The Massachusetts Appellate Court reinstated a lawsuit alleging unfair business practices against a Boston-area Fairfield Inn by Marriott. The plaintiffs, Louise Connor and Stephanie Fishman, who together run the high-end children’s clothing business NY Kids Showroom, provided ample evidence supporting their claim, accusing the hotel of misleading them into booking a reservation and scheduling meetings with prospective clients. Afterward, they were ejected due to an undisclosed “no soliciting” policy.
During their stay in September 2019, they made a late check-in and booked a large suite. They communicated to the hotel regarding the delivery and management of—large boxes of clothing samples sent in advance. This arrangement wasn’t new as they had been following a similar process for several years at the same hotel as per the March 18 court opinion.
In his statement, Associate Justice Gregory I. Massing compared Fairfield Inn’s alleged knowledge about the plaintiffs’ business stay and its failure to inform them about their inability to conduct business there as akin to ‘neglecting to inform arriving guests that rooms lack beds’. He pointed out that this wasn’t akin to a mere oversight like failing to warn guests about an elliptical machine in the hotel gym being out of order.
More details can be found on the official news report.