus, if it can only be booked over the phone, what proof does one have?

under2100

Sounds a lot cheaper per person for two. Maybe we should start a "quarantine hotel hosting" thread, like the lounge access ones, so we can synchronize travel and split the cost. For $1000 I can be reasonably sociable with random strangers for three days.

FWIW (I called and asked) my uni says they're in 'discussions' to allow international students to serve their internment camp sentence at one of the residences, (presumably for low or no cost to students). I think if this continues through the fall, there will be some pressure to allow this more widely, otherwise the unis will be in arms over the lost international tuition income as foreign students will choose to go elsewhere.

mapleloaf

Exactly -- total cluster. Hoping for more clarity on the pre-boarding proof before we have to travel. I can't imagine a GA being expected to rule whether an exemption is legitimate or not. So many ways this can go badly.

zrh2yvr

The text on the canadian government website is now (finally) updated. Apparently no link to do booking on your own - have to call Amex Business travel (maybe I can call the platinum desk). Number is as listed above in previous post.

No online booking engine - (no surprise - - this goes with the Ready-Fire-Aim method that the canadians have been doing all year). . . So - now you have to call between 0800-2300 EST (outside of those hours - apparently only for urgent bookings within next 24hrs).

Also - good luck contacting the toll-free number from some parts o the world - they need to provide the +1-416/905 number that anyone could call.

Good luck to everyone . . Price seems to be a bit less than feared but still fairly hefty. Now I wait on hold - hoping to get through.

tracon

Is there a BRG being offered?
If the government is charging $400/night and you can see $100/night on the hotel site, there better be some justification.

smes

HAHAHA Holy ....ing ....! What a cluster-F! My GOD.

All the hotels listed are available to be booked by the general public. They aren't closed down. So what's stopping you from booking via another source? And ordering your own food?

zrh2yvr

Well- Since the Westin in Vancouver is part of a small public company (Wall Financial) we should be reading about the program in their Q report filed after the March quarter. They are a good source for direct info on the market because they are small and you can see through all the details. So - what we want to know (I guess FOI request could get it) is . . . what do the hotels have to pay to GoC? With Westin at 525 and Sheraton at 350 - sounds like Westin is making out pretty good. . . . Anyhow - let's wait until someone posts booking details - I should have mine within 24 hours I hope - I waited 45 mins on hold and phone went dead so I did not get through yet.

under2100

Does anyone know if you can cancel the booking? Say your flight got cancelled or indeed if you wanted to book the hotel before you secured the flight? Do you have to pay the full amount up front, or just a deposit?

Badenoch

What happens? You risk being charged, taken into custody and spending your quarantine in far less appealing accommodations than a down-market airport hotel.

testycal

Anybody with what "take a test at the border" actually means?

At my cost? Government cost? I am aware testing stations were being set up...ie Peace Arch for example may have this in place while Pacific Crossing early March. Take test and wait for result? Be on one's way to home isolation assuming you have a proper place to go? Is it so hard for the government to fill in the details. My god...the people that work for government could never keep a private sector job.

GateGuardian

List of approved hotels so far:

Alberta: Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Acclaim Hotel
Marriot Calgary Airport (Walkable)

British Columbia: Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
Westin Wall Centre Vancouver Airport

Ontario: Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ)
Alt Hotel Pearson Airport (Walkable from Viscount Station)
Four Points by Sheraton
Element Toronto Airport
Holiday Inn Toronto International Airport
Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto International Airport (Walkable)

Quebec: Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Aloft Montreal Airport
Crowne Plaza Montreal Airport
Holiday Inn Express and Suites Montreal Airport
Montreal Airport Marriott In-Terminal (Walkable)

Book your hotel
Hotel stopover bookings are managed by American Express Global Business Travel and available by phone only. To book your mandatory 3-night hotel stopover, call 1-800-294-8253. (I also found this alternative number on reddit: 1-613-830-2992)

You'll be able to choose from the listed hotel locations and be required to provide:

• Traveller name(s)
• Date(s) of birth
• Arrival city and date
• Payment information
• Special requests and accessibility concerns
• Pet information

Travellers will receive email confirmation of their accommodation within 4 hours of booking.

Costs of these hotel stopovers may vary by location. The price will include costs associated with the:

• Food
• Room
• Security
• Transportation
• Infection prevention and control measures

Random data points from this thread and reddit (may be inaccurate):
Vancouver - Westin Wall Centre - $525/night
Toronto - Four Point Sheraton - $309/night
Toronto - Element Toronto - $345/night
Toronto - Sheraton Gateway - $319/night

sydneyracquelle

If these hotels are not 100% dedicated to incoming 3-day gov’t imprisoned travellers and you find your own transportation there, why can’t I just go online and book a regular room at these places, print it out, immediately cancel the booking and show a printout of my reservation and then get a ride/taxi home??

rankourabu

Probably nothing preventing this. But who will chance it.
There are so few people coming in nowadays, most are exempt anyway as essential or fake essential flying for work, and the govt pays for a lot of the prisoners to be put up in these hotels.

Whats left? Probably less than a 100 people a day at each airport that dont qualify for the above. If the numbers remain low, they will probably have the resources to book everyone by phone, track everyone, and cross reference their list. If the numbers were to increase, this would quickly fall apart just like the voluntary at home quarantine scheme tracking and enforcement did.

The real test will be in the spring when the six months starts running out on the snowbirds.

Yul_voyager

How can you print a confirmation if you book by phone... Do you have to give a email address by phone and they scan the confirmation and send it to you ? Or are they mailing it using Canada Post ? Maybe you need to have a fax number ?