To whom it may concern:
My name is Talena Mitchell and I’ am a former employee of the Hilton Garden Inn, Located at 2035 Aerotech drive, Colorado Springs Colorado, 80910.
The reason for this letter is to file a complaint against the company and see if we as a community can bring safety and awareness to the establishment. I began employment there 6-10-10 and my employment ended 5-10-11. In this time I have seen this company do some hazard and unsanitary things. I had to contact OSHA on or around 5-02-11 because the company was no longer ordering proper supplies from our vendors because the company was going through financial burdens. Because of those reason other employees including myself were forced to pour a hazard chemical (bleach) manually into our washing machines. My reason for calling OSHA was because the General Manager was informed by my self and my former co- worker about the danger of pouring bleach above our heads. Her response was, “that is dangerous”, and she left the matter alone and we had to continue to pour the bleach with no protective gear. My former co- worker and I were at work on or about 5-1-11 and my co- worker spilled bleach on the front of her shirt and face and it almost got in her eyes, so I proceeded to the eye wash station to turn it on for her to clean the splatter of her face and make sure it did not get in her eye, and the eye wash station was very dirty and dusty and it did not have any solution or water in it what so ever. I felt like at that point enough is enough and something must be done before someone gets hurts. I called OSHA and they did contact The Company and gave The Hilton Garden Inn five days to try and resolve the situation and send the proper documentation proving the problem has been rectified.
Then On 5-6-11 One of the guest called to the office to inform them that he had been bitten by a bed bug. I worked in the laundry room so the Executive House keeper came in the laundry to inform me of the infestation and told me to be aware and look at the linen closely for preventive measures. The General Manager then come into the laundry shortly after that and yelled at the executive housekeeper for informing me of the infestation because I asked the General Manager about the infestation and wanted to know what measures they were going to take to fix the problem, especially because I deal with all the linen and I have small children at home and needed to be cautious, I have knowledge of how bad the epidemic of Bed bugs are in Colorado how easily they can be spread. I ended up terminating myself from the Hilton Garden Inn because everyday I felt there was some safety violation and my health was in serious danger. I also took pictures of the Black mold that is located in the linen drop closet in the laundry room. We requested that be taken care of over a year ago because of the frequent exposure. A former supervisor by the name of Mary Ann also witnessed the mold over a year ago and put in a request for maintenance to apply Kills to the mold and the General Manager Patricia Victor at that time was suppose to get someone to come out and cut the dry wall out and replace it. At this time nothing has been done and the mold is still in the closet and growing up the wall. I also know that at the time of the Bed bug incident I was still employed and the mattress still remained in the room and not properly disposed of. From my understanding the mattress still is in the room after the reported Bite from the guest and NOT ONLY DID THE ROOM NOT GET FUMIGATED PROPERLY, THE GENERAL MANAGER IS STILL RENTING OUT THE ROOM TO OTHER GUEST. I also know there has been another report of a bed bug bite on or around 5-15-11. I still have former co-workers that I have grown to respect and work hard and can’t leave the job because their options are very limited. I still feel as though because I was fortunate enough to get out of the situation that everyone isn’t and it’s not fair for all the employees of the Hilton Garden Inn be treated unfair and constantly put in dangerous situations because they are less fortunate. I’m sure this is not the first or the last complaint you have for the Hilton Garden Inn Colorado springs but I would really appreciate if someone would please just take a closer look at this company and see the health violations that both the employees and guest are subjected to on a day to day basis. It also came to my attention that someone else since I have not been in the facility has reported a bed bug bite and still nothing has been done to contain the infestation. To whom it may concern again I no longer work for the company but there are still mothers with families and guest with families that I feel should not be subjected to filth for personal gain. On my last day of employment The General manager had 12 rooms out of order because of the infestation and since then has rented those rooms to guest without proper fumigation. From my understanding the Owner by the name of Slavic last name unknown has been informed also of all the negligence in the Hotel and he in turn has done nothing. With more investigation of the facility I have found documents stating that one of the owner’s of New Horizons LLC who carries the Hilton name has been charged with exposing guest and other employees to Asbestos in a sister company The Holiday Inn, In Fresno Colorado. I can see violations and health hazards my self personally and I’m not a qualified inspector but I can recognize when my health and the health of others are in danger. I must say when I started working for the company things were a little more structured and recently I have watched the company go into debt or act as if the company is in debt and since 01-01-11 I have watched the company take major short cuts and do things not of Hilton brand or standard. I have been in the laundry room where there was no money for supplies (laundry detergent and bleach) and we were required to continue to wash the linen. I can say that has happened twice and I haven’t seen it happen in a while but that is just one of the many examples of what kind of business The Hilton Garden Inn is now. I feel as though the company only follows the guidelines of a safe and clean hotel when the Hotel is due for Inspection. I have experienced an inspection with the company and I know there was forged paper work because things were not being done by the former Executive House keeper and the General Manager let it go on all the way up until inspection. In turn the former Executive house keeper was fired for her negligence and, The Executive house keeper now was hired on the clean up the mess before the inspection along with me and a few other former employees. I submitted some pics to give you an example of how the mold looks in the linen closet in the laundry room, how shampoo and conditioner is stored and how there is a crate full of used shampoo and conditioner that gets refilled from other have used bottles and placed back in the rooms for other guest, how we were manually pouring bleach and a picture of the washing machine and how the product for the machining is missing.

If you have any more questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. 719-646-8232 Talena Mitchell