Walking in the door to District Justice Denise B Commons office I noticed one man sitting down looking intent holding onto his file folder and a woman at the counter asking questions.  I made my way to the window and asked if the Hearing for Portfolio Lancaster was still scheduled, and was told it would be a second because the lady handling the criminal charges was on the phone.  As I stood there and waited The Gentleman I saw sitting there clutching his folder asked me if I was with the DA’s Office, I then asked if he was there for the Portfolio Lancaster hearing, to which he responded yes.  It was the Officer with the Liquor Control Board waiting patiently for his time to make his case. 

After speaking with him for a few moments I stepped outside to make a phone call.  First person I saw arrive was a reporter from the Lancaster Sunday NewsPaper.  As I was walking outside Jay Sarma passed by me.  Immediately I extended my hand and said “Hello Mr. Jay”.  To my amusement and for the second time that day I was asked if I was an Attorney, I told him know I was just there for the show.  He commenced walking inside looking bewildered and I continued on with my phone call.

Finally Tina Potts showed up as this was somewhat of a lunch date for us because both of us wanted nothing more then to see justice served.  We walked back in and waited.  Still no Charle Morais or any representation for Kronos Hotels and Resorts.  The DA showed up and chatted it up with all of us in the room.  Very outgoing lil feller he was.  Shortly thereafter Jay Sharmas Attorney showed up.

Jays Attorney stepped to the side with the DA, and the LCB Officer and made whatever arrangements they were going to make.  He then proceeded taking Jay outside and I can only guess explaining to him what was going on.  As he (the Attorney) made his way back inside with Jay in tow he proceeded to bash Kronos Hotels and Resorts, using such phrases as “Motel Hells”, and “Milk them for all their worth and get the hell out of dodge”  He then proceeded to tell the DA about his research he has done on Kronos Hotels and Resorts and starts telling a tale of this site he came across that lists all the stuff they have done “some sort of Kronos Hotels Information Site” is how he put it.  We all had a good laugh and then he was introduced to me, and told it was the site I created.  It was at that point Jay Sharma came up to me and started talking.  I almost felt bad for him as it seems Kronos just hung him out to dry and left him to fend for himself after following their orders.

The big talk before the hearing was whether they would be able to get a bench warrant for Charles or not since this is a case against a corporation and he is just listed as an “Officer”.  The Conclusion was no. 

Jay waived his hearing and had to answer a few basic questions and then left with attorney in tow.  The Attorney before he left shook my hand again and said it was nice meeting me and gave me his card.  I reckon he figures I will need an attorney sooner or later.  Next up was Charles Morais whom they procceded in Absentia basically meaning they were going to proceed as if he were there.  The judge remanded the case to trial set sometime towards the end of February. 

We have since found out that because its a case against a corporation that they wont even be able to touch Charles Morais.  But, then if found guilty, the corporation will have a criminal record.  Not Charles Morais.  Very Very Disappointing, especially when Charles Morais and his lil band of theives have so many different company names to use what do they care.

So this raises the question of corporate accountability.  Does this mean someone can do anything they want then cry “in the name of the corporation” to get out of it? 

Lets just look at a few of the criminal things Charles Morais, Sunil Mir, and Raj Mir have done in the name of “Kronos Hotels and Resorts”  Bounced Checks,  Non-Payment of State/Local/Federal Taxes,  Lied in Court Documents, Commited Multiple Counts of Fraud. 

What have their reprocussions been from any of those acts.  NOTHING , What will be their reprocussions, NOTHING.  As a matter of fact not only are they and will they get away with everything but, they purchased another hotel property using a different corporate name.

What happens if an average Joe like yourself or myself do any of those things?  There are so many legal ramification that I shudder to even think of where the legal troubles would start for us. 

Our Country is in very poor economical shape, yet companies like this exists and noone will do anything to get them under control.  They are Vikings of the Hospitality Industry.  The rape, pillage and burn these properties and their communities they are in.  They then move on, use another company name and start all over and never have reason to look back.

My personal opinion is the same Government thats trying so hard to bail us out of these hard economic times needs to start by changing laws governing these types of corporations and people.  Somewhere somehow there has to be accountability.  And holding the “Corp Name” Accountable is not good enough when one can just go out spend less then $200.00 and create a Corporation of their choice.  And As Kronos Hotels and Resorts proved,  you need know nothing about accounting, taxes or any other business matters.  Just have the money to create and the will to commit fraud.

It is becoming to commonplace in todays world where actions like this are part of peoples “business plan”.  This stuff does not happen on accident.  And noone can tell me any different.  The whole company was designed like a pyramid to protect them from just this kind of stuff.   Just my opinion

I encourage each and every one of you to write your local/state/federal government officials.  Encourage them to change these laws.

Early in 2008 around 11:30pm my wife and I decided we were going to go out for cigarettes.  We walked down stairs and outside like any other day ready to get in our beat up piece of junk Jeep. 

We looked at eachother….without a word said turned and went back upstairs.  Still in utter silence I scratched my head and headed back downstairs and she followed.  I looked up and down the street.  No Jeep.  I looked at my wife and in a very calm manner said “they stole my jeep”

This is where it gets fun.

We lived in Columbia Pa at the time so we called our local police department (we still needed smokes so we knew it would be ahwile before police got there so we walked and got some) .  Finally the police showed up and took a report.  Seeming very unconcerned (admittedly I dont know the police procedure for stolen vehicles except what i see on tv) He told us ok I will take the back to the station and Enter it into the computer and IF they get pulled over we will get it back.  There was no getting on the radio describing the vehicle incase it was just recently taken and still in the area or anything.  And he leaves.

About a week to 1 1/2 weeks go by and my wife goes to work in to work on a Saturday morning and one of her Co-Workers told her they swear they saw my Jeep by a local shopping center the night before.  I immediately tell her to come get me because I was going to go in that general area and try to see if I saw it or not.  While waiting for her I called my friend and (keep in mind I have a warped sense of humor) and told him what was going on and I was going to buy a baseball bat and go hunting for my jeep.  There was a very long pause on the phone that ended with a sigh and the words “get two” 

My friend finally arrives we go to Kmart and get two small aluminum baseball bats (easy to handle) and devise a plan.  Making light of the situation (we never thought we would find the jeep) we decided no headshots because we are not trying to kill anyone, and no hitting anyone in the back because we are not trying to paralyze anyone.

