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Pennsylvania hotel breaking all the rules
When inspectors from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture responded to a consumer complaint at the Holiday Inn in Lancaster County, they were surprised by what they found -- but given the hotel's laundry list of offenses, perhaps it shouldn't have been such a shock.When the hotel's walk-in refrigerator failed, they moved its contents to a guest room for cooling. The room's air conditioner was turned all the way down to 65 degrees -- 24 degrees higher than the maximum temperature allowed by state public health guidelines. This is but one of many ridiculous incidents that begs the question: Why is this Holiday Inn still open?
On the same day of the food inspection, Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement officers searched the hotel and found that it was selling liquor without a license, and had been doing so for over a year, when ownership changed hands and the new owners never sought to renew the liquor license.
The problems don't end there.
Treasury officials say the hotel has failed to pay taxes since July 21. There is no way to know how much the hotel owes, because those figures come from the hotel's monthly reports, and guess what? Those aren't accurate or complete, either. However, the state Department of Revenue recently placed a lien on the property for $29,259.28 in unpaid sales taxes for November and December of 2007.
Employees paint an even grimmer picture for the Holiday Inn. They say paychecks have been late and have bounced, and they have been paying insurance premiums out of their paychecks, yet the hotel isn't actually carrying insurance. One employee found this out the hard way when he went in for surgery and was told he didn't have insurance, even though he'd been paying for it through his employer.
Housekeeping employees have been instructed to rinse out and reuse disposable supplies in guest rooms. This includes refilling used shampoo bottles and -- ew -- rinsing out and reusing trash bags. The job market in Lancaster must be pretty dismal for these workers to stick around.
On top of everything else, utilities and cable have been shut off at the hotel due to failure to pay bills, and the building has failed fire code inspections as well.
What does a hotel in Lancaster County, PA have to do to get shut down?!
Employees paint an even grimmer picture for the Holiday Inn. They say paychecks have been late and have bounced, and they have been paying insurance premiums out of their paychecks, yet the hotel isn't actually carrying insurance. One employee found this out the hard way when he went in for surgery and was told he didn't have insurance, even though he'd been paying for it through his employer.
Housekeeping employees have been instructed to rinse out and reuse disposable supplies in guest rooms. This includes refilling used shampoo bottles and -- ew -- rinsing out and reusing trash bags. The job market in Lancaster must be pretty dismal for these workers to stick around.
On top of everything else, utilities and cable have been shut off at the hotel due to failure to pay bills, and the building has failed fire code inspections as well.
What does a hotel in Lancaster County, PA have to do to get shut down?!
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Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Nathaniel Sep 30th 2008 9:45PM
The better question as a traveler is what does a hotel have to lose it's Holiday Inn branding? When I go on trips I expect a certain level of service from a national brand. Stories like this (wasn't a Lancaster Days Inn up on stuff like this too?) cause me to doubt not just that hotel, but the brand in general.
Kelley Oct 1st 2008 9:18AM
I stayed in this hotel just about a year ago and ended up with a major MRSA infection from the pool. The hottub was disgustiing as well. I can only imagine what they do with the sheets and bedding.
Tom Oct 1st 2008 5:04PM
um this hotel does not have a hot tub. I have no doubt you got an infection but not from a hot tub
marilyn Oct 1st 2008 9:23AM
My family spent one night at the Holiday Inn at Venice Beach, FL., which was none night too many. A very, big mistake!!! We have a big family and it was a treat for us. I sat at the pool while the kids were swimming after dinner, then a dip in the chlorine filled hot tub (could smell the strong odor of chlorine). Apparently that wasn't enough. My daughter had a scratch on her knee and when we arrived home she was diagnosed with staph, something that has reoccurred 5 times in 2 years. Outbreak started on her knee. NEVER go in a hot tub, anywhere!!!!
nikki Oct 1st 2008 9:41AM
I work at a holiday inn and this is not commonplace. The hotel I work at is a very nice one and that type of thing would never go on there. Reusing disposable housekeeping supplies?? That is just nasty. This doesn't speak of the whole brand. This is just one hotel. Also alot of these hotels are privately owned and operated but that doesn't mean that they don't have brand standards to live up to. They will probably lose their brand.
