https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 09 May 2026 02:30:49 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280992 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 22:20:16 +0000 MusicaV 280992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hmm... this is tough. I live in the Chicago area, so I've been aware of this story for a while. I don't know how much national exposure this story has gotten. Here is what I understand about the story:</p> <p>Legionnaire's disease is a type of pneumonia. It is spread through warm water, or inhaling contaminated water droplets. It cannot be spread from person to person. Not everyone who is exposed to it gets sick, and not everyone who gets sick dies. The word "outbreak" sounds scary, but it just refers to two or more reported cases.</p> <p>The health department and hotel identified and removed/closed the areas of the hotel that had the bacteria (fountain, spa, pool, locker rooms like you said). The bacteria was not present on shower heads or anywhere in guest rooms. The hotel was not closed at any point. The health department does not believe there is any continued threat. The hotel is contacting all guests who visited during the "outbreak" period, from July 16-August 15. None of the news reports I saw said exactly when the people who got sick were at the hotel, but symptoms show up 2-14 days after exposure. The most recent death (reported over the weekend) was a man who wasn't even a hotel guest - he had dinner in the restaurant.</p> <p>From the hotel's perspective, they have identified and eliminated the source of the outbreak, in conjunction with the health department. They have not hidden the fact that there was an outbreak - since I know what hotel it is, I did a quick Google search for just the hotel name and the news stories showed up. That's not to say that you should have done a search on the hotel, I'm just saying that they weren't trying to cover it up. I personally wouldn't expect a hotel to contact me ahead of my reservation to tell me that people who had been there previously had gotten sick, especially if the source had been identified and removed. Keep in mind also that the hotel staff are not health officials, and they don't have every answer to every question. I can imagine their stance is: it happened; we fixed it; we're telling you that it happened and we fixed it; we hope you enjoy your stay.</p> <p>While I understand that you are upset, I don't think the hotel should reasonably have been expected to contact you or offer other accommodations. Based on my knowledge of the situation and illness, I don't think you put yourself or your baby in any danger. In the unlikely event that you do get sick, knowing that you were somewhere that had previously reported cases of Legionnaires' disease would probably help speed diagnosis. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280673 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:33:29 +0000 travelgirl1 280673@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks guys. </p> <p>@oliviaoblivia: No they didn't offer us anywhere else to stay, nor did they mention we could cancel penalty free. But you raise a fair point; we stayed because we'd paid in advance, it was late at night and we don't know Chicago, plus it was labour day weekend so most places were full so we would have had to trawl the streets trying to find somewhere else to stay, and at 31 weeks pregnant, I'd have struggled with that.</p> <p>@Coco Bee: That's exactly how I feel, like I didn't have any choice BUT to stay... if they'd just have given us 24-hours advance notice I could have got online and sorted an alternative but when you arrive at night with no means of finding somewhere else, it's hard.</p> <p>@mrbee: You're right, just a letter back would be nice. I don't expect anything else, I just want to make my point that I don't feel I had a choice. Finding somewhere else to stay late at night is not that easy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280643 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:53:53 +0000 Mrs. Pen 280643@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes definitely write them. This would make me so uneasy... I just think about what it would have been like had I been bringing my SON on vaca with me... what would I do?!? </p> <p>I do think it was very unprofessional of them to not forewarn guests. It sounds like it would have been more stressful trying to stay somewhere else at that point.</p> <p>I have no idea what legionairres is either, but considering three people died it sounds like a huge issue and I wouldn't tread lightly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280641 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:42:15 +0000 MamaMoose 280641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would absolutely write a letter explaining your feelings that you should have been notified prior to arrival and been given full disclosure of the situation. Honestly I would have insisted that they refund my money and I would have stayed elsewhere. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280640 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:41:48 +0000 oliviaoblivia 280640@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did the hotel offer to find somewhere else to stay? I'm not clear on why you stayed there when you felt so uncomfortable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280629 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:08:24 +0000 stargal 280629@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i would for sure complain and def write to them, they should of warned you about it before you even got to the hotel its their responsiblity in my opinion. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280618 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:40:47 +0000 mrbee 280618@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travelgirl1: I would definitely write them a letter! Even when they did tell you what happened when you checked in, their disclosure didn't mention that 3 people had died, for heaven's sake!!</p> <p>They will probably give you a discount on future stays or something... but even just a letter back would be nice! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280612 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:37:56 +0000 loveisstrange 280612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No. I would not drop it. 3 guests DIED. I would take it as high up as you need to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280611 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:37:46 +0000 sorrycharlie 280611@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have the slightest idea what legionnaires is, but I'd complain. They definitely should have given you the option of no-fee cancellation at check-in when they told you about the outbreak, IMO. Esp if 3 people DIED?! what the heck? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/our-hotel-had-a-legionnaires-outbreak-should-i-complain#post-280610 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:34:53 +0000 travelgirl1 280610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is a long one folks, sorry : ) </p> <p>On Friday we took our babymoon to Chicago. We'd booked into a nice hotel, thinking it was our last chance to splurge. Anyway, when we checked in the concierge said they had some info they'd like to share with us and handed over a letter detailing their recent legionnaires outbreak that had seen 'a number' of guests fall ill between July and August. They'd indentified the source of the outbreak as being in a decorative fountain in the lobby, and the same bacteria had been found in the spa, pool and locker rooms. The fountain had been removed, the other areas shut off, and the department of health had now declared them safe. </p> <p>But I was defo not happy! The concierge could tell by the look on my face and answered my questions about air conditioning and showers but I was really uneasy. We'd pre-paid and we don't know Chicago at all and didn't fancy trying to find somwhere else late on labour day weekend so we carried on with check in. Then, in the room, we turned on the TV and it was all over the news, and we learned three guests at the hotel had died. </p> <p>I couldn't relax all weekend, and hated taking showers. I feel like I have taken risks in my pregnancy, but educated ones, and they are risks I've CHOSEN to take, knowing the facts. In this instance, because we weren't pre-warned, I feel I didn't have much choice but to take this risk and so feel quite guilty I could have put the baby in danger. </p> <p>On check out, I explained this to the concierge and said I wish they'd told us before we arrived then we could have found somewhere else. He was really good at explaining their stance but I still feel like I should put my complaint in writing. In my opinion, they should have notified us and given us the choice of cancellation.</p> <p>Am I being harsh? Should I just drop it? I don't want compensation from them, I just want my concerns to be taken seriously - and I guess relieve a bit of my guilt at putting the baby in danger.</p> <p>What would you do? </p>