Arriving into Lancaster the first street covered was Vine Street because someone had said they saw a jeep like ours on that street but was sure it was not ours.  So we cover the whole street of and dont see even 1 Jeep.  So our next stop was the mall where they thought they saw our jeep.  So it was time to circle around and go there. 

The weather was just plain rainy and gloomy.  We were sitting at a traffic light and as I looked in my rear view mirror a red Jeep pulled up behind us.  I looked at my friend and said “I keep waiting to see my jeep come pulling up behind us”  his response was “yea wouldnt that be something”  About that time the light changed and we started across the intersection and out of the corner of my eye I spot a jeep, same color as mine pulling out of a parking lot.  Then I noticed it was missing the same piece of the bumber as mine was, then I saw the primer spot on the site and with what emotion I couldnt even begin to say shrieked “thats my jeep”  We swerved and tried to block him in from getting out of the parking lot but, in my excitement I forgot to put the car in park and it drifted forward while I was jumping out and hit a parked car.  I get out try grab my bat which was not cooporating and was stuck between the seats.  While this comedy show was going on god knows what was going through this kids mind but he knew enough to get going as fast as possible so I went out around me and sped off.  The whole time I was staring him dead in the face.  I finally got the bat out and gave it a good hurl right at the drivers side window and his face (i missed of course).  I hopped back in my car hit reverse and back right into a tow truck coming up behind me, and took off in the immortal words of Rosco P. Coltrane (and if you dont know who he is you are a communist) we were in hot pursuit.  He headed down a one way alley (the wrong way) with me following.  He got to a stop sign jammed my jeep into reverse and like cockroaches when the lights are turned on like 4-5 people came flying out of my jeep running in all directions.  Meanwhile my Jeep came back and smacked into my car which was how the police found them when they got there both still in in gear.  The tow truck followed us down the alley way as well.

I jumped out, my friend jumped out, I chased in one direction and he in another.  He was smart enough to know he was never going to catch them and turn back.  When he got back to the vehicles the tow truck driver asked what was going on and when my friend explained, the tow truck driver just left.  I on the other hand have never been known to much for my common sense kept chasing.  half way across lancaster city.  Finally I turned back as well.

When I got back to the vehicle coughing and hacking (I smoke) the police were there and thoroughly confused.  They asked what was going on and I explained the whole situation to them.  They asked me if I knew they guy and I said no.  Both vehicles were still in gear as they did not want to touch them being part of a crime scene.  The one officer did look in the jeep and note the steering column was torn off. 

All in all these officers handled this well with a few chuckles along the way becuase this was just one of those situations that was quite frankly half funny.  I even asked the one officer how often it is someone finds, chases down and recovers their own vehicle and he said it doesnt.

The officers called it in and said they recovered the stolen vehicle and the owner (me) was there.  Columbia Borough where it was stolen from said release it to the owner.  This confused the officers.  They called 2 more times on their radio saying “noone is going to come process this vehicle?”  And both times same thing…release it to the owner.  They then used a cell phone and got the same response. 

While the cops were doing their part I called my wife and told her I recovered the jeep.  Of course when I told her I played bumper cars with her car her only response was “is there anything left of my car”

The cops finally said I had to take the car back to columbia (again they were still confused by this as well).  I told the Officer I had to go out to the main street and get my bat that I threw.  He said he would have done the same thing.  I got in the Jeep and found a cell phone…I immediately showed it to the Lancaster City Police officers and they said to turn it into Columbia Police

I went back to my wifes work to drop off her car to her and inspected the jeep more closely at that point.  The guy who stole it cleaned it up and even reprimered the rust spot on the side.  We also found not only the cell phone in there but a cereal bowl, a Burger King work uniform, and an umbrella. 

Using the cell phone we were able to find his home number and called and he was not there.  We also found his work number and called there.  We spoke to the manager and I descibed the guy that I had seen.  She knew exactly who I was talking about and invited me in to speak with her.

By this time my wife was done working so her, my friend and myself went to Burger King and sat down with the manager.  She had the kids file with her and when she opened it up his copy of his license was there and sure enough it was him.  Also on there was his home address which we took mental note of.  She explained he did not call or show up for work that day and even his girlfriend had called for him thinking he was at work.  At that point we knew for sure who had stolen our Jeep and we called the police to come to Burger King.  2 hrs later still no police and I was already mad, and very impatient, I made an excuse and my friend and I left while my wife waited at Burger King for the police. 

My friend and I went to the kids house and knocked on the door.  At that point I was prepared for anything.  The people answered the door and I asked for him.  He was not home.  I explained who I was and told them I tried to cave his face in with a baseball bat earlier in the day.  They invited me in and told them what was going on.  They said he was acting funny that day.  They allowed me into his room to see if any of the items from my vehicle were in there and they were not.  They knew where he was but in my state of mind they felt better going to the police with me and telling them where he was.

So being only a few blocks away one of the men of the house, my friend and I set out and walked to the police station (I called my wife by this point and still no police showed up at Burger King).  We got there and explained the situation to the officers there.  The officer we explained it to would tell every officer that walked by what was going on and always throw in “and this guy did his own detective work” in a very sarcastic manner.  It was like they did not know what to do next.  The guy from the house told the Officer he did not know the address off the top of his head but could take them there.  That was not needed apparently as the Officer told him just to tell the kid to come to the Station to be questioned when they saw him.

Extremely mad over what just transpired at the station and the lack of concern over the situation we headed back to the mans house where my car was still parked.  As we got there the kid came walking around the corner.  The man told him he needed to go to the police station.  Personally I wanted to beat the kid into the ground right there and then.  The kid kept saying whats this about whats this about.  I told him point blank its about my jeep he stole and he knows who I am because I was the one who tried to cave his head in with a baseball bat earlier.  He then went on to say he was at work all day.  I explained to him we had already been to his work (when he was supposed to be there) and spoke with his manager who told us he no showed, no called that day.  I explained I will let the police handle the rest of it.  I shook the mans hand and he said if anything else he can do let him know (he also said the kid was going to have to find a new place to live.)

