NAMPA, Idaho — The Shilo Inn, located just off Interstate 84 in Nampa, shut down with little warning, according to former employees, who say they were given only hours to collect their belongings while guests were asked to leave mid-stay.
“For them to just screw us over like this — we haven’t even gotten our last check,” said former employee Bethany Hicks. “I did not know that [Wednesday] was my last day on shift."
WATCH | Former employees worry about pay after sudden Shilo Inn shutdown
Laura Howell, who worked at the hotel for 10 years, said she received a call late in the morning instructing her to vacate the property quickly.
“I got the call at 11 o’clock and was told to clear out my locker by 12:30,” Howell said.
Former employees say the sudden closure has left them frustrated and uncertain about whether they will receive their final paychecks. Some say delayed wages had already become an issue in recent months.
“I’ve been struggling for a while because they cut my hours during winter,” Hicks said. “I just finally started getting full-time hours again, and our checks weren’t coming in on time.”
The closure also impacted guests staying at the hotel, including Union Pacific railroad workers who were in town for mandatory rest periods between shifts.
“There were railroaders who had just shown up to get their required sleep before going back on the road,” Hicks said. “They were kicked out in the middle of sleep.”
Howell said she had seen signs of financial trouble leading up to the closure, including delayed maintenance and supply shortages at the hotel.
“We got our checks Wednesday, but couldn’t cash them until [Thursday],” Howell said. “Then I got the call they were closing the doors.”
The hotel’s parent company is now undergoing Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a process in which assets are typically liquidated to repay creditors.
According to the company’s website, Shilo Inns operates multiple locations across the western United States, including several in Idaho. At least two of those locations are now closed.
The Nampa shutdown follows a similar sudden closure at a Shilo Inn location in Idaho Falls, according to Local News 8.
No official explanation for the closures has been released. Idaho News 6 has reached out to the hotel for comment, but has not received a response.
Former employees say they are now searching for new jobs in the hospitality industry while waiting for answers about their final paychecks.
This is a developing story. Idaho News 6 will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
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