Chip Conley Apologizes for Racial Profiling at Hotel Vitale

Where: 8 Mission Street [map], San Francisco, ca, United States, 94105

12/08/2006 at 9:34 AM
Tags: Chip Conley, JDV Hospitality, Hoteliers, Hotel News

Speaking of Chip Conley, we didn't realize that his Hotel Vitale had gotten into hot water last week with a racial profiling incident. (Jeez we head to Amsterdam for four days and we miss the good stuff.)

According to newspaper reports, Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o, an English and Comparative Lit professor at UC Irvine was staying at the hotel over the Nov. 10 weekend to promote his latest book, "The Wizard of the Crow," courtesy of his publisher Random House.

Saturday morning, he was reading a newspaper in the hotel lounge when an employees asked him to leave. Thiong'o insisted he was a hotel guest but the employee demanded physical proof. A hotel manager stepped in and apologize to Thiong'o but the damage had been done. The incident was later reported by the Priority African Network, who demanded a public apology from Chip Conley, which he promptly issued citing that he was "deeply sorry" for the incident and that he sent a private letter of apology to the author. He also dished out some personal details as well:

This is a matter of great importance to me personally. I went to Long Beach Poly High School, one of the finest inner city public high schools in America well known for its diversity. I have a mixed race foster son who identifies as African-American. I am in a long-term relationship with an African-American. Our company supports more than one dozen local multi-cultural organizations. In sum, we have always tried our hardest to assure we are part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Conley followed up the public apology (which cost $450) with a $5,000 donation "to a yet-to-be-determined local nonprofit that works to fight racism, and do additional staff training about racial discrimination" all of which has made Thiong'o commend him for his fast and heartfelt response.

Now, we just have one question. If Chip went to Long Beach Poly, is he friends with Snoop Doog?

[Photo: Jt and Mt]

Related Stories:
· Hotel Vitale apologizes to author [Examiner.com]
· Hotel Vitale Expresses Regret Over Racial Profliing Incident [Beyond Chron]