I just want to say thank you to so many of you who were so supportive to Sharon Vetsch and myself at conference. For some of you who I was unable to see at conference and unable to socialize with. I want you to understand why.
Sharon and I had a very traumatizing experience at the Orlando World Center Marriott. This is a hospitality hotel where I have elite membership. Neither one of us have ever in our lives been through something like this. Both Sharon and I were punished for doing the right thing.
Please keep in mind were the ones asking for the hotels help:
- We asked Security to help us with our over-served intoxicated female friend. We needed a room key and wheel chair.
- When Security came over, they were more concerned of liability because our intoxicated friend stood up and fell. Her head hit the carpet when she fell.
- Security felt the need not to help us but to call the EMT’s to cover their liability, even though she was extremely coherent, more embarrassed than anything.
- We moved our intoxicated friend to the elevator to take her to her room. The hotel does not have a wheel chair.
- Security was not happy we moved to the elevator and refused to let us go up to her room (by putting his foot in the door) until the EMT’s came. The EMT’s let us take her up to her room for a more private area.
Where did everything go so sideways? What happened can be answered with one question:
When it ok to leave an intoxicated woman alone in a hotel room with seven men (3 Marriott security and 4 paramedics)?
Because we did not leave her room, the Orange County Sheriff department were called. I sat at the corner of the table, quietly watching. My intoxicated friend asking me not to leave her. We were not belligerent, violent or even intoxicated. We were just looking out for her best interest. Our intoxicated friend’s blood pressure was very high, understandable when you look around to all these strange men watching you, asking you questions, trying to understand how we have so many strange men in the room. Sharon asked the people watching if they could back up or step out of the room, 4 more paramedics showed up (we were up to 15 people in the room). A male friend who was with us stepped out of the room understanding the issue. A female paramedic was in this crew.
Marriott Security and management were requesting us to leave. We refused to leave until we felt our friend was comfortable. Orange County Sheriff department was called immediately. The EMT’s check our friend out and when they left requested that we (Sharon and myself stay with her). That did not happen. In fact, our male friend that was with us during this entire time was asked by Marriott security to put our female intoxicated friend into her PJs and tuck her into bed. You could imagine his reaction. That was a big no. Prior to being escorted out of the hotel I was asked to put her in her PJ’s and tuck her into bed.
Marriott Security and Management was requesting Orange County Sheriffs to have us arrested for Trespassing. We were escorted out the door by the police, Marriott Security and Management. We were thumb printed, licenses ran for priors and evicted from the property at 2:00am with nowhere to go. We received a warning. Police really felt this was a misunderstanding, but had to enforce what the property wanted. We were told if we came back onto the property we would be arrested for Trespassing, which included the convention center. Marriott Management and Security expected us to get in a uber and be dropped off at an IHop to find a hotel.
We refused to leave before we found a hotel and a male friend of ours who was there during the entire situation stood by our sides and helped us find a hotel. It took an hour and a half to find a hotel room. The room only had one kings size bed which I shared with my friend. At 5:30am we emailed Joe to let he know we had a situation. He and his team we very helpful in getting us to be able to go to the conference and participate with conference activities but we were not permitted back into the hotel.
Just to clarify the timeline on everything that occurred. 1:00 Intoxicated Friend fell, 1:15ish we got her to the elevator, 1:35 Orange County sheriffs called, 1:42 me emailing male friend – Am I going to need to be bailed out of jail for saying nothing and sitting quietly? 1:44 Male friend responded They are literally calling the police on you for trespassing.
We had a management meeting with Mr. Bray General manager of the Orlando World Center Marriott on Tuesday afternoon, where we were finally let back into the hotel with more drama. Things are still not a 100% resolved.
I missed the first day of conference, I was late to every morning to class due to being reliant on Uber, we incurred so many Uber charges going back and forth between convention hall and hotel. I missed the afternoon classes Tuesday. I missed CPE that goes towards Top 100. I missed so many of you. I was so emotionally drained. I could go on and Sharon felt the same way. Out of all of this we don’t understand how we were trespassing. Our intoxicated friend invited us into her room, saying in front of everyone that she did not want us to leave her. Sharon had a room already and my name was on her hotel room. There are so many things that just do not make sense and was wrong. It really ruined our conference for us. Both of us were going to leave early. I am still in awe over the situation.
– Laurie O’Neil