Yahoo Finance Richard E Grant feels ‘punished’ during £228-a-day Gatwick hotel quarantine
Richard E Grant has said he felt “punished” after being stuck in a quarantine hotel charging £228 per night.
The Withnail and I actor, 64, said he was forced to isolate at the Holiday Inn at Gatwick Airport following a trip to South Africa.
In a video on Twitter, he said: “I went to southern Africa to visit my 90-year-old mother and got caught by the red region Covid restrictions.
“It took over a week and many cancelled flights to finally get home, for which I am incredibly grateful.
“I understand that there are security costs in the hotel and you’ve got to pay for two Covid tests, but £228 a day to receive 3 meals a day of this very poor standard, in a supposed 4* Holiday Inn hotel, beggars belief.”
Visited my 90 yr old Mum in Southern Africa & caught by Red region restrictions. A week of multiple cancelled flights then 10 days quarantine.2 Covid tests and security costs included, but why does the food have to be so grim at a compulsory cost of £228 per day?Feels punishing! pic.twitter.com/5qiW2GCwO9
— Richard E. Grant (@RichardEGrant) December 4, 2021
Grant, who was born in Eswatini, argued a “non quarantine Holiday Inn nearby costs £89 including breakfast”.
He said: "How does Gov justify this cost to a traveller for ‘hospitality’. You do the maths as am confounded."
He added he "understands that there are security costs in the hotel and that you have to get two COVID tests".
His post sparked a flood of supportive comments.
Among the sea of comments, one person wrote: “A colleague of mine had to do this back in August and the pictures he showed us of the food was disgusting, 100% not worth the money.”
Another said: “Thank you for raising awareness of this situation on behalf of many with similar situations. The frustrations and costs with cancelled flights, rearranged travel arrangements, quarantine requirements and now the experience of quarantine itself.”
A Government spokesman told MailOnline: “The majority of passengers who have used the Managed Quarantine Service have been satisfied with the service.”
The Standard has approached Holiday Inn representatives for further comment.
Travellers who have returned from these four countries in the last 10 days must isolate and get a PCR test.
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