On November 29th, 2007, the participants were environmental health specialists but they said that the conditions that they have discovered when they checked into the Tropicana Casino and Resort this summer were far below their standard. The National Environmental Health Association from Denver was so disappointed with their stay at the Tropicana casino this June 2007 that they do not plan to pay the remaining $22,000 out of their $97,000 bill, according to testimony before the state Casino Control Commission.
The Commission is currently reviewing on whether or not to renew the license of Tropicana, because of employee layoffs that critics said have left the casino/hotel understaffed. The health association’s executive director, Nelson Fabian, wrote in a September 24th, 2007 letter to the management of the Tropicana casino that was made public by the casino commission commented that he usually tries very hard to find something positive to say when he was composing a letter of complaint. But he said that it is virtually impossible in this case.
The lawyers for Tropicana casino tried to prevent the letter from being made public but the request was denied. Some of the problems that the letter states included cockroaches, bedbugs, bad food, poor Internet connection, poor customer service and an incident were a maid was found eating the remains of the room service of a participant.
Tropicana president Mark Giannantonio commented that the complaints are still being investigated but said that he is having a hard time believing most of the comments. Fabian said that his organization and the Tropicana casino are trying to talk about a settlement and declined to comment on the issue. But he said that if they are content with their experience, they will not send the letter.
Columbia Sussex Corporation has cut down nearly 900 jobs since taking over the Tropicana Casino in January 2007. Giannantonio said that about five incidents of graffiti against Columbia Sussex or their owner, William Yung III, as well as acts of vandalism that happened when eighty cleaning crew workers were laid off. But Giannantonio said that things have changed and the environment around the casino has improved.
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