"We want to be able to give our guests that sense of confidence that they can come here, enjoy their holidays and know that they're going to be looked after and not have to worry," she says. That rigid adherence to the rules has made people comfortable taking their families to Portugal, even in uncertain times. They even require weekly on-site tests for their staff. Masks are required for the staff at all times. "Here in Portugal, even when you had the first wave or the second or the third wave, I must say there is a lot of respect for what the government tells people to do," says Seema Lodi, general manager at Martinhal Cascais, a family resort just outside of Lisbon.Īt the resort, which is just a short walk from the cliffs of the Atlantic coast, Lodi explains that everything is sanitized - tables, chairs, pretty much any surface you can come into contact with. Aren Elliott In Cascais, "everything" is sanitizedĮven in a hotel with more rooms and guests, the incoming omicron variant has caused hardly a ripple. are not required when eating or drinking. The author with Seema Lodi, general manager at Martinhal Cascais, a family resort near Lisbon. But even in less remote places, there's a lot of optimism. Which would probably be just find with the property owners. You get a sense out here, among the olive groves and vineyards, that this is the type of hotel tourists might want to visit if omicron gets as bad as some fear. And the guest rooms, most of which are refurbished staff quarters on the estate, offer plenty of privacy. The staff wears masks religiously, indoors and outdoors. There are plenty of opportunities to stay Covid-free, from the appointment-only indoor swimming pool to the socially distanced dinner. Of course, a vacation at a place like the Wine Hotel isn't the kind of thing you would want to cancel even during a worsening pandemic. "We haven't had any cancellations because of omicron," she told me earlier this week. Workers were using the downtime to do maintenance on the historic buildings. November is a quiet month at the hotel, according to Margarida Barradas, the resort's director of operations. It's built next to the well-preserved ruins of Vila Cardílio, a Roman villa dating back to the first century A.D. Christopher Elliott "No cancellations" in MonforteĪ two-hour drive east of Lisbon near the Spanish border, you'll find the Torre de Palma Wine Hotel. The resort has had no cancellations because of omicron. Margarida Barradas, director of operations at the Torre de Palma Wine Hotel in Monforte, Portugal. The extra protective measure is just for safety. Portugal has a quiet confidence you might expect of a country where 86% of the population is vaccinated. Attitudes toward Covid, particularly the omicron variant, are noticeably different. And in one respect, that has already happened. In my last report, I predicted that the division between locked-down Northern Europe and less restrictive southern European countries like Portugal and Spain might deepen. But on the mainland, the response to Covid and the emerging threat of the omicron variant has been more restrained. Last week, I checked in from the Portuguese islands of the Azores and noted its extreme caution when when it came to testing requirements. It's my first stop on an around-the-world trip to explore how the world is emerging from the Covid crisis. I've been in Portugal since early November. “A regular policy would only cover you if something happens to you - if you get sick or you get injured,” he adds. What if travel is delayed? What if they get stuck?”Ī “cancel for any reason” travel insurance policy would cover a cancellation for a European trip, he notes. They want to know if they will be able to go. “People have been calling in the last week, asking about the lockdowns in Austria and Germany. “It’s like the delta variant all over again,” he says.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |