southlondonphil

That rather depends on the jurisdiction in which you reside, and therefore if ‘self isolation’ is mandated by a competent government or medical authority on penalty of sanction then it is officially-ordered quarantine under which circumstances one ought to have a valid claim against the type of trip interruption insurance previously cited.

Caveat: I am not a lawyer, although I did work in the insurance industry for a number of years. My opinions are mine own and not based upon any specific legal precedent

TA

What standard of service does the hotel have to support you while you involuntarily stay under lockdown, and what prices they should be allowed to pass on?

If a lockdown were imposed at an Aman hotel, would they still be required to be at your service, waiting on you hand and foot, with 4 staff per guest? If the hotel is the involuntary participant and basically only offering you a room, I would guess that the service would be stripped to its barebones. Could they continue charging you rack rate? If the staff all leave because they can't provide service anyway, should the hotel be only allowed to pass on the cost of its mortgage(?), electricity, and water, since all that the guests "consume" is the rental of a room square footage? Is the hotel allowed to make a profit in such a situation?

hoipolloi

There's no way I'm paying for a hotel stay forced on me. Whoever says we should pay is brainwashed by pro-corporate right wing views and concepts such as "user-payer" and "people who are poor or in trouble are so because they did something to deserve it"

Global Adventurer

This is exactly how I look at this entire quarantine situation. It's mandatory imprisonment. Period. The US government bears the responsibility for insuring the health and safety of the individual imprisoned and held against their will, including life's basics, food, shelter and water.

sbrower

There will be lots of interesting questions. What if people are staying in your AirBNB house? Do they need to pay you for staying extra weeks?

MaxVO

I don't think that AirBnB hosts can force you to stay. If you can cut a deal with the host, then you abide by it. If the premises are seized by the authorities, then it's no longer "AirBnB" - you'll just have to follow the orders.

sbrower

But no hotel is forcing people to stay, either. It is all governmental authority. So if people think you don't need to pay the hotel then they should also think that you don't need to pay the AirBNB owner. My point is that it isn't an easy thing. And a lot of travel insurance won't help - most policies cover when YOU are sick, not when you are on quarantine.

pinniped

I thought the original premise was that the government had issued the order to remain in the hotel. I realize that hotel security does not have the personnel or weapons to enforce their own quarantine. (Or if they do...holy crap... ) But if you attempt to leave and you're met with the business end of an AK47, then it's kind of not a hotel anymore. It's a prison and somebody else can pay to run the prison.

I also don't see AirBnB hosts unilaterally enforcing quarantines. That would be unusual. "Nice place, fast Wifi, great views! Felt the hostage situation was a little over the top. 3 stars."

MaxVO

Apparently Italian gov't can't enforce its quarantine either. Folks from Lombardy are reported to be fleeing south en masse in cars, trains, etc...

Adelphos

If I check into a hotel, and the entire hotel is unexpectedly locked down (i.e. government forces are preventing anyone from leaving) due to an unrelated guest having Covid, chances are I am not paying - you simply walk out of the hotel after the quarantine is finished. If they want to find you and bill you, they can attempt to do so

If you are flying into a country where you have to self quarantine, ideally immigration authorities will inform you of that requirement, and you will likely have to pay for lodging/ If you cannot afford to pay for lodging to self quarantine yourself, you either have to be transported to a hospital or some other kind of public accommodation or put back on a plane to your original country of origin.

This is why international travel at this moment is kind of risky - too many unanticipated costs that may be imposed on the traveler

MSPeconomist

A truly unfortunate situation would be someone using points for an aspirational stay at an extremely expensive resort getting stuck there (local quarantine, entry requirements for next destination, or flight cancelations) and being forced to pay (either in real money or by attempting to buy enough points) for fourteen additional days.

sbrower

Maybe the hotel offers to "check out" anyone who doesn't want to pay and then you stay in the conference room on free cots and food from the government?

Global Adventurer

That's what Israel has done. If upon arrival, you can't prove you have the funds to stay for their mandatory 14 day quarantine at a hotel they refuse your entry to the country and you are basically deported.

Stickboy46

It's simple if you are not allowed to leave, you don't pay. The entity is on the hook for paying is the one requiring the lockdown. The hotel takes it up with the government after it's all over.

If it's on lockdown, they aren't making money from that room whether you stay or not so really it comes down to costs. You minimize costs.. eliminate extra amenities during the lock down if needed. Cut back housekeeping if needed. Cut back free food etc

sbrower

What if you are allowed to leave the hotel, but not leave a six-block radius? So it has nothing to do with the hotel.