Marriott sues franchisee for turning Queens hotel into migrant shelter

NY Post ^ | 8/10/24 | Lauren Elkies Schram

[Libloather]

Marriott International has filed a $2.6 million federal lawsuit against a hotel in Queens for becoming a migrant shelter in violation of its franchise agreement.

The hotel chain claims the owners of the Pride Hotel in Jamaica had a 2015 deal with Marriott to operate a dual-branded Aloft and Element hotel at 149-03 Archer Avenue, according to the complaint filed last week in the Southern District of New York.

Marriott alleged the hotel’s owner, Pride Hospitality Group, made a “lucrative” agreement with the city to house migrants and asylum seekers “just months before” its slated Nov. 1 opening, after eight years of construction. In doing so, it broke the agreement and gave up the right to use Marriott branding.

By Aug. 22, 2023, Marriott says it confirmed the property — an 18-story hotel with 283 units near John F. Kennedy International Airport — was being used for migrant housing.

Pride Hotel nevertheless kept using Marriott’s signage and proprietary marks, the suit claims.

Pride Hotel sent Marriott a letter proposing an agreement to use the hotels for migrant housing. Marriott provided a list of requirements that needed to be satisfied in order to consider the change in use, but didn’t hear back for two months — while migrants continued to live on site, according to the suit. Pride Hotel meanwhile sent Marriott none of the franchise agreement’s required fees, the suit maintains.

Marriott says it sent Pride notices of default and provided opportunities to resolve the issue in November and December to no avail, before terminating the agreement on March 18.

[Svartalfiar]

I thought the hotels were delighted the government would pay 100% guaranteed full occupancy unlike real tourists who need advertising and perks to sign up for rooms.

Now a few million bedbugs, deadly fentanyl and cocaine in the carpets and sofas, a strong stench of feces and sweat and a few corpses hidden behind walls and the hotel chains get all in a tizzy. Go figure.

The hotel owners are delighted, that's why the did it. The franchise brand owner does not like it, told the owner to remove the Marriott name, but they didn't.

[mewzilla]

I wish I could post this on X. I wonder if there might be a migrant explanation for what took place with Marriot Bonvoy and Sonder last month...

First, a video from last month, about 23 minutes long, about guests who got turfed ouf all their Sonder/Bonvoy bookings last month, with Sonder declaring Chapter 7 the next day. Giant Charlie foxtrot, and Marriott blew the response. ...

Marriott Makes a Huge Mistake - The Sonder Meltdown

[mewzilla]

And after watching the above, I thought how the bleep did this happen.

And then I thought could this be government contract migrant related, and I went looking...

Something of interest from 2024...

Refugee Housing Solutions and Marriott International Team Up to Help Provide Short-Term Accommodations for Refugees

From the above...Church World Service (CWS), a nonprofit organization serving refugees and newcomers regardless of faith or background, today is proud to announce a new collaboration between Refugee Housing Solutions (RHS) and Marriott International. The joint effort will allow Marriott Bonvoy members to support newly arriving refugees and other newcomers to the United States through the donation of their points. RHS will use the value of those points to help U.S. resettlement agencies provide temporary accommodations for newcomers....

If the contract Marriot Bonvoy had to house migrants had anything to do with what happened to all those guests who were turfed out of their bookings, I hope Marriott has to pay through the nose for it.

Think about this the next time you think about booking a stay with Big Hospitality.

BTW, if anyone would care to share any if this on X, I'd appreciate it.

I'd do it, but I'm still bleeping banned.

[mewzilla]

OMG. It gets worse...

Donate Your Marriott Bonvoy Points

Team up with Refugee Housing Solutions and Marriott International in their efforts to ensure safe, affordable, and dignified accommodation for refugees and other newcomers to the U.S.!

This collaboration allows Marriott Bonvoy members to donate their points, which are then converted to cash donations distributed among all 10 national refugee resettlement agencies. These funds will be used to secure short-term accommodation for refugees.

I wonder how those folks who got thrown out of their accommodations feel about the above now...?