The kid went to the police station to be questioned.  He told them he was at work all day.  That was good enough for them.  I called later to check and thats exactly what I was told.  They never even bothered to check on his work.  I had cell phone, work uniform, verification from his work he wasnt there, I was able to indentify him, and yet he said he was at work and they say ok, and let him walk. 

So almost a year passes and I have never forgotten about that.  and on the evening of Jan. 21st, 2009 somewhere between 10pm-11pm I was in bed sleeping and my wife wakes me frantically saying “honey honey honey”.  I thought the house was on fire.  I woke up and as soon as my eyes open I see this kids face on TV.  Ovet Ramos.  He had been picked up the sunday prior on a bench warrant for failure to appear in court due to receiveing stolen property in  connection with a stolen vehicle.  He claimed to have fell off his bunk so the prison officials took him to the hospital for an MRI.  It was then in shackles and hand cuffs that Ovet escaped custody from the 4th floor.

Two days later he was caught.  He had fresh clothing (obviously someone was aiding him) and was walking the city streets like he had not a care in the world.  Now from something he would have probably gotten probation from he is facing escape charges which will probably be years added on.  They are also looking to charge him with several other vehicle thefts throughout 2008.

So although he got away with one with my Jeep, his time has come.  Another view of that would be had the Columbia Police Department done its job he may have been in prison already and not had the opportunity to steal other peoples vehicles.  So yes this kid is at fault and yes he should do his time.  But so are the Columbia Police Department for being so incompetent they couldnt follow up on one lead that was handed to them on a silver platter.

So again, Do you believe in Karma?  If not maybe this story will change your mind.  Because Karma came back and gave this 20 year old kid a swift kick in the ass.

You can read more about Ovet Ramos and his escape and charges at the following links.

All I do know is this.  Something is wrong, I am not sure whether its with society or the government when a comany like Kronos Hotels can blatantly abuse the laws we are expected to respect and obey and then twist other laws to their favor to try to protect themselves.

Just recently Kronos Hotels filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Georgia against their Brunswick Property and their Augusta Property.  They commit fraud against their employees, vendors.  They play games with the laws then turn around and say “oops protect me”  Wonder how that would work for us average citizens that live paycheck to paycheck.  How does that work for their employees that could not even get paid?

It doesnt work, they are forced to continue finding a way to pay bills.  They are forced to continue holding up their end of the bargain.  Even if it is no fault of their own the Employees still find it very hard to find a way our of their situation.  Yes, they can file chapter 11 too.  But, in recent years those laws have been changed alot and it makes it not so easy to do.  Not just that but how is one to file for Chapter 11 when the reason they need to do it is they have no money in the first place (keep in mind, these are the people that are holding up their end of the bargain). 

Yet, a company like Kronos Hotels, or most any company for that matter looks at Chapter 11 like part of a business plan.  And they exploit it as such.  They rack up bill after bill after bill only to turn around and use that same money they refused to pay people to protect themselves under Chapter 11.

I guess its ok though.  At the end of the day these companies and their owners/officers will sleep well at night knowing, they will be back again one day to fight another battle.  They know there is a whole new batch of people out there to defraud and as the American way they will get their piece.

My personal opinion is there needs to be alot more corporate accountability.  The economic turmoil the United States is in right now is caused by these types of actions.  Its not the spend spend spend that got us here.  Its Companies like Kronos Hotels that buy buy buy and forget the spend spend spend part.  Even with their own employees.

On the good side of this as we are all well aware there are plenty of people out there willing to step up and stand up for what they believe to be right.  It just takes one person to take the lead. 

So we may not have the same rights as these coporations and the same resources they do but, we do have avenues.  So in the future if you come across one of these companies take those avenues, stand up for what you believe and let the others follow.  In todays world there are to many followers and not enough leaders.

So again, my response to where is the end…I dont know…does anyone??

Doing the tedious task of searching  for articles and public record documents one day a link came up from a NewsPaper called the Dothan Eagle out of Dothan Alabama.  What I found on that page was amazing.  Several Employees (mostly housekeeping from what I gathered) outside with bandanas around their faces to protect their identities from the camara with picket signs in their hands.  They even had the little chant going in unity.  These were not people that were looking to be recognized.  These were people that wanted to be heard.  Their employers were well aware of who they were and, thats all these folks cared about.  If they wanted their 10 minutes of fame so to speak they would not have had their faces covered when the cameras arrived.  They were letting their employers Kronos Hotels and Resorts know they were not going to take it any more. 

Being in the Hospitality industry for so many years and starting out in Housekeeping I know from experience it is not the most glorious job in the industry but it is a very rewarding job.  Knowing that without you and what you do they hotel would cease to exist.  I also remember the living paycheck to paycheck and hoping beyond hope that I would have just enough to squeek by with enough to get me to the next paycheck. 

As a pushed forward,  and my career in the hospitality industry progressed I never forgot where I came from, Housekeeping.  I never stopped respecting the people that did it. 

The philosophy that was gained by me was this.  Housekeeping is the backbone of the hospitality Industry.  A computer program can be made like the express check-in at the airports.  You put a confirmation code in swipe your credit card and out comes your information and your keys.  A program to clean your room will never happen.  Although the hours may be a little on the unstable side depending upon location and season, Housekeeping is the most stable position in the industry.  It will always be needed.

Yet in my personal experience the Housekeeping department is always looked down on.  They are back of the house and looked at as just that.  They get little respect, and little recognition yet when something is wrong there is no delay in them being let known.  

Housekeeping departments are usually underpaid, and overworked.  They are the unsung heroes of the hospitality industry.  If someone checks in with a rude GSR, they expect to go to a run down room.  Housekeeping can override that 1st impression with the job they do.  When that guest opens a door, or looks under a bed, or (like I do out of habit) goes through the room looking for any kind of dust and finds nothing but cleanliness it puts their mind at ease.  A clean comfortable room is what the majority of travelors are after.  Housekeeping can provide that.

