Editor's note: As we continue to practice social distancing, we encourage our readers to check the Center for Disease Control website for up-to-date information on how to safely travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of January 26, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving from a foreign country to the United States. This means if you’ve been dreaming of an international vacay, you’ll likely have to add one more item to your itinerary—getting a viral test within three days before returning home to the U.S.
"Testing does not eliminate all risk," says former CDC Director Robert R. Redfield. "But when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at destinations."
To help you comply with the CDC requirement without disrupting your R&R, many luxury hotels and resorts around the world have begun offering on-site COVID-19 testing. From St. Barths to Mexico, here are some sensational destinations where "full service" includes COVID-19 testing from the comfort of your villa, hotel room, or an on-site clinic.
1. Seven Stars Resort & Spa, Grace Bay Beach
On Turks & Caicos’ world-famous Grace Bay Beach sits Seven Stars Resort & Spa, recognized for its panoramic oceanfront views, expansive suites, distinctive amenities, and award-winning dining. Also known for its attentive guest service, the resort will now include complimentary rapid antigen testing for guests over the age of two in accordance with recently-issued CDC guidelines. Beginning January 26, 2021, the COVID-19 antigen test will be scheduled upon guest check-in. Tests will be conducted in-room by a certified lab technician 24 to 72 hours before departure. Once tested, guests will receive their results within an hour.
2. Caerula Mar Club, South Andros
Remote Bahamas luxury resort Caerula Mar Club in South Andros offers a postcard-perfect beach, where travelers are likely not to spot a single other footprint. The resort has spacious suites with private outdoor patios, stand-alone villas with cozy porches, as well as rapid antigen tests for its guests. Tests are administered on-site in a sanitized location by appointment for people who are traveling together and considered a "pod," or individually, if preferred. Tests consist of a single self-administered nasal swab sample extraction, with results available in 15 minutes. Testing costs are included in a travel health visa that must be submitted online for entry into The Bahamas along with travelers’ negative PCR results obtained in the U.S. before their trip.
3. Park Hyatt St. Kitts, St. Kitts
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts is an impeccably designed luxury beachfront resort in an idyllic destination. The resort boasts spacious guest rooms and elegant suites, many of which have private pools and sundecks. The resort also offers guests the ability to conveniently schedule a PCR test for their return to the U.S. Currently, all travelers staying less than seven days in St. Kitts are required to take a PCR test 72 hours before departure, which coincides with the CDC requirements. Those staying longer than seven days can also take advantage of the existing framework to get their test done.
4. Cayo Espanto, Belize
Cayo Espanto is a private island resort located three miles off the coast of San Pedro, Belize. Personalized dining delivered straight to each guest by the on-island chef, lavish experiences, and complete seclusion are synonymous with the private island stay. Cayo Espanto prides itself on shaping the perfect getaway experience to each guests’ preferences and the team has taken extra steps to ensure a safe, uninterrupted, luxe experience for all. Taking into account the new CDC regulations for reentry testing, Cayo Espanto will work with each guest to ensure this requirement is met easily and conveniently during their time on the island.
5. Conrad Punta de Mita, Riviera Nayarit
Situated among Riviera Nayarit’s serene natural landscapes and aquamarine waters lies the brand-new Conrad Punta de Mita, offering today’s travelers a tranquil reprieve on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The first-ever Conrad brand resort in Mexico, Conrad Punta de Mita exudes luxury with spacious guest rooms and suites featuring views of the ocean, four restaurants, and a 10,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor spa. The resort has partnered with a third-party health care provider to administer on-site PCR and rapid antigen COVID-19 tests for all guests. The cost of a PCR test is $185 and the cost is $65 for rapid antigen tests. PCR test results are returned within 24 hours and antigen test results are provided within 30 minutes.
6. Jade Mountain & Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia
At sister resorts Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia, on-site rapid antigen tests are offered complimentary to any existing or new booking made for travel through September 30, 2021, with a minimum three-night stay at Anse Chastanet (there's no stay minimum at Jade Mountain). Twenty-four-hour notice is required for all testing appointments to ensure availability. The doctor or nurse meets guests in their room with the appropriate PPE and test equipment or the guest can meet with the doctor/nurse at the resort’s nurses’ station. Spread across 600 lush acres, the resorts feature open-air guest rooms that immerse travelers in the area’s stunning surroundings, plus a wide array of outdoor activities such as snorkeling, sailing, diving, hiking, mountain biking, chocolate making, and more.
