If you were hoping to travel internationally but are worried about how to get a COVID-19 test for your return trip in order to comply with the CDC’s new pretravel testing requirement for international arrivals—Hyatt has you covered.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, a global portfolio of more than 950 hotels and resorts, including some of our favorite hotel brands such as Andaz, Thompson Hotels, and boutique Joie de Vivre and Unbound Collection properties, has announced that its resorts in Latin America and the Caribbean will offer complimentary on-site COVID-19 testing through May 31, 2021, for guests traveling to the United States.
The move comes on the same day that showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test becomes mandatory for international arrivals in the United States, per a new mandate issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The free COVID-19 tests are available for up to two registered guests per room at 19 participating resorts in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and South America.
Participating resorts currently are:
- Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino
- Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour
- Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Bahamas
- Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
- Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
- Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Jamaica
- Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Jamaica
- Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo
- Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Thompson Playa del Carmen Beach House, Mexico
- Thompson Playa del Carmen Main House, Mexico
- The Cape, a Thompson Hotel, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, Mexico
- Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Thompson Zihuatanejo, a Beach Resort, Mexico
- Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, Mexico
- Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Hyatt Zilara Cancun, Mexico
- Hyatt Ziva Cancun, Mexico
What happens if you test positive and must delay your travel to the U.S.? Hyatt will let you extend your stay at the participating properties for up to 14 additional nights at a rate of up to half off the standard price (excluding Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara properties) and up to 30 percent off food and beverage (excluding alcohol)—what it’s calling a “travel delay rate.”
Mark Vondrasek, chief commercial officer for Hyatt, said in a release about the new testing program that the company will be expanding testing “to more Hyatt guests and hotels across the Americas and globally in the near future.”
Effective January 26, all international passengers flying into the United States who are age two and older—including returning U.S. citizens—must provide proof of a negative PCR or antigen test, the results of which must be from no more than 72 hours prior to departure. Airlines are required to confirm the negative test result for all passengers before they board and must deny boarding to those passengers who choose not to take a test.
The CDC’s complete guidelines for international travel are as follows:
- Get tested 1–3 days before your flight—make sure to have actual results (not pending results) prior to traveling.
- If you have a positive result, do not travel.
- Get tested 3–5 days after your flight.
- Stay home for 7 days after traveling, even if you test negative.
- If you test positive for COVID-19 after you travel, isolate yourself and follow public health recommendations. Do not travel until you are no longer considered a transmission risk—this includes your return trip home.
- If you don’t get tested, it’s safest to stay home for 14 days after travel.
- Avoid those who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.
In accordance with CDC guidance, Hyatt is offering rapid antigen or PCR testing options to guests—there is a minimum length of stay requirement to receive the complimentary tests, which varies by property. Additional on-property tests can be purchased for a fee, which also varies per property. The complimentary testing is only available to guests traveling to the United States.
>> Next: These U.S. and International Airports Have COVID-19 Testing Facilities