It is my true belief that everyone would benefit from starting out in Housekeeping and working their way up the chain.  It would create alot more respect for the industry.  It would create alot more sense of “this is my career” vs. “this is just a job”  It would  create more team atmospheres as it is alot harder to place the blame on someone such as “the back of the house housekeepers” when you have walked in their shoes.  If they can’t start in housekeeping they should be trained in housekeeping.  Not just a day or two.  Everyone should be cross trained.  Everyone should know how and be required to step in and help.  I also believe more people would be willing to step up and help if they knew how hard the Housekeepers of our industry work. 

Any Gm out there that hears that GSR, or that Waitress/Waitor, the Sales Person, or whoever else start complaining about Housekeeping not doing their job.  Send them back to work for Housekeeping for awhile so they know what Housekeepings job is.  If you want to build a successful team thats how you do it.  Bring Housekeeping out of the dark and shed some light on them.  They will appreciate it, the rest of your associates will appreciate it, and you will find in the long term it makes your job just that much easier. 

Housekeepers everywhere deserve a pat on the back every day for what they do.  They deserve recognition.  So next time you pass that housekeeper, instead of just walking by and saying “Hey” tell them “thank you” for the job they do.  Watch the expression on their face.   If that is not reward enough for you, you are in the wrong industry.

Oh and please dont call them maids.  That drives me crazy.   And frankly it drives alot of them crazy too.

I want to start this year with clearing up an errant posting I made awhile back in our forms at http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/unitedagainstkronos/vpost?id=3141398 .  Originally after viewing the document time and time again and having a few others review it we thought we had it figured out.   While sitting here doing more research and going back through that particular court document which can be found at http://kronoshotelsllc.com/images/2008/Nov/royalbank.pdf something caught my attention.  Something that somehow had previously went un-noticed.  Maybe it was the hope of better things for the people at those properties that clouded our vision and made us see what we wanted to see.  Maybe it was just carelessness.  Whatever the case something on page 7 of the document just stood out.  A paragraph on that page said “By letter dated November 17th, 2008, a true and correct copy of which is attached hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibit “K,” Defendant Brunswick instructed the manager of the Brunswick Hotel Property to cease operations at the Brunswick Hotel Property.”

Immediately it was jumped to the assumption that the Lenders were behind this letter.  That was not the case.  If you look at the wording, the letter was sent by DEFENDANT BRUNSWICK, meaning Kronos, the Lenders were the Plaintiffs and Prism were just the poor guys stuck in the middle of all this.  I wanted to get that cleared up.

Moving forward we are all well aware Kronos Hotels are in for a long year with court cases all across the United States.  With barely any properties under their control, and things coming at them from all directions one can only wonder how long they can carry on.

In todays world with so many companies facing financial difficulties and doing what they can to save their business it leaves a person shaking their head and wondering how 1 comapny like Kronos Hotels can keep their head above water.  If you dig deep enough in any company you will find things that will leave you standing there with your jaw dropped open like a 5 year old staring in the window of a candy store.  Fortunately for most of the people working for these companies, they are errors and they are fixed relatively quickly.  Or they may not be errors.  Hey lets face it.  We are in an age where getting one over on the next guy is common place. 

Anytime in the past if you hear of a company doing so much on such a wide scale its because they are going out of business.  Because the Government has stepped in, or some other agency and has put a stop to it. 

Not in this case.  In this case Kronos Hotels went relatively unnoticed, and unscathed.   How? Why? They are the questions we ask.  Well the short answer is money.  The Governent wants their money, the franshises want their money, the employees want their money, and the venders want their money.  And they all know if they hang in there long enough it will come to them.  As individuals if we tried to withhold payment like this we would not last 2 months much less well over a year. 

Lets break it down and look at who is to blame here.  IHG, Choice Hotels, and whatever other brand Kronos Hotels used.  They knew the conditions these properties were in.  They did inspections,  yet they continued to overlook not just the little stuff but the big stuff.  You have to look at it from their vantage point.  Does it make it right no but, does it make sense yes.  Take all the combined properties Kronos Hotels had under these Franchise names.  They each pay every month to be part of the Franchise.  They also pay extras for guest complaints, supplies etc.  So you see even a guest complaint is beneficial to a Franchisor because it makes them money.  So they dont want to just jump the gun and start pulling flags.  Thats alot of money lost if they do that.  But when the public pressure came along those flags were gone quicker then Billy Ray Cyrus singing carrer.  Could they have helped head this off, of course they could have.  Had they stood by their standards and not let the dollars that they would never see cloud their judgement, alot of these properties may have been able to be salvaged.

The Government: This applies to state, local, and federal.  Lets do the math, how much in back taxes do Kronos Hotels owe?  How many employees have been to Department of Labors and been told “we dont have record of you, we need proof” Or how many employees had been to the Department of Labor and their wages not been correct and once again, they are told they need proof.  These agencies could have been everyones saviors.  Had they squeezed and insisited they get paid immediately and not let them rack up millions in debt Charles Morais and crew may have been forced to sell these properties just to keep their heads above water.

The Lenders: they are just as guilty as everyone else in seeing dollars before reality.  Had they stepped in sooner after so many non-payments or late payments or whatever the case is, this again could have all been avoided.  They are guilty in the same sense of the Franchisors. 

So as you can see had the above three categories stepped in sooner, alot of these properties could have been saved before they got ruined.  They could have been sold at Public Auctions or by Kronos Hotels, just so they can stay in business with other properties.  They didnt, now look at where everyone is.  Most have Prism there managing them, alot still do not.  Why did it have to get to the point where it did for someone to finally step in.  None of us will ever quite know the real answer, all we can do is speculate.

Ok so now here we have Kronos Hotels, racking up the debt and ruining properties.  They money they made off these properties had to go somewhere because it did not go to the properties. And here recently they just stopped fighting alot of the court cases, never respond, never appear.  Its as if to a point they have just givin up.  So lets assume the money is in their pockets (we cant think of where else it could be) They are look at all these cases and the attorneys fees it will costs them to continue fighting.  At the time of this writing we know of at least 4 cases where Kronos Hotels just never even bothered responding to the complaints and will ultimately be found guilty by default and judgement will go to the Plaintiff (the lenders).  These properties with their liens against them, back owed bills, renovation issues, could be quite expensive to hold on to.  By the time the liens and everything else are paid they could be paying more then they originally paid for the property itself.  So why fight them.  Let them be taken and let them be sold in public Auction, let the liens and financial obligations they racked up become someone elses problems.  Wash their hands and move on to the next property.  So again, just another tactic in finding away around the system.

