EPIC update: Tourist who died from Legionnaires disease didn’t contract it from hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

Breaking news from the Miami-Dade Health Department says the EPIC hotel is not responsible for the death of a guest who contracted Legionnaires disease.

Earlier this week it was reported that one guest died and two others remain ill after contracting Legionnaires disease from contaminated water at the EPIC Hotel in Miami. However, results of a recent investigation from the health department says differently.

According to a last minute news conference on Wednesday night (Dec. 16, 2009), investigations of the hotel’s water and infiltration system revealed that there is no connection between the EPIC hotel and the bacteria that causes Legionnaires.

USA Today reports, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Atlanta contacted Miami-Dade Health officials to tell them that testing proved that the strain of legionelle bacteria that affected the patient who died was associated with a different source.”

The EPIC hotel, a member of the Kimpton Hotel family, remains closed while the investigation continues.

Playboy makes a play for South Beach hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s a whole new kind of sexy coming to Miami’s hotel scene.

Rumor has it, Playboy wants to buy out the struggling Sagamore hotel giving the Playboy Bunnies and of course, paying hotel guests, a new place to call home (at least for a night).

The Sagamore, located on trendy Collins Avenue, has apparently missed its last three mortgage payments, and Playboy wants to come to its rescue. And why not? The Sagamore has prided itself as an artsy, luxury South Beach hotel complete with 93 one- and two-bedroom suites, a penthouse and 900-square-foot bungalow suites with spiral staircases and connecting bedrooms, which I can only imagine mirrors something similar to the Playboy mansion.

At the news of the Sagamore’s $31.5 million foreclosure lawsuit, Playboy put plans in motion to market a version of its popular Las Vegas Playboy Club in South Beach. Playboy founder and icon Hugh Hefner, and his brood of beauties, are said to be adding their own redecorating on the hotel suites. Guests willing to pay a premier could sleep in a redesigned Hugh Hefner suite.

What are the chances Hef brings his riveting E! TV Show “The Girl’s Next Door” to South Beach? Seems likely… if plans for the Playboy takeover go forward, the Sagamore will trade in its lavish art scene for bunny-clad waitresses and VIP lounges, according to reports in Florida’s Sun Sentinel.

No official announcement has been made but you can be sure we’re watching this transaction closely. If the Playboy financing goes through, things could get even steamier on South Beach.

Photo credit: Caballero, Miller/Getty

EPIC Hotel guest dies after contracting Legionnaire’s Disease

by Melanie Nayer on

The EPIC hotel in Miami has stopped booking new guests after one guest died and two more fell ill from contracting Legionnaire’s Disease at the hotel earlier this fall.

The EPIC, a Kimpton Hotel, has transferred all current guests to nearby hotels while the Miami-Dade Health Department investigates the situation. Legionnaire’s disease is an acute respiratory infection usually contracted from infected water delivery systems.

Earlier this year, the EPIC made efforts to improve its drinking water throughout the hotel. The Miami Herald reports: “An investigation this week by county and state officials revealed that the hotel had installed a water filter powerful enough to remove chlorine from its city-supplied water, a move that encouraged bacterial growth.”

The hotel has been closed indefinitely to new guests but remains open while hotel staff and the health department resolve the issue. The hotel posted a note on its website detailing the precautionary measures currently being taken:

  • Immediate notification and communication of precautionary measures to guests and staff
  • Relocation of guests to area hotels to maximize guest care and minimize inconvenience
  • Efforts underway to notify future guests booked during this time, to make alternative arrangements
  • Worked together with the health department to conduct a thorough inspection of the hotel’s water system
  • Proceeded with all remedial procedures in conjunction with the health department to restore full system operations

There is no immediate reopen date on the hotel’s website.

Story via HotelChatter