Open a Jewish newspaper or website at this time of the year, and you will see dozens – if not more – ads for Pesach programs.
While the popularity of these programs has grown, a new trend in recent years has been the exodus of families from all over the Country to rent homes for Pesach in Orlando, Florida.
Last year, it was estimated that over 20,000 Yidden went to the Orlando region, perhaps surpassing the Pesach hotel market.
This year, with multiple hotel programs having already canceled, Orlando, VRBO and AirBnb are taking a yet bigger bite out of the hotel type of programs, sources tell TLS.
In addition, this year, over 1,000 rooms from several different programs, were added to the market.
Two major hotel programs, one in in California and one in Florida – have already confirmed they are being forced to cancel, and a third is expected to confirm the same shortly.
One of the programs, which was in business a number of years, was forced into bankruptcy when a new competitor opened just a few miles from their program, targeting the same clientele, and then undercut prices, a disappointed guest told the TLS.
TLS reached out to the program owners of this program, who shared that another hotel has graciously offered to accept all their guests at cost price.
Recovering guest deposits made to the hotel is another matter, and can be an uphill battle sources say, as programs that cancel generally lose the deposits made to the hotels. While it is the full responsibility of the program owners to return those deposits, programs that are bankrupt may have a hard time doing so.
“Guests who made deposits to hotels in the State of California can have an easier time getting quick refunds because of California laws – which favor hotels returning such deposits,” one longstanding Pesach program coordinator told TLS.
Who Cares?
what does daas Torah say about this?
I do not go to hotels for yomtif nor do I want to, but what is the purpose of posting such an insensitive comment? You should care because it’s yidden who are inconvenienced, lost money and don’t know what they’re doing for pesach.
And if you really don’t care about this or anything else, just keep the comments to yourself.
@Gevaldig. We should care about Yidden losing parnassah even if you don’t agree with the programs
You should care. It doesn’t mean you have to go away for Pesach. But when a yid loses money you should feel his pain too. Especially if he goes bankrupt because of someone else undercutting him.
Learn the facts b4 you publish the closing of the hotels had nothing to do with Orlando in fact most people that go to Orlando cant afford the price of the hotels so please dont make up a story just so you can have reading material
The only problem with renting homes in Florida and going it alone versus the hotel programs is you won’t get to enjoy any night programs like the night concerts with all of the big names in the music industry that these hotel programs put on. Also you won’t get to meet the biggest shadchan on the market, you wont get to see MODI and you won’t get to see any of the magic shows or the guy who brings his lizards and crocodiles to the hotel. But then again you can still have a 24 hour tea room and best of all there’s no tipping the waiters when your’e ready to head home..
This is really a sad story. I dont go away for Pesach but last year, for the 1st time, we went to a hotel close by for 2 days of Chol HaMoed. It was a real eye-opener. Many of the guests are elderly who have no Koach to cook & clean in preparing for Y”T and them cooking, serving & cleaning a whole Y”T itself. Some are on 2nd marriages and would be uncomfortable being all together in a house – whatever, – there are many reasons why people would go to a Pesach program. And its sad these hotel programs had to close.
And, btw, why people go to Orlando is beyond me; they get to Orlando & the Mommies are vaiter cleaning cooking, serving, clearing, cooking, serving a whole day. At least in a hotel its a shtickel vacation, but in Orlando the wives are slaving away. Whatever.
Chag Kasher V’Sameach to all !!!!
I called Pesach in Lancastar yesterday and they didn’t have the ten rooms I needed . So I assume this issue is only in certain locations
Chaim: I beat you to the punch! I took the last 10 rooms.
We paid in full and got back 0- please feel bad for people that had to pay inf full and were called to say the program closed. I feel bad for all of us people we are the victims!!!!! This whole thing with the hotel is a bunch of garbage!!!! When will we get our $$$ back.
@MAyer – if what you say is true, that’s takeh terrible. Did you use a hotel close by or in CAlifornia ? according to the the article, you may be able to get most of it back if it was in CA due to their hotel laws.