So again we look at all that and we wonder, how can a company keep going like this?  How can they get away with this as long as they have? I dont think any of us will know the true answer.  All we do know is money talks.  And thats what this is all about, money.

One thing that comes of to the top of my mind is Kronos Hotels LLC out of Atlanta Ga, and its principle owners Charles Morais, Sunil Mir, Rajesh Mir, and Moses Daniels. And with all honesty I can say this does not come to the top of my mind out of any malice or dislike for these folks.  They rank on the top of my list because as I sit and reflect I see how big of a part they have been on so many lifes including my own.  How dispite no national media attention I believe they have garnered more negative media attention then any other company in the united states.  If you know of another please by all means share your thoughts and tell us about them.  I find it hard to believe another company out there has garnered more negative media as these folks and are still in business.

So today we will recap the Kronos Hotels Situation from the start of at least my experiences with them and bring us up to date till now.  Some of this goes back to 2007, which unfortunately it has to so we can bring it up to where we are now in the Year 2008 and how so many have been affected.

I was working for Lodgian at the Holiday Inn Lancaster Visitors Center East 521 Greenfield Rd Lancaster Pa in early 2007 when we were informed our property as well as several others were being put on the market for sale as part of corporate downsizing and restruction Lodgian was doing.  A few months go by and we are informed that a buyer has been found and they are purchasing 16 of the properties Lodgian has put up for sale.  We were told who the buyer was and did like anyone in todays age of technology does, immediately got on the internet and researched this company.  We found a website, saw a coporate structure and immediately became excited.  They said they right things looked like they were organized, they even had an IT department (I will be mentioning this again later). 

As the time of the actual sale date approached we were contacted by the then Regional Manager for Kronos Hotels and Resorts Vinni Gupta, who showed up and spent much time with us and talked to us.  Greg, Tina, Judy, and Myself worked very hard to prepare for this sale to make things go as smooth as possible.  We had a game plan and all had our parts.  Sometimes working over 24 hrs and then only getting an hr or two sleep in between.  We were determined to show this new company they had a winning staff working at our property.   Midnight came and we made the switch over.  Tina running around being a cheerleader (I think she was drunk from lack of sleep) saying GIMMIE A K..GIMMIE A R…and so on.  Then around 4am we get a call saying put everything back in place the sale did not go through.  This was the first clue that something was not right.  We went through this for several more weeks.  Several times.  Finally it happened.  By this point we were all very apprehensive and not sure what to expect with the sale of the properties being on and off so many times we knew something was not quite right but did not know exactly what it was. 

Vinni Gupta was at our property contstantly badmouthing the company, how they owe him so much money and when they did give him a check it bounced.  Ok so now what are we to think, our Regional Manager was sitting there telling us how the owners of our new company are “bastards” (I think that was his favorite word), and they rip people off, not to even mention how he said the company did not  “micromanage”  (everyone should get a laugh out of this) like lodgian did.  While this is all going on we had to set up Credit card machines, and prepare to operate as a property under the Kronos Hotels and Resorts banner.  This is where the IT department would normally come in.  Unfortunately that never happened.  I seemed to turn into the IT department.  I was reciveing phone calls from several other regional managers and properties asking how to set up email, I had to talk other people through (there was talk of sending me to the other properties that could not get it done right) setting up the credit card machines, etc.  It became very apparent to us that everything we had read and thought we had leaned about Kronos Hotels and Resorts was a smoke screen.  The secretaries at the home office were telling Tina how they had to buy their own office supplies because Kronos was to cheap to buy them for them.  Tina, Greg and Judy spent alot of time trying to set up new vendor accounts and get credit.  It was not as easy as it sounds.  They would get responses back saying we could not get credit because one of the owners had a shady past (which I think we are all starting to see now).  They were told to set up bank accounts, then a day or so later sent emails chastising everyone for doing it if they did.  We had no clue what to do.  If we did what we were told to do they would just send an email out a few days later saying dont do it and raise hell with anyone that did. 

A few days after the purchase while we were still trying to get our wheels under us Rajesh Mir came for a property visit.  Let me say on the record he was not a very personable lil guy.  He walked around our property which was obviously in need of improvements and said he did not see anything wrong with it.  As I was dealing with other things Tina did the property walk with him.  He walked up to our desk clerk who was on duty at the time Josiah and asked him what he thinks the problems there are.  Josiah answered with what he hears from the guests “the product”.  Raj decided to blow off that response by saying thats something we put in the staffs heads.  That the guests (lets just ignore thats what we heard every day from the guests) do not feel that the product is bad, that we do and we put that in our staffs heads.  Everyone was very greatful I was not part of that walkaround and conversation as I took great pride in what I did and my work on GSR scores.  He came, he saw, he promised renovations that never came, he annoyed, he left.

Now with so much going on and so little time since the property had been officially sold  We were all done.  All of us managers had had enough.  Raj was the straw that broke the camels back. Tina was the first to give her notice without having a backup job.  Vinni kept telling her to just “stay and collect a paycheck from these bastards”.  Tina is a good person professionally and personally.  Morally Tina could not stay and work for a company she did not respect, I ended up doing the same thing and turning in my notice and was to continue working with Lodgian in MD.  Vinni tried very hard to get me to stay as well and even Tina tried to explain to him that Raj did me in by his comments.  That I had pride in what I do.  I usually left her do my talking for me since I tend to be a lil blunt and straight forward I figured she was a little gentler with her words.  It finally got to the point where he was using what to me was teroristic tactics to get me to stay.  He was trying to sweat me into it.  He would say lets go talk, and go sit out in his mini-van in 90 degree whether with the windows up and try to convince me to stay.  It finally got to the point I looked him in the eyes and told him I was better then that company.  I worked to hard to get to where I was in the industry to let a company like that treat me in such a way.  Then Judy found other employment and she was the next out the door.  I left and a week later had some serious health issues.  A long story short, I ended up going back a few weeks later.  At that point I was the Assistant General Manager.  As I got back alot of people were happy to see me come back.  Vinni got fired and we had a new Regional Manager.  Greg the controller left shortly after my arrival back.  Now it was just me as the Acting General Manager hoping for some reinforcements.  Let me also say I truly feel like I am a better person for knowing Tina, Judy and Greg, and try to stay in contact with them all still to this day as much as possible.  They were not just co-workers or my bosses, they were family and they still are.

