WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and SportsLocal hotel closed following health violations

Local hotel closed following health violations

Eau Claire (WQOW) - The Health Department shuts down an entire wing of an Eau Claire hotel. Inspectors say they found public health hazards inside the Country Hearth Inn and Suites on Hendrickson Drive.

Health inspectors say an anonymous complaint led to Wednesday's inspection at Country Hearth Inn and Suites in Eau Claire. "We felt that there were significant enough issues to warrant a fairly substantial inspection," said Courtenay Johnson, Director of Environmental Health. "Routine? This doesn't happen. "

Johnson says the Health Department inspected dozens of rooms, and found many violations. "We did focus our investigation on one area of the hotel where the complaints were coming from. Complaints of un-sanitary conditions and poor maintenance of the hotel in general."

After finding things like fire hazards, mold and bed-bug infestation the Health Department closed an entire wing of the hotel, or about 50 rooms, which is almost half what the hotel offers. "Some of the rooms in general were in poor repair," said Johnson. "The people occupying those rooms had caused damage to the floors, the ceilings, the furniture. It was just in the best interest of the health and safety of the general public as well as the hotel to close that wing down."

The hotel's manager, Arun Amin, says they're addressing the problem. "We are starting from today to do those things, because I want my property to be clean."

The Health Department is working with the hotel owner to bring the rooms in question up to standard. Together they have set up a list of repairs and a deadline for those improvements to be done. Following that, the Health Department will re-inspect the hotel. If everything goes well the wing could be reopened. The Health Department says it inspects all area hotels and motels at least once a year.