HaMAkom YiMalei Chasronchem
We were going to the program in california. For whatever reason that people choose to go away for yomtov its really their own business. However taking money and not returning it when you cant deliver whats promised is plain stealing. So far not a penny has been returned and the cc company said they dont know if it will be refunded. People save the whole year to go away for pesach and give themselves and the family a treat. Dont know how people sleep at night knowing thousands of dollars are owed to hardworking yidden. What does daas torah say about that? If you were to order an item in a store, pay for it and then it wasn’t available would the item be refunded or would you be expected to take a loss? Of course not! It would be great if lakewood scoop can stay on top of this story and see if people get refunded.
This is really a terrible situation. All those that go to these programs for so many years have probably forgot how to conduct a Seder. What are they all going to do. If some average Bal Habayis can help out and give some tips to the elite Bal Habattim and to the singers and Rabbanim who frequent these Hotels, about how to make Pesach at home without Erev Pesach golf ( of corse non gebroks ) it will help all those that have to stay home to adjust.
I I guess all these people who can’t go to the hotels will learn what a real pesach is all about!
I’ve been going to pesach programs since I was born. For all those of you that think it’s just for people with money you are mistaken. There are all different types that go. Single parent families, BT’s, second marriage, older people, etc etc. many of them save up all year for this since it’s very important to them (many of them actually don’t know how to cook kosher l’pesach and find it overwhelming to learn it so much later in life). Some families forgo sleep away camp and the like so they can go.
Mayer did you pay with a credit card? If yes, then the whole change can easily be disputed.
The credit card companies arent giving the money back.
Maybe all the Rabbis who were supposed to be taking part in the program could help these poor people get their money back so they could at least buy a shtickel matza
I was a guest at this program and spoke with the owners of the program. They called all of us. They are honest and committed to making sure everyone gets paid back. Yes we are out money but to talk bad about people who were hurt and are doing everything they can is wrong!! Our money is at the hotel – they have no right to keep it, our frustration should be taken out on the hotel to help the owners get back the money to refund us!! They also worked out with another program to take us at a crazy reduced price – dishonest people run away and hide – they are standing up and helping us all!!
It’s easy to assume that pesach hotel programs are a luxury marketed to the very wealthy. Due to a sudden medical crisis we were “forced” one yr to go to a hotel for pesach. I would venture to say that the majority of guests there had some story. Singles, divorcees, large families with no mother, childless couples, the list goes on. I hope that everyone is able to recoup their funds AND that their alternate plans work out for them.
A close family friend spent over $20,000 on plane tixx and hotel fees for the California program. They have no idea what, if anything, they’ll get back. Equally sad is how much pain “Feel Bad” & “Besura Tova” are in that they knock people going to a hotel program, that “they don’t know how to make a seder”. Guys, as many ppl have posted here, many of the hotel guests are elderly, sickly or going through a matzav. And now they’re out thousands of dollars. So now ur gonna make fun of them ?? Put some love in ur life.
THE HEADLINE TO YOUR ARTICLE IS WRONG. IT SHOULD READ PESACH IS IN JEOPARDY WITH PESACH HOTELS AND PROGRAMS.
Hey chaim if you need 10 rooms chef flam still has about 10 rooms left hes got a great affordable program hes a great chef and a real mentch I know ges almost sold out so dont wait call him at 7329952624 tell him yossi b sent you
When I read the headline, I thought it was because of the measles outbreak!!
Yes, there are many Pesach hotel patrons that have particular personal and/or family reasons that make staying home for Yom Tov a bad option. But to pretend that that’s the primary clientele of the market is disingenuous. In many circles, going away has become the “thing to do” and virtually no one stays home. This is a fact.
I personally know the people who were both running and working for the California program. They are fine, upstanding, ehrliche people and I know they will do everything in their power to make sure that all their clients have where to go or if they choose to stay home, get back as much of their money as they possibly can, with the least amount of stress.