Ritz Carlton Closes Entrance After an Unexpected Guest Lands on the Handle — and Refuses to Leave
Katelyn Bell’s TikTok video showing a hummingbird nesting on the door handle of the Rancho Mirage Ritz Carlton went viral
Closures of any kind at a luxury resort are rarely celebrated. But during Katelyn Bell’s recent trip to the Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, she was happy to see the front entrance locked up for the safety of an unexpected guest.
The 23-year-old visitor from Portland, Ore., went viral last month after posting a video from the Southern California resort. In it, she gives viewers an adorable look at a hummingbird building its nest on an exterior door handle of the high-end hotel.
“We were just walking by, I think we were going to the pool that morning, and I saw a sign that read ‘nature in progress,’” Bell tells PEOPLE of her family trip in March. “And then I noticed on the door handle the little nest. Then I got really lucky on my way back, [the bird] was sitting in the nest.”
Luckily for the feathered friend, the hotel made sure to reserve some space for its temporary home.
In a follow-up video, Bell provided another look at the sign, informing customers of the short-term arrangement. “A humming bird has created a nest on this door handle. For their safety, we kindly ask that you please use the other door,” the sign read. “Thank you for helping us protect our local wildlife.”
For Bell, the nature sighting sparked a little extra excitement on the trip.
“I’m always the person that likes to go out and see things like that,” she says. “When we went to Palm Springs, the biggest thing I wanted to see was the palm tree oasis. So I’m definitely into nature.”
“The hotel actually had a bunch of wildlife going on. There were several hummingbird nests that we saw,” Bell says. “There was even a bigger bird that had a baby with it. They ended up putting a basket out and it made a nest in the basket. It was really cute.”
Upon further discovery, Bell actually learned the animal sightings — and the hotel’s subsequent accommodations — are actually commonplace at the Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage.
The viral video even caught the attention of the official Ritz-Carlton TikTok account as well. “All are welcome to create unforgettable memories 🩵,” the page wrote in the comment section.