TORONTO – The Westin Harbour Castle hotel in downtown Toronto had to be evacuated following a burst water pipe that caused flooding throughout the building early Tuesday morning.
Operators of the hotel, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, said the burst pipe originated from the 35th floor penthouse suite and caused massive flooding down to the floors below.
A video posted on social media by a guest on the 33rd floor showed water heavily flowing down a stairwell.
Fire crews attended to the scene just after midnight to help clear the excess water in the building.
“Hotel engineers continue to assess the damage and work on the pipe restoration,” said Starwood Hotels & Resorts public relations manager Dan Young in a statement.
“The hotel team is serving complimentary hot breakfast and coffee and tea in the lobby to guests. We are sorry this happened as our whole business is about delivering a great guest experience.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of guests were displaced to the hotel lobby for the better part of the early morning hours.
Staff said the water has since been turned off and patrons are being supplied with bottled water.
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“We know it’s not how our guests planned to start their day and we thank them for their cooperation during this unexpected incident,” said Young.
The hotel also said it is also not accepting any new bookings for the time being. However, anyone with confirmed reservations are still being welcomed.
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Witnesses said the hotel alarm went off and many guests were directed by staff to leave their rooms.
Several people even took to Twitter to question why they were not allowed to exit their rooms during the evacuation.
There’s no word yet on the extent of the damages.
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