Man Says He Will Boycott Holiday Inn after Columbus, Ohio ‘Winter Wickedness’ Perversion-Fest Goes Forward

We received this correspondence from Bob Knight, an Idaho man who has decided to boycott Holiday Inn hotels after the Holiday Inn Columbus-Worthington elected not to cancel a deviant sex event called “Winter Wickedness.” We’ll have more tomorrow on the perversion-fest, which went forward on Friday and Saturday night but only under intense media and police scrutiny, after thousands of called poured in to Holiday Inn and InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns the Holiday Inn brand. Thank you to the many AFTAH readers who, like Bob below, took action against this incredibly evil event. Please read these three messages in reverse chronological order; the most recent is at the top; the middle e-mail is IHG’s standard response sent to those who wrote in condemning “Winter Wickedness”:

________________________________

From: Bob Knight
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 12:49 PM
To: \’+AMER HI [Holiday Inn]-Guest Relations (IHG [InterContinental Hotels Group])\’
Subject:  Holiday Inn Columbus-Worthington, OH.

Thank you for your reply, and because it is completely unsatisfactory, I will no longer be using Holiday Inn for any of my overnight stay needs. I find it reprehensible that any responsible company or person would allow this type of an event to be held in one of their \”brand\” businesses. As well, I will be forwarding your response, including the original message that I sent to your office, to inform my friends and acquaintances about your lack of concern in regard to this situation.

Thank you,
Bob Knight
[Melba, Idaho]

________________________________________

From: +AMER HI-Guest Relations (IHG) [HI-GuestRelations@ihg.com]
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 12:17 PM
To: [Bob Knight]
Subject: Holiday Inn Columbus-Worthington, OH.

Dear Mr. Knight,
Thank you for contacting InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) regarding the Holiday Inn Columbus-Worthington, OH. We appreciate the time you have invested to share your comments with us. The Holiday Inn Columbus-Worthington is independently owned and managed by Alliance Hotels & Resorts (Alliance). The Holiday Inn brand did not endorse nor approve the reported activities associated with this group. Alliance has chosen, due to its understanding of its contractual obligations, to allow the group to maintain their reservation. Alliance has assured Holiday Inn that the property is taking every measure to isolate the group to a limited area within the hotel, the event will not be marketed in public areas of the hotel, and that all group events will take place in meeting areas that in addition to being isolated will also be inaccessible to those who are not part of this group. It is our understanding that the hotel has taken several other precautionary measures to manage the impact of this event, including hiring extra security guards. Also, all guests with existing reservations have been notified of this event and have been offered alternate accommodations at a nearby hotel, and the hotel’s inventory has been closed to incoming guests during the event. Once again, thank you for contacting us. I sincerely hope that this experience does not deter you from selecting IHG for your future lodging needs. ———————- Original Message as sent on 2/5/2009

________________________________________

From: Bob Knight
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2009
To: \’+AMER HI-Guest Relations (IHG)\’
Subject: RE: Holiday Inn Columbus-Worthington, OH.

I would like to voice my deepest concerns about the event being held this weekend, called \”Winter Wickedness,\” which is set for the Holiday Inn Columbus-Worthington Hotel. This event, reportedly, is scheduled to feature classes “on \’gangbang\’ fantasies and various acts of sadomasochistic perversion and consensual sexualized violence, including subjecting fellow participants to hot wax torture, whipping, \’cutting\’ and needles, and being stapled with an electric staple gun.\” Frankly, I am utterly amazed that a hotel chain with the \”family reputation\” that the Holiday Inn brand has would even consider endangering their market base.

By allowing anti-family and socially unacceptable practices you are placing your clientele at harm’s risk. I recently read an article about a 22-month old child who found a used condom between the cushions of a couch in a hotel room. This took place somewhere in the Philadelphia, PA, area. This child proceeded to place the condom in its mouth and swallow the contents. The family is obviously horrified, not knowing if the contents contained any form of venereal diseases or AIDS virus — let alone just the mere thought of what an innocent child had just swallowed. The hotel is now facing [a lawsuit], and the suit contends that Homewood Suites and its subsidiaries, Hilton and Blackstone, put the boy at risk by leaving the \”life threatening\” item in the room and subjecting the boy to an increased risk of contracting a \”sexually transmitted disease, including HIV or AIDS, or some other, potentially life-threatening, potentially fatal illness.\”

Should the Winter Wickedness event take place as scheduled, you can rest assured that neither I nor my family will use the Holiday Inn or any of its subsidiaries for lodging again. As well, I have friends, family, and business acquaintances that I am sharing this news story with. Please carefully weigh the social, economic, and health risks that your company is entering into.

With sincere regard,
Bob Knight
[Melba, Idaho]