Coronavirus: Rotorua moteliers ready to close the door on international guests

Rotorua Moteliers Association chairman Mike Gallagher pictured with wife Annemarie Gallagher. Photo / File

Moteliers in Rotorua are "calling the authorities" if they suspect someone is not complying with self-isolation rules while others are sterilising keys to stop the spread of germs.

However one hostel is willing to accept people who need to self-isolate.

Mike Gallagher, who owns both Arista of Rotorua and Capri on Fenton, said although cancellations were coming in from all directions he was not afraid to turn away those who had not made plans to self-isolate.

"If we cross the scenario where someone comes in and they look sick and they have just arrived in the country then we will be calling the authorities because those people should not be here.

"They should be in self-isolation and they should've pre-organised that before they left the airport. This is our country, these are our people and we need to look after our health."

Gallagher, the Rotorua Association of Moteliers chairman, said his international clientele dropped off "almost completely" after the Government announced all travellers would have to self-isolate.

He is now holding hope it does not impact on his employees whom he considers family.

By swapping cleaning products for paintbrushes he is keeping his staff busy, meaning they don't have to take leave.

"We had about 30 to 40 cancellations in 24 hours and they are still rolling in.

"We have had to let our staff know that we will do our best to hang on to them but we had to let them know there could be redundancies."

Finance Minister Grant Robertson on Tuesday announced full-time workers eligible for the economic response package would receive $585 per week from the Government, paid in a lump sum of just over $7000 covering a 12-week period.

The news was welcomed by Gallagher who said this would help him retain staff.

But he said businesses that hadn't been investing in their company in the good times could face challenges in coming months.

"With the coronavirus coming in we have just been hit with a sledgehammer.

"It is the businesses' responsibility to have a bit of a nest egg in the background for the rainy day and that rainy day is here now."

Due to the unprecedented circumstances he was offering money back on the cancellations and hoped others in his position would too.

But other moteliers were worried about how to pay rent with the lack of business, he said.

"A lot of the other moteliers are really, really suffering."

While there were contracts involved it was up to those tenants to start a conversation with their landlord, Gallagher believed.

"It's about saying, 'how about you showing us some flexibility with a reduction in the rent or a rent holiday until we get out of this crazy period which we are all in'."

The manager of one Rotorua backpackers is willing to accept people who need to self-isolate, provided they agree to stay in their rooms.

Jingjing Wu of Astray Motel and Backpackers had yet to see anyone in that position and did not expect to, with most international bookings having already been cancelled.

"They want to come, but they can't."

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She said all of the facility's rooms were self-contained, so a person could stay in one without endangering other guests or staff.

In general, Astray had stepped up its cleaning and sanitation processes, especially in the front desk area.

At the Rotorua International Motor Inn, keys were being sterilised after they had been handed back, manager Judith Cunningham said.

"If guests arrive I will ask for passports and check their landing date. We are wiping the desktops constantly, it is just precautions.

"But we are not wearing masks or hats, we are still the same people ... just with a pandemic going on."

The phone was ringing with cancellations, and not just from international guests.

"It is also our domestic market because they have come for events and of course they have been cancelled.

"Because of that, we have spread out the work for our six housekeepers so they are all still getting an even amount of hours."

Extra washing of linen, utensils and sterilisation of all 38 units was also keeping them busy, she said.

Cunningham said she would create work where there was work.

"I'm not down and out about it and if you do that it peels off on to your staff so you can't let your guard down.

"I am giving staff the option if they want to take the day off. Because when we have been busy we haven't had that opportunity, so they are making the most of it as well."

Emerald Spa and Tuscany Villa owner Kate Boyd said she had not come across any guests who needed to self-isolate at this stage and while she possibly could due to the size of her property she did not want to.

"I would honestly hope these people are getting off the plane and going somewhere in Auckland because if they're not they are in a hire car or they are on public transport and putting others at risk."

The Rotorua Association of Moteliers member said she wanted to use this time to come out stronger and continue practices they were now implementing due to the virus.

"We are even wearing gloves to strip beds.

"We want to make our guests feel secure. It is not just about looking after ourselves, it is trying to communicate to guests that we are aware of the sanitation requirements to keep this virus at bay."

While the situation was financially crippling, Boyd said because of the few international visitors coming to Rotorua she hoped domestic visitors felt safer.