Olympia Resort and Conference Center in Oconomowoc will permanently close, TODAY'S TMJ4 has learned.
Now, the more than 60 people who currently work at Olympia, are left scrambling to find other jobs. Also scrambling: the people and groups who have events planned there in the next few months.
With their wedding day just a few months away, Michelle Wonoski and Jayson Lewis, were not expecting to hear their venue is suddenly closing.
“It's frustrating and very nerve-wracking because we're both stressed,” Wonoski said. “We’re working all the time, and trying to plan a wedding. We thought we had it all set. It's exhausting, and it's very sad and disheartening that Olympia didn’t reach out to us.”
Wonoski says she hasn’t gotten a call from anyone at Olympia. She did get an email confirming their security deposit for their wedding reception would be refunded, and that Olympia would reimburse them for invitations they already mailed. But she says it wasn’t even the hotel that gave them a heads-up in the first place.
“I heard it through an ex-employee from Olympia that reached out to us, and she was taking her own personal time to let us know about this,” Wonoski said.
Luckily, the couple has found another venue willing to take on their wedding on the same day it was originally scheduled for. But they’re not the only ones dealing with this inconvenience.
The representative we spoke with from Olympia says he’s currently working to reschedule all future events at other hotels and businesses nearby.
“Good luck to those other people,” Wonoski said. “We did everything on our own. I would recommend anyone with an event there, to just start planning something else on your own.”
Olympia, which includes a hotel and conference center, opened more than 40 years ago. At one time, it included a ski hill, golf course, and some private residences.
The property has been for sale since last summer. Two years ago, the owners tried to turn it into a senior living facility, but that never came to fruition.
The representative we spoke with, says Olympia is currently at the center of a legal battle but did not elaborate, or provide any details.
Olympia is not yet providing an exact closing date. But all events after Jan. 31, are canceled.
