Hilton has extended its stay at the Palm Beach mansion for a second time, this time with a “sickened” sexual assault incident, the Hilton hotel chain said in a statement Tuesday.
The hotel chain, which has been embroiled in a lawsuit over sexual misconduct allegations against its founder, said in its statement that Hilton was “deeply disappointed” by the incident, which happened in December 2016, and that it was “inappropriate to characterize our hotel as a safe environment for our guests.”
Hilton is a major brand with more than 5 million rooms in more than 100 U.S. cities.
The chain was formed in 1875 by a couple who had bought a vacation home from a widow who had died.
Its luxury hotel chains have been in hot water over allegations of sexual harassment and assault, including claims of a decades-long pattern of misconduct against its employees.
The Palm Beach resort was founded in 1929 by Donald and Mary Macdonald and was named after their son.
The Macdonas are the family that owns Hilton Hotels and Resorts.
The company has been hit by allegations of misconduct in the past, including sexual harassment, workplace discrimination and retaliation against women who speak out against it.
The allegations against Hilton, which have not been substantiated, came as part of a lawsuit filed by the family in June.
The lawsuit alleges that Hilton is “a serial harasser” and that the company is “disgusted by its conduct.”
Henderson, the family’s attorney, told ABC News Tuesday that the allegations against the family are “just wrong.”
“We’re confident that the family is doing everything in their power to hold Hilton accountable for the horrific abuse they suffered,” Henderson said.
Hilton has faced criticism from some in the industry for the hotel chain’s management style and for its reliance on social media to attract customers.
The company is expected to announce a major restructuring and restructuring of its operations by the end of the year.
