Orlando Hotel Violated Civil Rights Act: U.S. DOJ

ORLANDO, FL — An Orlando-area hotel has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice after being accused of discriminating against people of Arab descent, a news release from the agency said.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld came to the agreement after allegations that the hotel violated Title II of the Civil Rights Act when it canceled a conference planned by the Arab America Foundation, a non-profit educational and cultural organization, a week before the conference was scheduled to begin in November 2023, according to a lawsuit.

“No one may be denied the right to use hotel facilities because of their national origin,” Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the rights of all people to be free from discrimination in hotels and other public accommodations around the country.”

DoubleTree’s decision to cancel the Arab America Foundation’s conference was not based “on any legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons,” the lawsuit said.

While the hotel claimed the cancellation was because of security concerns, it didn’t face any threats or risks, the DOJ said.

“Indeed, as alleged in the department’s complaint, contrary to representations that the DoubleTree made to the Arab America Foundation, the DoubleTree had not received any calls or other communications raising a safety or security threat to the conference or to the hotel,” the agency said. “Rather, the decision to cancel was based on the national origin of the Arab America Foundation’s members and the conference attendees. The complaint therefore alleges that the DoubleTree discriminated on the basis of national origin and denied people of Arab descent the full and equal enjoyment of access to the services, accommodations, and privileges at the hotel.”

According to the settlement, the hotel must issue a statement to the Arab America Foundation that all guests and groups — including Arab and Arab American guests and groups — are welcome at the hotel.

The hotel brand must also appoint a compliance officer to oversee the matters in the agreement, train employees on the Civil Rights Act, establish a written anti-discrimination policy, and conduct outreach to Arab and Arab American groups to promote the property.