HOUSTON – Laura Speigel and Noah Meicler cannot wait to say “I do,” but their trip down the aisle in front of friends and family has taken a few unexpected turns.
“I was definitely in a panic,” Speigel said.
COVID-19 forced the Houston couple to delay their plans once. According to Speigel, it is what happened in Surfside, Florida, the deadly condo collapse, that may have led to their plans changing twice.
“I was definitely shocked and surprised by what the reasoning was. I wasn’t expecting that at all,” she said.
The couple planned their wedding in Mexico, in Cabo at the 3-year-old Solaz, a Marriot property. A week and a half ago, Speigel says she got a call from her wedding planner.
“They said that the Marriot is doing tests on all their properties to make sure that you know, that what happened in Miami would never happen again,” said Speigel.
The hotel shut down indefinitely. The Solaz website says it’s to “address immediate and unanticipated infrastructure needs.”
“It’s been a rocky road,” Meicler said.
But it is a road that, while frustrating, Meicler says one they are on together.
“We are happy that everyone is safe and it’s the right thing to do and in light of what happened in Miami, it’s important,” he said. “We feel glad that they are taking the proper precautions to make sure that all guests are safe.”
Meicler said their wedding will now be in Houston.
“You know, it’s been a hard year for everyone. This is just a very small speed bump in life,” Meicler said. “It’s going to be great no matter what and we are going to celebrate no matter what.”
Meicler said they are working with the Marriot to get their money back and so far it has been a smooth process.
KPRC 2 reached out to Marriot and a spokesperson said they are not yet sure when the Solaz will reopen.
“To clarify, there was not a specific incident outside the hotel complex that prompted the inspection,” said Kerstin Sachl, Marriot Sr. Director, Communication and Public Relations- Caribbean& Latin America. “We are working directly with bridal parties to find solutions to ensure special days are as special as they can.”
Sachl said Marriot is committed to helping quickly address distinct scenarios and find alternative venues.