NYC crane collapse leaves hotel guests stranded with no refunds
Tourists who booked stays at a Hell’s Kitchen hotel were burning mad Thursday after the crane collapse nearby nixed their reservations — and had them screaming for refunds.
The YOTEL hotel at 570 Tenth Avenue — down the block from the construction site where the crane caught fire 45-stories above the street Wednesday morning — allowed some guests to run in to grab their luggage, but others who had been looking forward to checking in said they were kept on the sidewalk.
“I wanted to cry but I couldn’t because I couldn’t even believe it,” said Melissa Gomez, 29, who arrived from Spain on Wednesday for a week-long birthday trip.
“We spent three hours waiting but we couldn’t check in,” said Gomez, who planned the dream vacation months ago.
“The travel agent had to send us to a hotel in New Jersey.”
Other tourists said they also had to change plans and book rooms at other hotels Wednesday night after the blaze caused the crane’s 180-foot boom to crash into a neighboring building before it slammed into the pavement.
“I am frustrated,” Kim LeCobe, a hospital manager from Montreal, Canada, told The Post, saying her $300-a-night reservation at the Hell’s Kitchen hotel was abruptly canceled.
Tourists who had rooms booked at YOTEL in Hell’s Kitchen wait for a chance to retrieve their luggage after Wednesday’s crane collapse. Robert Miller
Kim LeCobe, a tourist from Montreal, said she had to plunk down $400 for two nights at a different city hotel. Robert Miller
“I feel bad. I rode six hours to be here,” LeCobe said. “I am here for three days.”
Another tourist said he flew in from Albania with his wife last week for a planned week-long stay.
He said he checked in and plunked down $1,500 — but now the hotel won’t let him back inside or give him a refund.
“It’s canceled,” the traveler, who only gave his name as Mr. West, said Thursday. “Oh s–t! … Who will refund me this money?”
A 180-foot metal boom plunged onto Tenth Avenue Wednesday morning after a 45-story construction crane burst into flames. James Messerschmidt for NY Post
Tourists with rooms booked at YOTEL in Hell’s Kitchen wait to retrieve their luggage or check in. Several guests said they’ve yet to get refunds. Robert Miller
The traveler said he had funds to stay at another hotel but, “My problem is I booked, I paid.”
“What happens to my money?” he said. “I called the hotel. They don’t pick up.”
Police were shooing visitors away from the hotel for safety reasons on Thursday, as crews worked to clear the area of debris from the collapse, which left 12 people with minor injuries.
“All the families who were here had to take their luggage with them,” Gomez said.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t know where we’re going to sleep,” she continued. “Nobody has helped us. Nobody. It’s not fair.”
Authorities said 12 people, including three city firefighters, were hurt when a 180-foot-long boom crashed onto 10th Avenue during a construction crane mishap on Wednesday morning. None of them were seriously injured, officials said. James Messerschmidt for NY Post
Calls to YOTEL led to an automated voice menu that directs callers to a series of options.
A voicemail on calls directed to “reservations” states that the hotel is receiving a high volume of calls, and says YOTEL has instituted new safety measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
YOTEL corporate officials did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
A worker at the hotel on Thursday directed The Post to call the company’s headquarters in London.
“Right now we have not been told anything,” the employee said. “We are waiting on the [city Department of] Buildings to tell us what to do.”
Source: New York Post
