Frustrated guests still waiting for refunds from local hotel a month after evacuation
Last month, guests at the International Hotel and Suites in Palm Desert had to evacuate their rooms after an electrical issue led to power being lost in over 50 rooms.
Guests said they woke up that day to the sound of an explosion, their lights flickering, and a burning smell filling the air. For some, lightbulbs shattered, the glass covering the floors.
Guests were forced to find somewhere else to stay during an Ironman weekend that it difficult and expensive to find a place to stay.
Some guests said the worst part of the whole ordeal was how the hotel handled the emergency. Many were left confused and unable to find someone from management.
“They should have had somebody stay here and look after all the people,” said Keith Woznesensky, an evacuated hotel guest.
The hotel originally told News Channel 3 they would reopen the following Monday but guests say the hotel remains closed and management unreachable. They have not been refunded despite being told the credit would be returned in 3-5 days.
“I did go ahead and I waited about two weeks and I still never received my refund from this company. I went online, I sent them emails, I have left voicemails on the cell phone of the manager and at the hotel and I never got a response back,” said Erica Haddock, an evacuated hotel guest.
Woznesensky said management told him he wouldn’t be charged but instead they charged him. He also left his iPad in the hotel and never got it back.
News Channel 3’s Madison Weil returned to the hotel with a guest to investigate. The building was deserted with just a note taped to the door announcing the hotel is closed until further notice with a number to call management.
Madison tried calling the number on the paper, but the voicemail said the mailbox is full. She was finally able to reach hotel management on her third attempt. The person on the phone said the refunds have been issued to guests and if they have not received those, they should continue to call that number.