Tony Oct 1st 2008 4:26PM
Thats great you stand by your employer. Not all people can do that, however since you are at one of the chains better locations, you may want to suggest the chain hiring a staff of inspectors operating under disguise of a regular traveler to reavel the country and staying at the locations. Stay for two days, then fill out a report, sending one copy to the HQ, leaving one for the location and one for the inspectors files. Then a follow up trip from 1 to 6 months later. If conditions are still unchanged, pull Franchise or change Managers which ever is appropriate.
Dewey Oct 1st 2008 9:42AM
Yeah, but they have GREAT rates!
Linda s Oct 1st 2008 10:05AM
In June, we stayed the weekend at a Holiday Inn Express in Ohio. It was extremely nice and very clean. I'd say the one in this story is not the status quo. One of a few, I believe.
Stephanie Oct 1st 2008 12:23PM
I agree, I stay at numerous Holiday Inn Express throughout Mississippi and they are always very clean and nice. I travel numerous times during the year and stay at the same place every time.
jake Oct 1st 2008 10:07AM
venice fl holiday inn gave back me watch
Sylvia Oct 1st 2008 10:26AM
This has to be 25-30 yrs. ago- we stayed at a Holiday in Utica, NY. The restaurant in the hotel being closed should have been a dead giveaway. The lack of hot water that eve. was a problem, since we were traveling with a 2 yr. old. Thank goodness we had brought a hotpot, jar of coffee and creamer! Worst of all, the next am. we saw the back of the hotel where the outdoor swimming pool looked more like a cesspool.
JudyG Oct 1st 2008 4:26PM
I stayed at a hotel in Utica NY about 30 yrs ago too...wasn't the Holiday Inn but there were roaches in the bathroom, the bed was damp (ewww), & no hot water...saw the Holiday Inn the next day (in the light) and wished I'd stayed there...now I'm glad I didn't...seems just as bad !
Stijn Oct 2nd 2008 10:05AM
Utica. That's from the Office.
I hope they didn't have any problems there.
david Oct 1st 2008 10:25AM
oh yea?...try this one on for size....myself in one room and 2 female employees in another. at 4 am they were awaken to find the bed and walls covered in begbugs...multiple bite wounds which required a doctors visit and they had to leave all their personal belongings behind. Jacksonville florida brand name hotel. All they were offered was the cost of their things...nothing for the pain and mental anguish of knowing they were infested with biting bugs.
Patti Oct 1st 2008 1:36PM
David, bed bugs are not visible to the eye. The bites may have been caused by them, but they couldnt be seen on the walls and bed.
Stephanie Oct 1st 2008 2:09PM
Yes, you can see bed bugs if the infestation has been going on for a very long time. I see it all the time watching Verminators.
david Oct 1st 2008 2:19PM
Believe me Stephanie, they are real and can be seen as my staff acutally captured a few of them in a plastic baggy for evidence. The outcome for one of my staff was actually quite terrible as she discovered that an allergic reaction to the bites ended up as hundreds of bumps on her body everywhere.
david Oct 1st 2008 3:14PM
believe me they are real and yes you can see them because they captured quite a few of them in a plastic baggie...for evidence.
traci Oct 1st 2008 4:39PM
response to patti who thinks you cant see bedbugs,
google bedbugs, take a gander at the pictures and the info before you say anything, a adult bedbug is about 1/4 of a inch long,
you can see them, they start out about the size of a poppy and grow to be a quarter inch long, they are flat and oblong,
look it up!
working in a hotel we have training on this and have learned if god forbid we have a infestation how to deal with it, we also have this training because from time to time you may run across one lone bug, that has possibly been brought in by another traveler that has unfortunatly stayed in a hotel that has bedbugs, we learn where to find them, where they like to hide and how to spot if they have been in your room , on your beds etc... pretty gross stuff but dont think i havent looked in the places i know where to look now when i stay elsewhere... some of the best known motel/hotel chains have been known to have bedbugs, on two diff occasions my daughter has gotten bit by them on a school sporting trip, where they had stayed at a well known motel..
david Oct 1st 2008 6:45PM
Traci....so tell us the secret. how do we check into a room and look for these things? i have read there is an infestation within the country and now everything from cruises to school dorms have them.