The Cullen Law Firm, PLLC announces that a consumer class action lawsuit was filed on July 20, 2005, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., Civil Action No. 05CH12068 against Hyatt International Corporation, on behalf of all guests of Hyatts hotel in Moscow
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) July 22, 2005 -- The Cullen Law Firm, PLLC announces that a consumer class action lawsuit was filed on July 20, 2005 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against Hyatt International Corporation, on behalf of all guests of Hyatts hotel in Moscow since July 2002.
The complaint, filed under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, alleges that Hyatt made deceptive and misleading representations through its worldwide, Internet based reservation system on the rates that would be charged at the Ararat Park Hyatt in Moscow, Russia.
According to the complaint, Hyatt quotes rates in U.S. dollars knowing that the final hotel bill will be paid in Russian rubles in amounts that are higher than those calculated at the official exchange rate. Hotel guests generally find out about the problem when they get their credit card statement in dollars.
According to the complaint, consumers generally pay upwards of 16 percent more than the amount quoted by Hyatt when their reservations were made. Paul D. Cullen Sr., counsel for the plaintiffs, estimates that there have been several thousand hotel guests possibly victimized by the alleged deceptive practices in the complaint during the period covered by the three year statute of limitations.
Separate cases have been filed by The Cullen Law Firm against Marriott International, Inc. and against Radisson Hotels International, Inc., dealing with the same problem addressed in the Hyatt litigation.
The practice of inflating hotel charges quoted in dollars, but paid in rubles, seems to be widespread," Cullen said. The issue presented by these cases is not whether the practice is lawful under the Russian legal system. The real issue is whether a U.S. based hotel chain can be held accountable under domestic law if it makes false or misleading statements to potential hotel guests that conceal this practice when it books reservations for its overseas hotel properties."
Hyatt International Corporation is incorporated in Delaware and is headquartered in Chicago, Ill. The complaint seeks damages under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, as well as injunctive relief restraining Hyatt from continuing the alleged conduct.
Individuals who have stayed at the Hyatt hotel in Moscow are encouraged to contact The Cullen Law Firm at http://www.cullenlaw.com/contactus.asp. To view a copy of the complaint, visit The Cullen Law Firm's website at www.cullenlaw.com.
For additional information, contact:
Paul D. Cullen, Sr.
The Cullen Law Firm, PLLC
1101 30th Street, N.W.
Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 944-8600 Ext 777
(202) 944-8611 [fax
The Cullen Law Firm, PLLC 1101 30th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 944-8600 [tel (202) 944-8611 [fax
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