REPORT FROM MEXICO—Hurricane Odile, a Category 3 storm delivering 125 mph winds, crashed through the Baja California peninsula in Mexico Sunday night and damaged some hotels in the area. Cabo San Lucas, a heavy tourist town, was directly affected by the storm Monday.
Although media reports cite approximately 135 people injured, no deaths have been reported.
“Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort was directly affected by Hurricane Odile,” according to a statement sent to Hotel News Now from Hilton Worldwide Holdings.
There is no definitive assessment of the damage to the resort, according to the statement. However, the hotel is no longer accepting reservations.
Shai Zelering, senior VP of operations at Thayer Lodging Group, which owns the 375-room hotel through a joint venture with MetLife, echoed Hilton’s statement, telling HNN it has not been possible to gain access to the destination to assess the damage.
Airports in Cabo San Lucas remain closed. Zelering said there are plans in place to enter the destination via airports in California. Only then will executives have a clearer picture of the extent of damage.
“We will reexamine the hotel status once a full assessment of physical damage has been completed,” according to Hilton’s statement.
Other hotels in the area have reported damage, according to reports, including the Meliá Cabo Real and Hyatt Place Los Cabos.
Approximately 30,000 tourists were displaced due to the hurricane, according to NBC News.
Many hotels in the area have been set up as relief centers, Zelering said, noting the storm developed quickly and evolved rapidly within 12 hours. The Hilton Los Cabos is accommodating about 700 guests, he said.
“The Hilton team on property did a phenomenal job getting everybody into the ballroom and evacuating the rooms,” Zelering said. “Guests have been raving about the service from the associates there. Everybody is incredibly accommodating, and it’s quite impressive to see what the hotel team is doing there, embracing the situation in very high spirits.”
He said the first step is simply getting to the destination, but executives are confident the property will be up and running in “no time.”
“We are very encouraged by the speed that everybody is working in getting the supplies (in) and getting the guests out of there,” he said.
Further effects?
Matt Marquis, president of Pacifica Hotels, said none of his properties have seen damage from the hurricane. The boutique owner and operator has 23 properties in California, including one that sits about 10 miles from the Mexico border, which saw no damage at the time of the interview, he said.
“Most of the damage has been in Mexico. I haven't heard of much damage in California,” Marquis said.
He added there is a possibility of Phoenix and Las Vegas seeing some effects of the hurricane, such as flooding.
HNN’s Samantha Worgull contributed to this report.