Florida hotel discriminated against Arab American group after Hamas attack, Justice Department says The owner of a hotel in Orlando, Florida's tourist district has reached an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department after the agency sued alleging discrimination when the resort canceled a planned conference for an Arab American group in the weeks after the attack which triggered the war in Gaza.
The Justice Department's complaint filed Thursday alleged that the owner of DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld had discriminated on the basis of national origin when it canceled hosting an annual summit held by the Arab America Foundation in November 2023, almost a month after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The hotel also must adopt a written anti-discrimination policy and reach out to at least five Arab or Arab American groups to let them know the hotel is open to all members of the public, according to the agreement.
Under the terms of the Justice Department agreement, the hotel must issue a statement within a month to the Arab America Foundation making it clear that it welcomes all guests regardless of race, color, religion or national origin.
“Simply stated, amidst an ongoing war in the Middle East, the hotel did not want an Arab group — in this instance, the Foundation — to have its event at the DoubleTree,” the complaint said.
