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Marriott flood disrupts World Cup teams

Burst sprinker system soaks guest rooms

A burst sprinkler system pipe was responsible for flooding or partially flooding 17 rooms in the Marriott Residence Inn on Saturday evening, including some rooms that were occupied by officials and athletes in Whistler for the Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup.

Marriott was a corporate sponsor for the event, contributing 150 room nights to officials while offering discounted accommodation for national teams.

The athletes and their belongings were evacuated to dry rooms on the other side of the building, and items like the Swiss national team’s damaged luggage were replaced by the hotel.

"There was a lot of water," said Marriott GM Ian Lowe, but the worst damage was contained to just four rooms. Of the 17 rooms that suffered water damage, 13 will be repaired and reopened for this weekend.

The cause of the burst pipe is not known, but Whistler Fire Services responded to the call and shut off the affected part of the system. When they showed up "water was coming out of the walls on the north wing of the third and fourth floor," according to Fire Chief Bruce Hall.

The cause has not yet been determined but Hall believes the burst pipe occurred in the sprinkler system on the attic floor.