Downtown Omaha hotel reverses course, closes pool shortly after KETV interview

The Omaha Holiday Inn Downtown Waterpark hotel told KETV it opted to close its pool on Tuesday afternoon, more than two months after the Douglas County Health Department ordered the pool’s closure.In that time, Douglas County Health Department Environmental Health Division Chief Eric Bradley says the franchise, owned by Anant Hotels, has accumulated “several hundred misdemeanors.”Anant Hotels opted to close the pool soon after the company president, Kirt Trivedi, finished interviewing with KETV. About 45 minutes after the interview concluded, he called to say the pool had just been closed.Anant operates 10 other hotels in Nebraska, and another in Topeka, Kansas, according to the company’s website.Hotel covered closure notices, health department says Bradley, the health department’s environmental safety chief, said hotel management covered the county’s violation and safety warnings with other signage, preventing attendees from knowing about the violations and an inspector identified on Dec. 16 last year. The inspector ordered the immediate closure that day, according to the health department.An Omaha mom said when bringing her 8-year-old daughter to her birthday party on Friday, she did not see any posted warning. Trivedi said he did not know if the hotel covered closure and safety notices.”I would have to look into that one,” he told KETV Investigates. “I don’t want to comment on something I’m not familiar with.”Health department elaborates on violationsOn Friday, the county went public with the warning, advising not to swim at the hotel.A week ago Tuesday, Bradley said he went to the hotel as Omaha police cited Trivedi for the violations.”There was a chlorine smell even in the lobby,” Bradley said. “When it’s high, that means the chemistry is unbalanced. So that can be issues like headaches, burning to the eyes.”He elaborated on the waterpark’s violations during an interview on Tuesday. The county has not yet responded to a public records request for inspection records, but Bradley told KETV Investigates violations included:A new disinfectant system that wasn’t approved by the stateA pH level high in the pool and the splash padLow chlorine level at the splash padStructural concerns, including loose handrailsBradley also said the inspector noted the hotel was feeding the pool with chemicals by hand after removing its automatic feeders.As for the alleged unapproved disinfectant change, the county health department said the Nebraska Department of Water Environment and Energy notified the department in January that Anant began the approval process. The health department said they learned on Feb. 23 that NDWEE had “received everything needed from the pool to make a decision, except for a review fee.”Hotel respondsTrivedi told KETV Investigates over the phone on Tuesday the health department’s closure order is not based in fact. He said he made the decision to close the pool in order to “keep the temperature mellow.””It’s unfortunate that things got to this level,” he said on the phone. “But as partners, people can make mistakes, and I’m okay with that. Let’s just sit down, look at the facts, and correct any errors that may have been made on either side.”He said: “There’s a comment about the water system. Well, we’re still using the same water system that the hotel originally opened with, so there has to be a clerical error somewhere.” “I cannot bankrupt the business because of a clerical error,” he said. “This is why I’ve been calling them to sit down and show me what’s going on and look at our stuff. We want to work and be a good partner, but not please look at the facts so it doesn’t annihilate our business, impact our guests, our employees, and etcetera.”He said he’d “drop everything” to meet with the Douglas County Health Department. Bradley told KETV he’s only been able to speak to Trivedi a few times. He said: “I’ve been doing this for 29 years across four different states. And this is the first time I’ve ever had to go to these lengths to try to get compliance. Most of the pools, even our restaurants, they voluntarily close until they get the issue fixed.”Bradley said fixing issues often takes days or less.Trivedi said health, safety, and transparency are top priority for Anant Hotels. He said they check water quality every four hours, and they keep documentation. He has not yet provided the records to KETV Investigates.An employee of the hotel agreed with Trivedi there is not a problem with the water. She offered to drink the pool water in front of a KETV camera, and she did appear to take a sip of the water. It happened after Trivedi agreed to allow KETV to get video at the waterpark.Parents’ concernThe mom interviewed by KETV, Sarah Jelinek, said she did not know anything was wrong until she saw a news report soon after being at the waterpark. Her daughter wanted to go swimming again in the morning after staying at the hotel, but she didn’t allow it.”I think the hotel needs to be held accountable for keeping it open and letting people risk their health and their safety when they go in,” she said. She said the floor of the pool was unusually rough, and her daughter’s feet were scratched.KETV asked if Jelinek was reassured by the company’s statements and by the staff member who drank pool water.”Absolutely not,” she said in a text. “Hope she doesn’t get sick.” IHG Hotels hasn’t responded to requests for comment about the franchise’s situation. KETV submitted a public records request for inspection records, but has not yet received a response.Anant Hotels’ full statement”The health, safety, and well-being of our guests and team members remain our highest priority. We operate in compliance with all applicable local and state regulations and follow strict operational protocols designed to meet and exceed public health and safety requirements.Our team conducts regular inspections, water quality testing, staff training, and facility maintenance to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone. We take the current concerns about mechanical, chemical and safety standards very seriously and are conducting thorough, timely investigations to ensure full compliance and transparency. We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in all aspects of our operations. We appreciate the trust our community places in us and will continue to uphold the highest standards of safety and integrity.”The County requires water quality testing to be conducted once per week in accordance with applicable health regulations. In addition to meeting this requirement, Anant Hotels conducts internal water quality inspections every four hours while the facility is in operation. All testing data is carefully documented, recorded, and maintained on file for review as needed to ensure accountability, compliance, and transparency.”Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |