The party was supposed to happen by the pool, and was supposed to be a local celebration of Planned Parenthood's 100th anniversary.
But when organizers and guests began to arrive at the Hollander Hotel in downtown St. Pete Sunday afternoon, staff turned them away, said Wendy Grassi, a former Planned Parenthood staffer still active with the group.
“When people came yesterday to attend, we were told 'sorry, it's been canceled,'" she said. "Just like that. It's been canceled. No reason or anything.”
The party had been set to take place at the hotel's popular outdoor pool deck and bar from four to six p.m., a date Grassi said was reserved with the hotel weeks ago. And Hollander staffers, in addition to not giving a reason for the cancellation, were brusque in their dismissal.
“They were so rude," Grassi said. "It was unbelievable.”
Planned Parenthood is, of course, incredibly controversial, and in the past year a doctored "sting" video that made it appear that the organization trafficked in aborted baby parts triggered more hate for the reproductive health care provider. Heightened tensions in a heated election season may have added to that.
It's as yet unclear whether being at odds with the nonprofit's mission was the reason hotel management canceled the event.
CL reached out to the Hollander Hotel for comment, but was unable to speak with anyone on staff about Sunday's events, and instead was told over the phone that management and marketing staff were taking part in a meeting and that it has "been a long day."
The hotel sent an emailed statement to this reporter after this story went live expressing a desire to avoid political controversies, but it did not specifically address Sunday's events:
"At the Hollander Hotel and Tap Room, we pride ourselves on celebrating the diversity that makes St Petersburg great. With that in mind, we have never and will never get involved or take a stance on political issues. If a situation arises on hotel property, we will take every precaution to ensure the safety of our guests and their experience. Thank you," the message read.
The hotel later responded to CL's request for further clarification in an email suggesting some hotel guests felt threatened by the presence of the attendees and those who protested outside:
"As stated previously, the safety and security of our guests at the Hollander is our first priority. At the start of the event, some hotel guests expressed concern for their safety. Because of this, we asked both sides of this particular event to relocate off the property. We felt we did what was right for our guests. Thank you," that email read.
A third email sent Monday evening further clarifies, reiterating their strong embrace of diversity and desire to stay out of politics. This time they added that “things occurred that we can't divulge at this time that caused us to cancel the event for the safety our guests and visitors at the hotel.” Guests had even expressed concern about safety, they added.*
If dislike of Planned Parenthood had been their motivation for turning event goers away,** it would seem uncharacteristic, given that the hotel's popular taproom and pool bar attract a young, diverse crowd and has been the site of events associated with Pride — not exactly a celebration that draws many conservatives.
On Sunday afternoon, the poolside bar was crowded with swimsuit-clad revelers and music blared loudly from a DJ. Witnesses said two protesters stood on the sidewalk adjacent the building's 4th Street façade with, as Grassi put it, “with their disgusting blood-soaked anti-choice signs” as event attendees arrived.
As a former Planned Parenthood communications head, Grassi has been part of plenty of the organization's events, including at a local Hilton hotel, and the group had never been turned away.
“No one ever refused us. Certainly not at the last minute,” she said. “We were shocked. Really shocked.”
*Hollander general manager Nick Herring reached out on Tuesday afternoon with more details on what took place. He stressed that the Planned Parenthood partygoers had done nothing wrong; the decision was made to protect guests and patrons. In addition to the protesters outside, whom guests had found menacing, there had also been threatening phone calls. He said the hotel regrets asking the partygoers to leave and would welcome them back.
**Herring stressed that this is not the case at all.
This article appears in Oct 13-20, 2016.