Can You Sue a Hotel for Sex Trafficking?

Efforts are being made by victims to hold the hospitality industry accountable for sex trafficking. Sex traffickers often use hotels or motels to carry out their business. In many cases, the hotels or motels are aware of what’s happening in their rooms, but they turn a profit on the rentals, so they turn a blind eye to the abuse. However, victims are fighting back and targeting hotels and motels in personal injury lawsuits filed against the respective hotels. The most recent lawsuit was filed in 2025 in federal court in Los Angeles during the first week of January.

In the newest sex trafficking lawsuit, a survivor identified only as Jane Doe accused the Holiday Inn franchise operators and their parent company IHG of knowingly facilitating her trafficking and profiting from the exploitation. The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff was trafficked at multiple Holiday Inn locations, where obvious signs of trafficking were ignored by staff and management.

The complaint details several red flags overserved at the hotels. These include cash payments for extended stays, multiple rooms rented at the same time, a constant flow of male visitors at irregular hours, and sex traffickers lingering on the premises. The lawsuit further contends that housekeeping was kept out of the rooms, and towels and linens were exchanged at the door, which further indicated the illegal nature of what was happening there. Despite all of these obvious signs, the defendants allegedly failed to take action or alert law enforcement.

The plaintiff is claiming that the defendants had actual and constructive knowledge of trafficking activities but failed to implement or enforce policies designed to detect and prevent such criminal activity. The lawsuit accuses the Holiday Inn of negligence in hiring, training, and supervising employees and allowing sex traffickers to create an environment where they could operate with impunity.

The plaintiff is seeking damages for the harm caused by the sex trafficking, alleging that the defendants prioritized their revenue stream over their duty to protect guests and prevent criminal activity on their properties. This case is part of a broader effort to hold the hospitality industry responsible for allowing the sex trafficking industry to thrive.

Suing hotels for sex trafficking 

Under a federal law called the Trafficking Victims Protection Act or TVPA, sex trafficking victims can sue hotels and motels that financially benefit from the crime. However, you can’t just sue any hotel or motel because sex trafficking occurred on their premises. The plaintiff must establish that the defendant hotel either knew or should have known about the trafficking and put a stop to it. In one case against a motel that was filed in 2015, the victim alleged that staff of the motel saw her in distress on multiple occasions but did nothing to alert authorities to the illegal conduct.

Talk to an Oakland, CA Personal Injury Lawyer Today 

Venardi Zurada represents the interests of plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits. We serve the Bay Area from our office locations in Oakland and Walnut Creek. Call our Oakland personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.

Sources:

lawsuit-information-center.com/california-sexual-abuse-lawsuits-and-settlements.html

npr.org/2020/02/20/807506786/human-trafficking-survivor-settles-lawsuit-against-motel-where-she-was-held-capt