First look inside Melbourne’s stricter hotel qurantine

International travellers landing in Melbourne for the first time since the state’s second COVID wave have given a glimpse into life in the locked-down hotels.

Returned travellers are settling into life in Victoria’s rebooted hotel quarantine program — unable to open a window, juggling work and pumping out push-ups to stave off boredom.

Vu Nyuen and Ha Phung and their son Sam, 3, are entering their third day of quarantine at the Pan Pacific since they touched down on Monday on the first international flight to arrive in Melbourne since the state’s disastrous second wave.

Mrs Phung, 27, said quarantine had been “so far, so good” as they adjusted to life in just one room.

Ha Phung and Vu Nyuen and their son Sam, 3, landed at Melbourne Airport on Monday.

“It’s quite small but it’s a big enough room for a couple and child,” she said. “But (my husband) is currently working remotely so we’d prefer if he could have a working corner or different room and we’re waiting to hear from them.”

She said they were “very lucky” to be back in Victoria after they became stranded overseas in March when she went to visit her husband who was working in the UK.

Mrs Phung estimated the family had splashed out about $9000 to cover the cost of quarantine.

She said a combination of exhaustion and jet lag — as well as the welcome distraction of movies and colouring books — had kept little Sam from bouncing off the walls.

Ha Phung and her son, Sam, 3, in the Pan Pacific Hotel.

Ms Phung tries to keep Sam busy.

“I am just trying to catch up with the new time zone and keep him happy and busy with new activities in our room,” she said. “The nurse called him and got him a little present so he’s excited with that.”

Although under the previous hotel quarantine scheme guests were allowed out for fresh air breaks, Mrs Phung said they couldn’t even open their window.

“Our room’s design has a big window as a wall so we are still lucky to have some sunshine,” she said.

She said the food — including chicken curry, salads, muesli and fruit — had been a mixed bag with some “nice” offerings while others were “not our taste”.

Ms Phung says not all the food is to their taste.

Comedian Adam Hills praised the “top-notch” work of hotel quarantine staff in Melbourne.

In his first day in his hotel room on Tuesday, Hills said it had “so far not been a bad start” and said he was glad to be able to order room service.

“Honestly after 40 hours of travel the staff in Melbourne were absolutely top-notch,” he said in a video diary shared with his Instagram followers.

“There were army, there was police, everyone was friendly, everyone was saying welcome home, everyone was checking people who got off the plane were fine. The check-in to the hotel was relatively straight forward, it took a while.

A mixed bag of food is on offer in the hotels.

“Finding out I could actually order room service if necessary, I almost cried. I could order a milkshake if I want to.”

Hills hosts the English panel show The Last Leg and will return as host of music quiz show Spicks and Specks in a rebooted season in 2021.

He said he was going to do daily video diaries during his two-week quarantine “because I’ve got nothing else to do”.

Meanwhile Sydneysider Paul, who asked his surname not be published, was also at the Pan Pacific after he landed in Melbourne from Ukraine on Monday.

The fly-in, fly-out worker, who has also been through hotel quarantine in Sydney on previous trips home, said he received a brash reception.

Adam Hills in hotel quarantine. Picture: Instagram

Adam Hills reveals hotel quarantine food. Picture: Instagram

“Everyone was doing their best — I’m not trying to bag the people — but it was very confrontational as soon as you arrived,” he said.

“They said, ‘stand back, social distance, keep away from each other’.”

The hotel quarantine veteran said while a couple would be “reasonably happy paying $200 to $300 a night” for his king size room, it would wear on anyone after a few days.

“It’s boring as hell, you’ve got to prepare yourself,” he said.

“I do some push-ups and crunches but you can’t do much else — it’s about keeping your mind healthy, I listen to music and have two showers a day and make my bed.”

Though he was able to order food from delivery services and supermarkets he was outraged at being forced to buy liquor at hotel prices at $45 for a bottle of wine and $11 for a beer.

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