Remember That Guy From the Plantation Bay Meltdown? Well, He Resigned

Manny Gonzalez, the “resident shareholder” of Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, has officially resigned.

Quick refresher: Gonzalez’ controversial reply to a guest’s unhappy experience at the resort was what triggered online anger from netizens, resulting in a PR crisis for Plantation Bay. Gonzalez later apologized for his hurtful replies, but it looks like the damage was already done.

Gonzalez’ resignation is effective today, December 15, about a week after the whole fiasco. 

Here’s his statement from Plantation Bay’s official announcement:

“To protect our staff from further indignities, and with sincere apologies for my error of judgment which led to so much trouble to many innocent people, I have decided to resign from the position of Resident Shareholder.”

Short and sweet, unlike the initial angry tirades that sparked this whole crisis. While Gonzalez is now no longer part of management, companies and individuals alike will do well to remember the Plantation Bay controversy as it serves as a crisis PR lesson on how to handle—and how not to handle—sensitive situations.

What Happened at Plantation Bay?

On December 9, Plantation Bay started trending online after a former guest posted her experience on TripAdvisor. According to her review, the resort demanded that her PWD child, who is autistic, stop making loud noises. The mother defended that these sounds are a sign her child is enjoying himself, but attempted to abide by their requests. 

However, former resident shareholder Manny Gonzalez replied to her post with harsh words, going so far as to claim her PWD child was given an "incorrect diagnosis of autism" and that she should "google" autism. He even suspected that she was lying about her experience.

The entire fiasco promptly enraged netizens, who were quick to call out Plantation Bay for its practices and for Gonzalez's tirade, as he represented management in this situation. 

The Plantation Bay fiasco ignited discourse on the best practices when catering to PWD guests, as well as the importance of customer service and empathy. And hiring a publicist.