Ann Arbor Hotel Accused of Giving Woman Flesh Eating Infection

What should have been a fun and relaxing weekend turned into a medical nightmare for a Flint woman, who is now suing an Ann Arbor hotel after allegedly contracting a dangerous infection from its pool.

Alexis Williams (23) says her life was forever changed after a June stay at the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, where she swam with family in the hotel’s pool.

According to her attorney, Alexis scraped her leg while in the water. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem with a properly treated pool.

Within 30 minutes of getting into the pool that day, her cousins began vomiting and had spiked fevers. That’s when Alexis started experiencing severe pain in her leg.

Doctors later diagnosed her with MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) which is a serious and potentially life-threatening infection sometimes referred to as a “flesh-eating” bacteria.

According to her lawyers, Alexis has since undergone multiple surgeries and now relies on her mother for help with daily tasks.

According to documents from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the hotel’s pool had ongoing safety issues around the time of Williams’ stay.

Officials reported two consecutive high bacteria readings in June and found no record of the pool’s water chemistry being logged on June 25, a daily requirement.

By June 26, test samples showed zero chlorine and no records indicating the pool had been closed or treated, which are both serious red flags. The pool was only shocked after EGLE intervened.

Even more concerning, a follow-up inspection on July 8 revealed no chlorine yet again as well as high pH levels. Only then did management voluntarily close the pool to restore safe water conditions.

Now, Williams is taking legal action, arguing that the hotel’s failure to maintain proper safety protocols left her permanently impacted. While the hotel has not issued a public statement, the case is likely to raise serious questions about public pool safety and the systems in place to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

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And a friendly reminder- If you don’t smell chlorine, you may want to stay out of the pool.