A California family staying at Holiday Inn Club Vacations’ Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee says their four-day trip to Central Florida theme parks was derailed after their 3-year-old daughter found a sex toy in a drawer in their condo, and that the resort was slow to respond to their concerns.
Mike Gross told The Post he booked the stay because the resort “had good reviews — that’s why it was so shocking” when the incident happened on the second night of the trip. He said his daughter approached him holding what she thought was a “present” she’d pulled from a drawer.
Gross said he washed his daughter’s hands and his own, then he and his wife, Angela, searched the rest of the condo for anything else once their daughter and their 5-year-old son were asleep.
He said he called the front desk and was told someone would follow up right away, but no one did. He tried reaching management again with no success.
“At first we were laughing about it, trying to have a sense of humor,” Gross said. “What made me so mad was their total lack of concern.”
The family’s next day at Disney World was overshadowed by the episode, Gross said. “I couldn’t enjoy myself,” he said, describing the resort as “ignoring a potential biohazard. How can they not care?”
Gross said he eventually went to the lobby and put the item on the front desk while demanding answers. “By that time I was so mad I was shaking,” he said. “Everyone was staring. You could have heard a pin drop.” He said a manager’s response still fell short of what he expected.
About three weeks after the incident, Gross said the resort offered him $1,300, contingent on his agreeing not to post reviews, discuss the matter publicly, or contact government agencies. He said he refused.
“No way I was taking that deal,” he said. Gross said he instead took his daughter to a doctor for testing.
“Everyone makes mistakes,” he said. “But ignore the situation and the potential danger, now you’re gonna have a pissed-off dad. Holiday Inn will never get my business again.”
A spokesperson for Holiday Inn Club Vacations told The Post: “We are aware of this unfortunate situation and regret that it fell short of the experience our guests should expect. We take this matter seriously and addressed it with the appropriate resort teams. As this involves a specific guest matter, we are unable to comment further on private discussions.”
