Call Samuel Jackson out to the The Country Inn and Suites by Radisson in Germantown, Wisconsin. They’ve got snakes in the pool. And the hot tub. And in the hallway.
Michelle Griese said she and several other hotel guests witnessed multiple snakes slithering in the hot tub, pool area, hallway and other parts of the hotel on the night of Saturday, Aug. 12. Griese had planned to stay at the hotel that night with her four-year-old son while they visited her boyfriend’s mother.
According to the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department’s report on the incident, the snakes ranged in size from “up to few feet long” to “less than a foot.” The snakes are believed to be northern water snakes and likely came from wetlands behind the hotel.
Guests took it upon themselves to remove two snakes from the pool. But there was still one in the hot tub. On the way back from the pool area, these guests were confronted by another snake, and watched it enter a guest room. She heard a TV on in the room, so knew someone was inside. She knocked on the door to let the guest know. The man inside tried to catch it with a plunger from the bathroom.
A woman who declined to stay on property reported they refused full refunds, with the hotel requiring 50% forfeiture of the room rate. A manager claimed, that despite photos, guests were “overreacting” and snakes never entered any guest rooms.
Choice Hotels, which has acquired Radisson, refused comment noting that the property is a franchise. They want you to think they’re a hotel chain until something goes wrong. The hotel blames a guest for the snakes.
While this is certainly an unfortunate occurrence, it was an isolated event. … We also want the public to know that it is our understanding the species of the snake(s), represented no imminent danger or threat of harm to our guests. As stated in the public Washington County Health Department report, it is believed the snake(s) entered our pool area through a set of Emergency Doors that had been propped open by a guest.
We have taken additional operational steps in an effort to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident in the future. Since Saturday 8/12/23, we have had no snake related incidents within our building.
The hotel acknowledged they’d been dealing with snakes for days. But it was hotel staff, not any outside service, addressing them. Snakes in a hotel room and pool have been reported at this hotel before as well.
The problem here is not the snakes.
The problem here is why the snakes are in the hotel.
(The snakes are, yes, a problem if they are venomous, which is unlikely in Wisconsin, or if you are phobic).
But a hotel with repeated snake problems is almost certainly also a hotel with repeated *mice* problems, because that’s probably what the snakes are eating. I’d need to know which species, but I would lay bets on rat snakes or racers, which are far from above entering human dwellings to help with our vermin problems…
THe hotel likely added a fee for the snakes.
While I’ve never seen Snakes On A Plane I always wondered what Samuel Jackson was going to do with the handgun he was brandishing in the stills. Presumably the plane was in the air so shooting holes in the fuselage would be kind of a bad idea.
Wow! When did the hospitality industry become so them against me? 50% Unacceptable! I’d walk out the door and call cc company to stop the charge. Tired of the ‘Franchised’ excuse. Take the sign down if your gonna operate a rouge hotel under a trade name.
I’m not a snake person. If they’re not poisonous that’s a plus but I still don’t want to stay where they are. When I first saw this story I thought it would be down south-probably Florida.
How rich to see the lengths they went to avoid any (even partial) responsibility.
I got a full night free from the Best Western in Rapid City, SD because the floor was very wet in my room. Seems like snakes on the property is a lot worse than wet carpet.
Oh, the snakes aren’t venomous? Well then, what’s the big deal? I am ridiculously terrified of snakes, and I might have jumped out the window if one came slithering into my room. I know we’re good hardy stock in the Upper Midwest, but the people who run this hotel are truly clueless. I’m waiting for the animal-rights people to attack the hotel for allowing snakes to be harmed by the chemicals in their pool. I’ll bet the cost of snake-proof fencing is far greater than a few room refunds. A bunch of bozos.
It’s quite fascinating how hotels will go to great lengths in gaslighting every single time they get called out for whatever. In this example they went so far as to blame it on a guest for leaving open a gate. Yes, snakes in the hotel because guests were careless so it’s not our responsibility. Right up the line to Choice Hotels passing it on as a franchise property,