Woman Sues Hilton After Staff Allow Attacker Access to Her Room

A traveler is suing Embassy Suites and Hilton Worldwide, accusing her hotel of allowing her to be sexually assaulted.

A female traveler is taking Hilton Worldwide to court, accusing the staff of the Des Moines Embassy Suites of committing actions that led to her sexual assault. The Des Moines Register reports her case will move forward in an Iowa federal court after being moved from New Jersey when settlement negotiations broke down.

In her lawsuit, the traveler accuses Hilton Worldwide, Embassy Suites and Des Moines Embassy Suites owner Atrium Finance III of allowing unwarranted access to her room, which led to an assault by another guest during a stay in April 2014. After refuting the advances of 31-year-old hotel guest Christopher LaPointe, the plaintiff claims a breakdown in security led to her assault.

According to the civil action, attorneys allege LaPointe was given a room key for the plaintiff’s room upon his request. The lawsuit accuses the staff of complying without checking their records or asking the plaintiff’s permission. After receiving the key, the lawsuit states LaPointe could not access the room because it was locked from the inside. The plaintiff then claims LaPointe told a maintenance worker that she was his girlfriend and he was locked out of the room. The suit accuses the employee of granting LaPointe access, which led to the sexual assault.

“At all times relevant hereto, [the defendants] violated their own- and nationally-recognized standards or policies by physically assisting and then allowing LaPointe to enter [the Plaintiff’s] hotel room without first notifying her and obtaining her permission,” attorneys Paul Brandes and Michael Hanamirian wrote in the lawsuit. “Had Defendants timely and properly checked their computer and/or other systems, they would have learned that LaPointe was not authorized or permitted to enter [the Plaintiff’s] hotel room.”

Des Moines CBS affiliate KCCI-TV reports LaPointe pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and sexual abuse in December 2014, receiving a sentence of 20 years in prison. However, a new attorney representing LaPointe is requesting a new trial. An appeal is pending.

Neither Hilton Worldwide nor the hotel owner have not issued a comment about the lawsuit. In a previous statement to KCCI, the Des Moines Embassy Suites general manager stated: “Providing a safe and comfortable environment for our guests and employees is of the upmost [sic] importance to hotel management.”

[Photo: Expedia]