Hotel tells sandcastle artist to pound sand over Mark Twain quote deemed 'too political'
A hotel in Coronado, California, told a local sandcastle artist to pound sand after he created a castle that included a statement the hotel deemed "too political," new reporting revealed.
The Hotel del Coronado confirmed to local news station KUSI News that Bill Pavlacka, known as "The Sandcastle Man" in Coronado for his ornate designs, is no longer allowed on the property because he violated the hotel's policies and "impacted guest experiences."
“We can confirm that Hotel del Coronado and The Sandcastle Man have parted ways effective February 5. We wish The Sandcastle Man continued success," the statement read.
Pavlacka, a former construction worker, told KUSI News that he was dismissed after he made a sandcastle and included the Mark Twain quote, “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
The hotel said the message was "too political."
Last year, Pavlacka said that he was criticized by hotel staff for writing "I love democracy" on one castle and "I love freedom of speech" on another.
“They accused me of drinking, they’ve accused me of drinking before when I wasn’t, and they told me I’m not welcomed there anymore, that Mark Twain message was the last straw," Pavlacka said.