7. Casa Kimberly, Puerto Vallarta
Casa Kimberly, an intimate and luxurious getaway perched on a hilltop in Puerto Vallarta, overlooks the city’s terracotta rooftops and tranquil Banderas Bay. The combined former homes of star crossed lovers Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Casa Kimberly offers nine decadent suites, a restaurant, a bar, a pool, and spa facilities spread over three buildings. To ensure guests can meet the new CDC rules, Casa Kimberly is making arrangements for guests to have COVID-19 PCR tests through a private medical clinic, Servicios Medicos de la Bahia. For $350, the clinic physician will administer tests at the hotel.
8. Couples Resorts, Jamaica
Couples Resorts owns and operates four properties in Jamaica—Couples Tower Isle, Couples Swept Away, Couples Negril, and Couples Sans Souci. All four resorts will be offering free on-site rapid antigen testing to all guests. Couples Resorts assures travelers a seamless testing experience: all tests will be administered by a contracted medical partner within three days of a guest's departure date. Results will be e-mailed to all guests 48 hours after testing and paper copy results are also available if needed. All-inclusive beachfront luxury awaits at all four Couples Resorts properties with 24-hour room service, unlimited premium bar selections, unlimited water-sports, and an array of dining options, providing a romantic beachfront getaway all in one place.
9. Coco Collection, Maldives
Comprised of two different boutique island resorts, Coco Bodu Hithi and Coco Palm Dhuni Kohlhu offer a unique Maldivian experience ranging from luxe amenities to eco-forward initiatives. Having recently reopened to U.S. travelers with enhanced health and safety protocols, the secluded resorts offer the ideal escape for couples, families, and friend groups to relax and refresh in a lush landscape surrounded by diverse underwater marine life. In response to the new CDC regulations, Coco Collection has begun offering guests PCR testing at the resorts, priced at $165 per person. Testing is done by the in-house medical officer and sent to the resorts’ partner hospital for analysis, with results coming back within 24 to 48 hours.
10. Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya
Nestled in the heart of Riviera Maya, Mexico, Fairmont Mayakoba is a AAA Five Diamond resort situated among 45 acres within a private, luxury community—perfect for a secluded and peaceful getaway. The resort is offering a complimentary antigen test for guests staying at the resort for three nights or longer. A PCR test is available for an extra charge ($150). The tests only take five minutes and results are delivered via email the same day.
11. The Buenaventura Golf & Beach Resort, Panama
Located on the Pacific coast of Panama, a short flight from major cities in the U.S., the Buenaventura Resort offers travelers a quick yet exotic getaway with miles of uncrowded beaches and rainforests. The 118-room luxury resort offers a range of resort activities with seven swimming pools, a Nicklaus-designed, 18-hole championship golf course, biking, tennis, a zoo, a sports club, and a spa. Once on-site, guests have access to a private clinic, Vidatec, that can administer a COVID-19 molecular swab test for $95, a quantitative antibody test for $35, and an antigen test at $45 per guest.
12. Grand Residences Riviera Cancun, Puerto Morelos
Located about a half hour outside of Cancun in the lesser-frequented Puerto Morelos, Grand Residences Riviera Cancun is full of incredible cuisine, luxurious amenities, private beach access, and a weekly series of activities like Zumba classes, cooking demonstrations, tequila tasting, high tea service, Spanish lessons, and more. Grand Residences will be facilitating testing on-site to help reduce the interruption to each stay while still ensuring that guests can make it safely back home in the time planned. Pricing for testing begins at $92 per guest.
13. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Maldives
Located in the heart of the Maldives, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort offers a breathtaking hideaway revered for its time-honored traditions, imaginative craftsmanship, and signature service. The resort’s health and safety guidelines are aligned with expert protocols and the requirements of the Maldives’ Ministry of Health and Health Protection Agency. The resort facilitates on-site PCR testing ($165), which is carried out by the property’s medical team and resort doctor. Following the most recent requirements from certain airlines and countries for their travelers, departing guests who require a negative PCR certificate to return to their home country or final destination will be prioritized.
14. Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, Aruba
Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino has created a "We’ve Got You Covered" package for up to two people per room that includes complimentary antigen testing with results available in 24 hours. Resort guests who do not purchase the package can still benefit from the convenience of the on-site testing facility and can schedule an antigen test for $50 per person in advance of their departure by visiting the property's facility on a walk-in basis.
15. Casa Chameleon Hotels, Costa Rica
Costa Rica's Casa Chameleon Hotels, which include Casa Chameleon at Mal Pais and Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas, is now offering COVID-19 testing for all guests. The luxury boutique resorts are already ideal for socially-distant travel experience, offering private open-air villas with individual plunge pools. Now, each resort has partnered with a local health affiliate to provide daily on-site testing that will be scheduled by the concierge upon arrival. Guests who stay five nights or more will receive one complimentary test per person. Guests with shorter stays will pay $145 per person. Results are available in 24 to 48 hours.
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