Covid Isolation Hotel Nightmare

[Suppermumzy]

Stuck in this London Isolation Hotel...food is terrible...if you are lucky to go out for exercise you are hurriedly sent back in as there is always a list waiting to go out and use the outdoor space which can safely have 4 people in at a time..i will add photos of food. Cost for 11 days £2285.

I asked today "Would they stop me if I wanted to leave?" Answer No..but you will be reported as an absconder and may face a £10,000 fine....Surely this is not voluntary nor is it fair...who is monitoring this system..we seam to be a forgotten minority rotting away behind fences..

I am coming back from Africa to bury my 99 year old father who died 1/08....and I couldn't have not gone...I had to see him through....Surely this is not voluntary imprisonment as without the hotel booking reference you are not allowed on your flight at the departure airport...

AIBU to feel aggrieved by the system..when i left England the hotel fee was £1750...when I went to book it had gone up £500....NHS nurse looked after British public throughout the Pandemic but I feel that I am incapacitated to look after my own..including my young kids...

[quote PurpleVerbena]@DontDrinkDontSmokeWhatDoIDo - it means no chinese, no indian, no thai, no japanese, no italian - just normal 'English' food, such as roasts, cottage pie, fish pie, grilled fish, lots of puddings, scones, crumpets, etc.[/quote]
I don’t eat any of that , should I send my British passport back?

I am so sorry this is happening to you.

My brother in law had to isolate at a hotel at Heathrow. He had delicious food but the problem was that it was Indian food for all three meals and not being used to eating so much of it, it played havoc with his guts. I sent him a food and wine shop which the hotel were happy to deliver to him so he could have some variety!

There should be a choice; a selection to choose from. Instead of just bringing you whatever they feel like; Some people have dietary requirements; I'm Gluten intolerant so can't eat a lot of crap. Don't whinge here; Speak up and say something to the right people who are charge and get it sorted. No point whinging to us. We won't be doing anything at all. No I really won't be. Sorry.

I think isolation is necessary and should be enforced (and people cheating the system coming through green list countries are incredibly selfish) however I am sorry for your loss and think the profiteering is dreadful and outrageous. There is no reason for it to be that expensive or for you to have such poor food and facilities given the cost you have paid.

Not all of us can tolerate spices, onions and garlic. You know, some of us have stomach and bowel issues. I can't eat peas, carrots, onions, tomatoes, basil, oregano, red meat, shellfish and that's just the start. Be thankful you can

From the woman who listed lots of gluten full foods as what should be on offer, the gluten that would have plenty of people bent over in pain and crying.

Wow. As long as the diet agrees with your specific needs though, right?

Back when the iron curtain was still a thing I flew to a soviet country. On the BA flight out we had normal airline slop (haven't been on a flight for a few years so it might have improved.) Coming back on a soviet plane it looked like the attendants had popped to a local deli. We had sliced meat, cheese, some salad and bread rolls and butter followed by fruit being handed out, it was luck of the draw what you got and I had a rather nice peach. We also had fruit juice and yogurts.

I doubt the soviets were paying loads more to provide us with a meal, it was a bit rough and ready but it was tasty and fresh and we had salad/fruit/fruit juice and far more enjoyable that the horrible food we had on BA with plastic plates and knives and reheated meals. Surely these hotels could provide something better than that, fresh edible food doesn't have to be mega expensive.

Is the charge not high so as to put people off going to red countries? I just assumed it was.

How many would stick to quarantine at home? Given the amount of posts I’ve read about people breaking the rules, not many perhaps hence the hotels are needed.

You know you can order takeaways.
What the fuck do you think that 3k is going on? it’s mostly security guards.
Because dickheads try and leave and other dickheads try and get in.
I’m afraid to say, if you’re desperate to get into the U.K. then it’s just life and you have to deal with it.
Get a deliveroo.

@JesusIsAnyNameFree

Not all of us can tolerate spices, onions and garlic. You know, some of us have stomach and bowel issues. I can't eat peas, carrots, onions, tomatoes, basil, oregano, red meat, shellfish and that's just the start. Be thankful you can

From the woman who listed lots of gluten full foods as what should be on offer, the gluten that would have plenty of people bent over in pain and crying.

Wow. As long as the diet agrees with your specific needs though, right?

There should be some choice though, it isn't skipping a couple of meals if you can't eat the food. It must be horrible to be trapped with horrible food. There is a reason why so many people put weight on in lockdown, a good meal was pretty much all we had to look forward to.

