NYC crane collapse leaves hotel guests stranded — with holes in their wallets
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.
“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?”
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.”
YOTEL said on Friday morning it’s been cleared to reopen.
“Following the incident on W 40th Street and 10th Avenue on Wednesday July 26, all buildings in the area were evacuated and our hotel was part of the ongoing investigation which resulted in it being closed for two nights,” the hotel said in a statement.
“We have now received clearance to reopen the hotel and all reservations for tonight will be able to check-in as usual. We sincerely apologize for the disruption and inconvenience caused, our guest and Crew safety is always our top priority and we look forward to welcoming our guests back today.”
