Story posted Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wyndham Hotel Closing
By TODD WESSELL Journal & Topics Editor
The 466-room, 12-story Wyndham Hotel, 6810 N. Mannheim Rd., Rosemont, will close effective Jan. 1, 2010, village officials were notified Monday. Approximately 190 employees were notified last Friday that they were being laid off.
In a letter to the village delivered Monday morning, Aimbridge Employees Service Corp. said the hotel will permanently close at the end of the year. State law requires companies that employ more than 75 workers that are planning layoffs or closings to give notification to the state and mayor.
Representatives from Wyndham's corporate office and the local hotel did not return numerous telephone calls from the Journal & Topics Newspapers in an effort to learn more about the closing and work layoffs.
Rosemont Mayor Bradley Stephens confirmed that on Monday his office received written notification that the hotel is closing. He said less than two weeks ago, he attended the annual Rosemont Chamber banquet and sat next to the hotel's general manager. Nothing was said about the closing, said Stephens. The letter received by Rosemont was from Aimbridge Human Resources Director Katheryn Milarta, whose office is located in Carrollton, TX. She declined comment when contacted by the Journal & Topics yesterday (Tuesday). She did say Aimbridge serves as the employer for the Rosemont Wyndham hotel.
"The letter says they will cease to operate on Jan. 1," said Stephens. "It's a big surprise, but someone will likely buy the property. It's so close to the airport."
A longtime hotel employee said he was surprised to learn he was being laid off.
For many years, the facility operated as the Sheraton-O'Hare hotel. It is located immediately south of the Allstate Arena, across from Des Plaines.
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