[quote PurpleVerbena]@DontDrinkDontSmokeWhatDoIDo - it means no chinese, no indian, no thai, no japanese, no italian - just normal 'English' food, such as roasts, cottage pie, fish pie, grilled fish, lots of puddings, scones, crumpets, etc.[/quote]
Your racist cracks are showing by the minute, @PurpleVerbena

@moose62

My brother in law had to isolate at a hotel at Heathrow. He had delicious food but the problem was that it was Indian food for all three meals and not being used to eating so much of it, it played havoc with his guts. I sent him a food and wine shop which the hotel were happy to deliver to him so he could have some variety!

Yep, the sad thing about this is you can get some darned good Indian food around Heathrow/in some of the Heathrow perimeter hotels (no surprise of course), at a decent price - though I’m not sure I’d want It every meal three meals a day..

I guess the real problem here, as others have said upthread, May we’ll be the way the catering contracts for these isolation hotels have been handed out..

@ancientgran

I don't disagree about choice and I'm sure they ask about dietary needs when you book. They won't be sending meals up that could actually hurt you.

Though unfortunately, and I say that as someone with IBS myself, I doubt they could cater for that very well. Thank god IBS can't kill you!

@Phphion

The breakfast looks like some kind of pav bhaji and the dessert like seviyan kheer. Neither of those are horrible dishes when not produced for cheap mass catering, but it does seem odd that they are serving almost exclusively Indian food, unless the OP requested a special diet.

Condolences for your loss OP.

That's exactly what it is! Recognized it rightaway. Doesn't seem like a very suitable menu for everyone. At that price, options should be provided.

[quote Peanutsandchilli]@MauveMagnolia where the heck are you getting that it doesn't even cover the room cost from? I've just checked the best room at a central London Travelodge (let's face it, that's the sort of hotel it is) and 11 nights, over a bank holiday weekend, with breakfast, is £1.5k. Someone is making a small fortune.[/quote]
Sofitel Heathrow lowest price in last 10 years £109 a night. Average £148. Too book now now £168

cp kings cross rarely goes below £15o a night

Both quarantine hotels

I spend 200 night a year in hotels 50 of those in Heathrow- I know what they cost

Do people still not understand it’s a mixture of things

Making it inconvenient to travel- they don’t want anyone from red list countries

Security

Testing

Travel

Obviously that’s going to make it more than a normal hotel. The hard of thinking on here is insane

The food looks primarily South Asian. Frankly the comments dissing the food sound EXTREMELY racist.

The food does look like Indian food. I agree, not for everyone but not right to say it’s disgusting as a lot of people would enjoy that.

I do agree that it’s not for everyone though. For the price you’re paying you should get a choice. If you don’t like Indian food/can’t eat spicy food then are you just left to eat a sandwich and crisps for lunch every day?

Before i even clicked on this thread i knew it would be the food as a big part of it. Been seeing pics from people on Twitter for months. Its fucking disgusting. Another way the Gov. and their chums are making money out of Covid.

I don't think you can complain that it's not voluntary...you voluntarily went to Africa knowing you would have to go to a quarantine hotel. Lots of us have missed deaths, funerals, weddings, new babies, lots of us haven't seen our families since March 2020.
I sympathise but you chose this. It has been well publicised that its shit food and crap hotels since long before you chose to go.

I would think they chose Indian food because it's very cheap to make. Rice and lentils. ( I am S Asian and wd be happy to eat that; dont think everyone should have to).

@BeauxRingarde

I don't think you can complain that it's not voluntary...you voluntarily went to Africa knowing you would have to go to a quarantine hotel. Lots of us have missed deaths, funerals, weddings, new babies, lots of us haven't seen our families since March 2020. I sympathise but you chose this. It has been well publicised that its shit food and crap hotels since long before you chose to go.

Did you miss the fact that OPs dad had died and she'd had to return home to make funeral arrangements?

Hardly went for a random holiday, did she.

[quote PurpleVerbena]@DontDrinkDontSmokeWhatDoIDo - it means no chinese, no indian, no thai, no japanese, no italian - just normal 'English' food, such as roasts, cottage pie, fish pie, grilled fish, lots of puddings, scones, crumpets, etc.[/quote]
‘Basic ‘English’ food is a dull as ditch water - keeps you alive, but I wouldn’t miss it. I could live off Dim Sum and Dosa’s though!