A grieving Gisborne woman who's just returned from her mother's funeral in the UK says her time in a managed isolation and quarantine facility in Hamilton has been "unbearable" and believes it's not set up for the mandatory two weeks' stay for overseas returnees.
The woman already spent time in managed isolation earlier this year - at Auckland's 4.5-star Naumi Hotel. She said that was a pleasant experience and had high expectations ahead of her second stay.
She travelled to the UK earlier this year to visit her sick mother. Two days after leaving her first managed isolation stint, her mother died and Robinson had to u-Turn back to Britain for her funeral.
She's now back in New Zealand completing her second stint in managed isolation - at the Ibis Hamilton Tainui - one she says has been far less pleasurable than the first.
"It's all a bit gloomy really," she told Newshub. "It doesn't make the grieving process any easier.
"You're stuck in this really tiny room with no fresh air and it's really confining."
She said her bathroom was mouldy, her mattress topper "black with filth" while some of the food has been "disgraceful".
"The difference between this place and where I stayed at the Naumi - you had little doors that opened out on to a wee patio and it's just so nice to be able to open the doors and sit outside whereas, here, there is actually nowhere you can actually go and sit outside."
She said there are others in the facility also returning from funerals overseas - some of whom are struggling. She supplied Newshub with photos of her room - a room she said shouldn't be used for managed isolation.
She's calling for consistency across the facilities.
"I had a chat with the hotel manager and he's a kind, nice guy and it's not his fault that we're stuck here.
"The staff are doing their very best to look after us and I'm really grateful for them but at the end of the day, this hotel is what it is."
Now excited to get home and see her husband and 7-year-old boy, she doesn't want other returnees to have the same experience she has.
"It's not a very good way to showcase our beautiful country to people.
"It just adds another whole level of sadness during an already really sad time."
A Managed Isolation and Quarantine spokesperson said facility staff have apologised to the Robinson for any inconvenience caused.
"We have not received any similar complaints about the Hamilton Ibis.
"More than 2000 returnees have completed their isolation stay in our three Hamilton facilities and there have been very few complaints.
"The Ibis Tainui meets all our standards for an isolation facility."
Returnees were encouraged to raise any concerns directly with facility staff, the spokesperson said.
"For each concern, the returnee has been offered a solution and/or an explanation and further information to increase her understanding of restrictions."