During all of the above the 1st couple pay periods come and gone and bounced payroll checks in each one of them.  To us its not right but we also have to give the benefit of the doubt and say its growing pains.  Kronos handling of it is what made it so wrong, oh they need a statement from the bank and they need this proof and that proof.  They have their own records. They knew,  they were just buying time.

Around August we started getting calls from the Vendors and Utility companies due to non-payment of our bills, threatening to cut us off etc…I remember running around Lancaster trying to find a place to hand deliver a several thousand dollar check to keep our gas on.  And yes paychecks were still bouncing.  I cant remember 1 payroll that a payroll check did not bounce.  We would call Satish for bills and Benjamin for Payroll and always get the run around.  Our favorite thing to hear was the check was cut today, and two weeks later the company call back and say they have not recieved it only to find out that yes it was cut, they just chose not to send it in.  We were literally just hanging on the best we could and noone at the home office seemed to care.  We were even told once that “you worry to much about bills, they need us more then we need them, they wont cut us off”.  This company was systematically ruining every vendor relationship that our property had worked so hard to establish.  Noone wanted to do business with us this early on.  Even the owners of the land the property say on called about non-payment.  When we inquired about that we were told “its a common tactic, we will with-hold payment and they will get tired of dealing with it and just sell us the land”.  We were in a no win situation no matter how we did things. 

On September 11th, 2007 my father was violently killed in the state of Florida when a drunk driver drove through his bedroom and killed him on impact.  I was informed by my cousin while I was at work.  I finished up what I had to do and went to see my family.  I went back in to work the next day because there was no excuse good enough for Kronos Hotels to not have a report in on time or be late with anything (except their bills).  I took the weekend off to fly to Florida and collect some of his belongings.  I was dealing with the legal system down in Florida over this, trying to plan his funeral (including having his remains brought back to PA to be buried with his family) and everything else.  About that time we were hit with a suprise safety inspection.  What they got us on was a fire panel behind the front desk that gave faulty readings.  This was no secret of this problem as it was part of the P.I.P. (Property Improvement Plant)that was given to Charles Morais and crew before they even purchased the property so they knew what needed done.  Anyway, we failed.  I thought I did but I guess I did not send an email letting them know about this but they were sent notice of it, this I do know.  So when the reinspection came around and it was not fixed they were going to get a fine.  They claimed they had no clue about it and reamed me a new one for not letting anyone know.  Sorry I had to deal with the death of my father and I didnt make a federal issue out of a problem that was so widely known about as one of our biggest and most expensive problems since even before they purchased the property.  We realized around that time that that was their way of life.  Act like they didnt know and blame someone else. 

October, November and December go by and not a thing changed, only got worse.  More Unitilty threats, more vender unpaid bills (were were put on cash only by this point) and still no support from corporate office just reamings blaming us for everything.  I did however manage to keep everything from getting cut off.  As I reached out to other properties I realized they were having same problems.  My staff was loyal and noone quit on me.  I can never be thankful enough to them for that.  Without them my accomplishments while I was there would mean nothing and would not have been possible.  We doing the best we could with nothing.  We would get guys in to start renovating the parking lot only to make it worse then quit because they were not being paid.  We would get constant emails asking us for measurements and such for renovations, then the following week get the same email again.  There was no organization.  By now the corporate infrastructure of Kronos Hotels and Resorts started crumbling.  Several big names in the company quit abruptly without explanation.  It was also towards the end of Novemeber they finally hired us a General Manager.  It was at that time I knew my time was limited.  I did everything I could to prepare my staff and let them know I would be let go soon.  I even had several conversations with my new GM letting him know the same thing.  December 2nd came along and one of our Regional Managers came in and terminated me.  He was a good guy and I had a good relationship with him.  He knew they were using me as a scapegoat.  He knew it was not right.  I was not concerned as I had been expecting it.  Also, after being in the Hospitality business as long as I had been I saw it as a business move and honestly saw nothing wrong with it, its the way the business goes.  I told him I had schedules to do, forecasts to do and a few other things, so I would finish my day of work and leave.  He trusted me and was fine with that.  As my day went on I slowly packed my office so noone would notice, and at the end of the day I walked out like any other normal day with noone knowing anything different.  I did not want to make it harder on the new GM.  As people found out and got upset they would call me saying they were going to quit as they had threatened to do when I told them I would be let go soon I told them the same thing again….keep your job, you need a job, give everything a chance it will get better, its how the business goes.  I was very positive and always spoke to people as such.  I kept in regular contact with my former staff because we had been through alot together.  They would call just to vent or ask advice or whatever.  I was always willing to make time for them. 

2008 comes along and I am unemployed due to being used as a scapegoat.  That is fine to me because I never really took time for myself to deal with my fathers death and my wifes kids had just moved in with us so it was an opportunity for me to get to be home with them more often and get to know them better. 

My wife who still worked at the Holiday Inn would come home and tell me the horror stories of what was going on there, how they were made to wash out trash bags and hang them over the shower curtain rod to dry off and reuse them because they could not get any anywhere else.  How they would have to go to Dollar General and get shampoo and refill the shampoo bottles so they would look new.  How they were washing laundry without detergent in just plain water because they could get no supplies.  Then she came home and told me about the bedbugs.  I immediately called IHG to inform them how their property was operating. I also called the health department who showed up and shut their lower building down.  Keep in mind the bed bugs were known about but they were made to keep renting those particular rooms.  After the rooms were shut down by the health department the staff had asked the New GM (came in after the one who replaced me quit) if they should go down and clean the rooms they were told not to worry about them.  My wife was smart enough to seek other employment seeing how things were rapidly declining even further then I thought possible.  She fond another job and I insisted out of professional courtesy she give 2 weeks notice.  She walked in the next morning to do so and was immediately fired and escorted off the property.  At that point honestly I was livid.  She was being professional about it and they just saw it as an opportunity.  It was also at that time that because with me not there and her not there to ask me stuff alot of the knowlege walked out with us.  The New Gm would have someone call us and ask us questions or information and I simply informed them if they wanted to call and say hey then great but do not ever call my house and ask information as a representative of that company again.  I even emailed Raj and Charles Morais and let them know that they had their opportunity to ask us for that information and they chose not to take it so please have their properties stop calling us for information. 

