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Council hears update: Wyndham Hotel investigation prompts convention relocations; management estimates three-month window
Summary
City officials and tourism staff told the Springfield City Council that Wyndham Hotel management estimates repairs will take about three months and that the city and local tourism staff are relocating conventions and providing shuttle service as needed.
City tourism and legal officials told the Springfield City Council on April 1 that the Wyndham Hotel incident now under investigation has prompted active relocation of conventions and that hotel management has given an estimated three-month window for repairs.
Corporation counsel Mordock briefed the council that an investigation is underway and deferred operational details to tourism staff and to Director Dahl. Scott Dahl, identified in the meeting as the tourism director working with VISTA Springfield staff, said his office has worked since the prior Thursday with the Springfield Hotel Lodging Association and Wyndham management to relocate groups, provide shuttle service where needed, and to keep events downtown.
"We've been successfully moving these groups and relocating them, providing shuttle service when we need to," Director Dahl said. He told the council that groups are being contacted daily and "so far so good" in keeping attendees in Springfield and preserving future bookings.
Dahl told council members that Wyndham management issued a statement saying the repair window would be about three months, and staff are planning on a 90- to 120-day disruption window for some group reservations. He said city staff have asked affected groups to reach out first to Wyndham management and then to the city bureau if further repositioning is needed.
Mordock and Dahl said the city team has been communicating directly with Wyndham management and that ownership has been communicating with fire safety, public works, and the police department. Dahl said the city has not communicated directly with the hotel's ownership group and that discussions with owners are being handled by the mayor's office and corporation counsel.
Council members praised the tourism bureau's response and asked for continued weekly updates as relocation work continues through the convention season.
No formal action or emergency order was taken by the council at the April 1 meeting; the briefing was recorded as an update from staff.
