WINTER GARDEN, FL. Inspectors visiting the Residence Inn Flamingo Crossing at 2111 Flagler Avenue on July 13, 2026 found food from unapproved or unknown sources being served to guests, a violation that means the kitchen was handling ingredients that had bypassed federal safety inspections entirely.
The facility was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
Six of the seven violations cited that day were classified as high severity. Inspectors documented food not cooked to the required minimum temperature alongside the unapproved sourcing citation, meaning guests may have been served both unverified and undercooked food at the same meal.
Toxic chemicals were found improperly stored or labeled near food areas. Inspectors also noted that employees were using improper hand and arm washing technique, that no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods was posted, and that no person in charge was present or performing supervisory duties.
The single intermediate violation involved multi-use utensils not being properly cleaned between uses.
What These Violations Mean
The food from unapproved sources violation is among the most serious a food service establishment can receive. When food bypasses USDA and FDA inspection channels, there is no traceability if a guest becomes sick. Pathogens including Listeria and Salmonella can be present with no visible sign of spoilage, and there is no paper trail to identify the source of an outbreak.
The undercooking violation compounds that risk directly. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When food sourced outside approved channels is also not cooked to required temperatures, there is no safety net at either end of the preparation process.
The improperly stored chemicals citation adds a separate and acute danger. Cleaning agents and sanitizers stored near or mislabeled in food preparation areas can contaminate food through direct contact or through misidentification during service. This is not a paperwork violation. It is a poisoning risk.
Improper handwashing technique is distinct from failing to wash hands at all. Studies show that incorrect technique, such as insufficient duration or skipping steps, leaves active pathogens on hands even after a washing attempt. At Residence Inn Flamingo Crossing, this was happening without a person in charge on the floor to observe or correct it.
The Longer Record
Residence Inn Flamingo Crossing: Inspection History
July's inspection was not an anomaly. Across 12 inspections on record, the Residence Inn Flamingo Crossing has accumulated 94 total violations, and every inspection since March 2023 except one has included at least four high-severity citations.
The worst single inspection came in April 2024, when inspectors documented 10 high-severity violations and 2 intermediate ones in a single visit. The facility has never been emergency-closed.
The pattern across three years is consistent. High-severity violations appear at nearly every visit, in overlapping categories. The person-in-charge citation that appeared in July 2026 is particularly significant given the history: CDC data shows that establishments without active managerial control accumulate critical violations at three times the rate of those with engaged supervision. At this location, the absence of that supervision has been a recurring condition, not an isolated lapse.
The facility had one relatively clean inspection in August 2023, with a single high-severity violation. Every inspection before and after that date has produced substantially more serious findings.
Still Open
Guests checking into the Residence Inn Flamingo Crossing after July 13, 2026 were staying at a hotel whose restaurant had just been cited for serving food from sources that bypassed federal safety inspections, failing to cook food to required temperatures, and storing toxic chemicals improperly, all on the same day, all without a manager present to observe any of it.
The state did not close it.
