New York, NY: The PGA National Resort & Spa may be a stickler for fairness on the golf course, but when it comes to honestly disclosing guest fees at its nationally renowned resort hotel in Palm Beach, the organization' practices are tantamount to kicking the ball to get a better lie.
That' the assertion at the heart of a $25 million class action filed in US District Court for the Southern District of New York today by New York residents Alison Handwerker and Jeffrey Greenburg, two of the tens of thousands of customers who were hit with a daily resort fee charge by the PGA National Resort. The class comprises all individuals who were charged the daily resort fee that was not disclosed to them prior to or at the time they made their reservations using the PGA National Resort' website or by calling the PGA National Resort directly.
Florida-based PGA National Resort & Spa and Illinois-based Walton Street Capital LLC are named as defendants in the suit. "Guests at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach expect courteous treatment and hospitality,"said a lawyer representing the plaintiffs. "But instead, the organization tees up deceit and trickery by forcing its departing guests to pay an undisclosed and surprise 'resort fee' of $25 for each day of their stay, plus taxes on that fee. PGA National Resort keeps this fee hidden until guests check out, despite purporting to provide 'full-pricing' information to potential customers over the telephone and on the resort' reservation website."
The Complaint alleges that the PGA National Resort' undisclosed charges violate the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and also constitute common law breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
The complaint asks the Court to certify the Plaintiff Class, issue a permanent injunction enjoining the defendants from continuing to charge the undisclosed fees, and award the Plaintiffs actual damages, punitive damages, and restitution for the undisclosed fees they have already been forced to pay.
