Laid-Off Hotel Employees Want Their Paychecks

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A longtime Kansas City hotel cut staff and flared tempers. Laid-off employees say they never received their final checks.

Call it a sign of the times. A small group of hotel staff held posters Monday demanding their paychecks from their former employer.

"They laid us all off in a group and said they had no paychecks for us,” former employee Judy Maldonado said.

Intrigue Park Place Hotel laid off 37 employees Friday. The employees say they didn't receive a final check. The cuts came mostly in food and beverage. Intrigue Park Place opened in the 1970's; employees say it hosted President Clinton in the 1990's.

In a statement e-mailed to NBC Action News, the hotel's owner said, “We are now faced with the same economic challenges that plague our community.”

He also announced the hotel restaurant is closing but is expected to reopen in September. But for 37 employees, the sting of the cutbacks is permanent. To Read the Entire Statement, Scroll Down Below

"I understand the layoff. The economy is bad and it's slow but my thing is I worked for my money pay my money,” former Park Place Executive Chef Shelbia Chatman said.

The hotel says it printed the checks Monday and they are on the way to the former employees.

Statement from Park Place Hotel President

It is with deep regret and sadness that the Park Place Hotel was forced to lay off 37 staff last Friday due to the economic realities facing all of us at this time. The Park Place has been fortunate to have had support from our local businesses to remain fully staffed until this point. Our local competitors have been trimming their staffs over the last year. We are now faced with the same economic challenges that plague our community.

The Park Place Hotel continues to operate with a dedicated group of people who now have more responsibilities than ever before. With their enthusiasm and commitment, we will continue to provide top notch service in our hotel and banquet facilities. Our restaurant facilities have been temporarily closed for the summer season, with plans to reopen in September. At that time we are hopeful that the economic conditions will have improved to the point where we can recall the staff.

We thank the Kansas City community for its continued support. The lean and mean staff of the Park Place Hotel remains committed to excellence in service and guest satisfaction.


Frank Copsidas, President