Still my staff and I stayed in contact and my wifes staff stayed in contact with her and we would always try to give them positive information.  Then at the end of September I got a call about food being stored in a room because the walk-in frig was broke down, and how they were selling alcohol without a license.  It was then that I found out they were trying to throw one of the young ladies whom I went to school with, whom I hired at the front desk, whom I agreed to let transfer to another property only if they would consider her for the front office manager position because she had so much potential, under the bus for the illegal alcohol sales.  I was also informeed at this time that checks were bouncing literally every time, utilities were being cut off left and right and it was getting very bad out there.  I immediately took action.  I did some quick research and started finding all kinds of other articles out there on Kronos Hotels LLC, Destination Hospitality, Charles Morais or whatever other names they may go under.  I immediately emailed and called every television news station about the situation.  I also emailed the Local Newspaper.  The situation took a life of its own.  I did countless TV interviews, and newspaper interviews. And the story became huge pblic knowlege.  Then Chip Smeldey came into the picture.  He is a reporter for the Lancaster Sunday News.  He did not just look at what was on the surface and blatant.  He did his own research, and it started in Cedar Rapids IA and Justin Foss, and discovered exact same things out there, that led him to other states and other cities.  When these other states and cities discovered it was everywhere they started doing their own articles (Cedar Rapids IA had been on it since the beginning of the year at least).  And it grew into what to me was almost the unthinkable.  About that time at the begininng of October I created the website http://kronoshotelsllc.com to basically compile a list of information we could find on this Kronos Hotels or its owners and put it in one centralized place.  It did not take long for me to start getting emails from employees, former employees, and venders from across the country that have been done wrong by these guys.  I added a forum and chat room.  The site went from a little information site to a support site where people were able to share stories, compare notes and help eachother.  It went from a web site to a community almost over night.  It seriously seemed like overnight the flood gates of information just cracked open.  I started doing public records searches, and uncovering so much information that it just left me sitting here half the time with my mouth wide open wondering how can a company keep doing this.  It was also Chip Smedleys article that gave me some insight as to what was going on.  A man from CW Capital Assets company (one of the lending companies) reached out to Chip and asked to be put in contact with me.   I contacted him and we spoke at great length.  He told help was on the way, he told me thing were being worked on as we speak.  I gave him information and kept him in the information loop after that.  I figured anything that can help..I was willing to do.

Then all of a sudden someone emailed me a link, and it was Dothan Alabama employees picketing because they had had enough of the bounced paychecks and constant excuses.  The picture from that article which still stands today on the main page of our site had become a symbol of what this whole situation had come to.  Then I started getting emails from reporters in the other states wanting to talk to me asking me if I would be willing to talk.  My answer to every one of them was the same..”if someone wants to listen I want to talk”  I then made my own media contacts reaching out to several people on my own.  Before you know it, there was a huge network of information being shared.  I worked closely with several of the media outlets trying to help them get in contact with people from the other cities that wanted to talk.  I provided them with story leads and other information that I came across that could help get the story out.  My main goal was to help those being affected.  I knew the site was growing, I knew what the site stood for. 

Or at least I thought I knew.  It was not until I came across a news broadcast out of Louisville KY from Wave 3 on the staff at the Kronos Owned property down there that walked into the local magistrates office to file criminal charges against The owners of Kronos for blatantly filing these bad checks did I realize what the site truely had become.  As I watched the video, as I sat here with a huge smile on my face thinking “damn I am proud of those people”  I hear a familiar song come across the speakers on my TV.  And then…there is our website.  They actually showed the site on the news broadcast.  I was astounded.  I could not believe it. I immediately reached out to those people down there in Louisville and told them how proud I was.  It was when they informed me it was our site, it was the information it provided and the support it gave them, that gave them the courage to do what they did.  It was then that I knew this was something that had to continue.  It was then that I knew that even though I thought it had already gone beyond what I could have ever imagined, it was now at a point of no return.  It was now to a point that what I had originally started would go on with or without me.  The word was out and people were done taking it.

In the midst of all this around the middle of October my wife who worked at a Holiday Inn close by was approached by a higher up at her work who had been following this story in the media and said “you havent told your husband anything about us have you?”.  I now knew I had a reputation and what I suspected at the beginning was happening.  I just throw an 18 year hospitality career down the tubes to help others.  I didnt mind.  It was the right thing to do.  Morally I had to do something.  It was also about this time that she started noticing little things like access to IHG and a few other things at her work that were being taken from her.  She was suffering because of what I started.  Her work which up until now had no complaints about her now had issues with everything she did.  It was never the same for her after that.  I encouraged her to keep plugging away explaining that unfortunately every company does things they should not.  Thats why they were nervous.  They felt like we on the site did what we did just to do it.  In their defense I explained to my wife, they probably thought that everything was being blown out of proportion.  Its hard to believe in riting what was really going on or how bad things were until you were in the situation and experienced it first hand.  Telling someone about it does not do the story justice.  This situation I feel is what ultimately led to my wife losing her job.

The site continued on and continued growing.  It was being hosted for free by a vendor that had not been paid by Kronos.  The vendor donated the space because they wanted to do what they could do help.  Then around the End of october the Hosting provider got a letter from Kronos Hotels Attorney Matthew Wilkins based in GA.  They threatened legal action and claimed copyright and trademark infringement.  I went over the site with a fine tooth comb and found nothing of the sorts.  I was ready to fight back.  Unfortunately the hosting Provider did not feel it was worth it to hang in there with me because it could have led to huge Attorneys fees for them and they shut me down a few days later.  I totally understood and did not blame them.  I was immediately contacted by someone else who offered me free web site hosting but I had already put my backup plan which I put together in the days proceding getting shut down.  I transferred everything to another Hosting provider and was back up a few hours later. 

Shortly thereafter I recieved an email from Kronos Hotels Attorney Matthew Wilkins asking me how he can get in contact with me.  I asked him what this was pertaining to.  He never did answer me.  His response was, “You are intimately aware as to the nature of my clients’ claims against you.  Presently, they are considering pursing both civil and criminal actions.  If you would like to mitigate your liability, my clients may waive certain claims if the website is immediately removed.  However, if the site is not taken down, I have been instructed to pursue all legal remedies against you. I recommend you retain legal counsel, and provide your attorney(s) with my contact information.”  So as of this point they still have not told ME what they wanted from me.   I will have to give him one thing.  I do know what they wanted me to do and I was not a willing participant.  I responding in kind and told him to procede with his clients wishes because the site would not be taken down.  Of course being the sarcastic individual I am I did email him back and explain that due to my concerns of his client paying him I would be more then happy to agree to all communications being made through email to save him money on postage and such.  Of course that got no response but it gave me a good laugh.  We as a new community had went to far and I was not about to stop now.  To many people were involved and used our site.  To many people believed in what we were doing.  I was determined they were not just going to intimidate me like they were accustomed to doing with others.  I was determined to show them they knew longer held people in fear like they once did.  I was dertermined to show them they no longer had control.  The people took back control, and the people were not ready to roll over and play dead again…not just yet.

The site continued on, between my research and research from others all over the place we kept compiling information.  We kept building our case.  The articles kept coming, the informations kept flowing.  Kronos Hotels could no longer hide under an LLC corporation and keep playing their game.  We received countless emails from invenstors asking for a list of Kronos owned properties, and other information.  We received emails from law enforcement officials and government agencies asking for information.  We recieved countless emails from vendors asking for information or offering what help they could.  We were no longer being looked at as disgruntled employees or ex-employees.  We were being looked at as victims.  Victims as one person on the site put it….financial terorism.  We were getting support.  People were rallying behind us.  We had also saw in the weeks preceding alot of the properties management being taken over by court ordered recievers.  The Mortgage companies were starting foreclosures.  But we were still concerned because of the emergence of a company called Hyperion.  Which after the initial onslaught of takeovers we never heard anymore about.  To us it was just another shell game by Kronos to keep their properties.  We were not buying it and kept pushing forward with our fight.

Around mid November during a public records search I uncovered documents filed against myself, john doe#1, john doe#2, and xyz corp.  I waited impatiently to be severed my papers and never was.  So I went and picked them up myself (I am a very impatient person).  Immediately I posted the complaint online for others to view and started reaching out for legal help.  We vowed right then and there that we would fight.  We would not back down.  We were excersing our 1st Amendment Rights.  Those rights entitle us to Freedom of Speech, and the Right to Peacefully Assemble.  To us thats exactly what we were doing.  Among such accusation of posting false information, they threw in a few more charges that were untrue to make it sound better.  Their goal is to intimidate us with Attorneys fees and Law Suits in the hopes we know we dont have the money to fight this and back down based on that alone.  Our minds were made up immediately.  If it costs me everything I own, if I can not find an Attorney to represent our cause I would fight it on my own.  This was a fight worth fighting.  In my own personal life I have never been much of a selfless person…more of a selfsih person.  For once in my life I was fighting for something that I had nothing to gain nor lose in (apparently now I have something to lose).  In todays world there is to much of an “its all about me” attitude and “noone looks out for you but you” attitude.  This was not about me nor was it ever about me.  This was about people I cared for, people I met and learned to care for.  My family, people in the hospitality industry. 

After much searching and many phone calls I came across an Attorney from the Ga 1st Amendment foundation website Clyde Thomas who was willing to take our case at little to no costs.  People say that Attorneys are only after money.  This is not the case.  I had Attorneys in other states offering me help with what they could, and advice.  Unfortunately unless they were certified in the state of GA there was not much they could do.  So again, not all Attorneys are just after money.  Attorneys are just like you and I, they are in a profession and they are there to make money.  Think about it like this.  Did anyone want to continue working for Kronos for Free?  Same situation.  We chose professions and we go to work everyday to make a living.  Mr. Thomas was more then willing to tackle this case feeling we had done a good thing here and feeling that our rights were being violated.  Our answer to the complaint was filed and the ball was put back in the court of Kronos Hotels and their Attorneys.  I will be forever greatful for the help and guidance of the Attorneys (they know who they are) who contacted me and offered to help in whatever ways they could, and to Mr. Thomas for being willing to take on this challenge. 

Now here we are on the last day of 2008 and the fight continues.  And as I reflect back on the whole situation I will never regret it.  It has made me a better person.  It has been an educational experience and a humbling experience.  I have met some great people whom I would have otherwise never met.  So anyway this all plays out it has been a good year for me.  All the bad that has happened has guided me to the good, has guided me to a better self.  So how has Kronos affected me through 2008…well, I committed career suicide and became known as a whistle blower, I am being sued for alot of money, I cost my wife her job, I met some GREAT people, and I feel like I helped alot of people.  But, it has been a great year!  So I would like to thank Kronos for the year I had.  Because had it not been for their incompentance I would not be where I am at with my own personal self today.  I would not have had the chance learn as much as I have.  I would not have had the chance to make so many great new friends, and last but not least I would have not had the chance to realize how good it feels to know what I started played a small part in helping so many others.  Our Website being viewed in approximately 40 different countries right now tells me how good of a year it has been.

There is so much that I did not even touch on through all this and one day I will.  For now though I want to thank everyone involved for everything.  To thank you all for being there.  To thank you all for allowing me to get to know you.  Lets move on to 2009 with positive outlooks and know the worst is behind us all.

Tom Showalter
Lancaster, PA

This is a very brief video wishing everyone a Happy New Year and giving a little information on the several Legal procedings going on right now with Kronos Hotels.  Please make sure to read my other blog on 2008 and how my Kronos Affected my life in 2008.

I will be posting weekly Video Blogs on Mondays.  Please feel free to leave your comments below. If no other posts have been added as of yet click the No Comments link to post a comment.