by Mark Chesnut
Last updated: 3:45 PM ET, Thu January 28, 2021
The hospitality industry is known for inventing new services and amenities to stay competitive. In today's decidedly different reality brought about by the pandemic, some U.S. hoteliers have found onsite COVID-19 tests a necessity to better serve the needs of guests.
Recently updated CDC guidelines have cast more attention on the need for COVID-19 abroad, to be sure, but for some domestic travelers, testing is just as necessary, since some U.S. states require a negative coronavirus test result for arriving travelers who wish to avoid quarantine; several foreign nations also require tests of travelers originating in the United States.
To make the testing process easier, a variety of hotels around the United States - mostly luxury and boutique-style properties - have begun offering onsite testing for guests. Prices for the tests, which are usually conducted in partnership with local testing facilities and medical providers, vary by hotel.
In Miami Beach, for example, W South Beach is home to a Sollis Health testing center that provides PCR tests for guests, at a cost of $175 with a 24-hour turnaround for results. Guests who are members of Sollis Health, however, can get tested for free. Testing is free at the nearby SLS South Beach for guests who are U.S. citizens with health insurance; otherwise, the cost is $175 for a PCR test (with a turnaround for results of 24 hours or less) and $70 for a rapid antigen test (with results in 15 minutes).
Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa bills itself as the first resort in Palm Beach County to offer onsite testing. The service - which is available three days a week and provides results in 48 hours or less - is free for guests with health insurance and $125 for those without.
In California, Nobu Hotel Palo Alto has partnered with a company called Total Testing Solutions to offer rapid antigen and PCR testing; the cost starts at $500. Santa Monica's Shore Hotel, meanwhile, is home to a COVID-19 testing site that's open to travelers and locals alike, with a cost of $175 for the PCR test (with a 24-hour turnaround) and $125 for the rapid antigen test (with a three- to 10-minute turnaround.) The rapid antibody finger-prick test costs $95 and provides results in five to 10 minutes.
Travelers looking for free testing options in southern California may want to consider the Chateau Marmont Hotel, Cottages and Bungalows in Hollywood, which offers free COVID-19 tests with a 24-hour turnaround. Testing is also free at Pendry Hotels, which has properties in San Diego and Baltimore, as well as new locations opening this year in Chicago, New York City, West Hollywood, California, and Park City, Utah. Guests checking into any of the Pendry properties receive a free, 30-day membership with One Medical, a primary care provider that operates in 12 major U.S. markets; membership includes access to free PCR and rapid antigen testing.
Vacationers in Hawaii don't even need to leave their hotel room to get the test at Sensei Lanai', a Four Seasons Resort, where in-room PCR tests cost $350, with a 48-hour turnaround for results. Ko'a Kea Hotel & Resort, meanwhile, charges $200 for a rapid antigen test, with results in 15 to 20 minutes.
Hotels in destinations with slightly lower profiles on the tourism map seem to be slower at introducing onsite COVID-19 tests. Among the few exceptions is the Galt House, a Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotel in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The property now offers testing by appointment, priced at $85 for both the rapid antigen test (with results in 15 minutes) and the PCR test (with results in 24 to 72 hours).
Leave it to Las Vegas to include COVID-19 testing with a feel-good experience. At the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, guests can combine their test with vitamin and nutrient injections, thanks to a special offer at REVIV, the hotel's IV wellness spa. PCR tests cost $100 and antibody tests cost $40, but guests get a $50 discount if they purchase any IV treatment along with the test.
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