Premise
Following up on this writeup from several weeks ago, today there was an update in the hilarious (to me, anyway) Trump Panama hotel situation. Previously, the Trump Organization and the hotel owners had a standoff, disputing over rights to management of the property.
Update
Resolution! From this article in Yahoo News & the Associated Press, the standoff is over. The Panama justice system sided with the hotel’s majority owner Orestes Fintiklis, who you may remember from the last time as fighting for control of the property. Faced with police, the Trump employees and security vacated the premises.
Still could have more legal battles
Fight still possible
Though, all is not settled, as the Trump Org argued the underlying dispute is still not settled, regarding the management contract, and will fight for damages and other costs.
Complicated Situation
My reading of this very complex situation is probably not sufficient, but Fintiklis agreed not to challenge Trump management, but then reversed course against alleged “mismanagement” and of course the degrdation of the brand. It escalated with Trump employees denying Marriott hotel executives who were invited to survey the property (from the last post).
Although, Trump officials refused Fintiklis from checking into his rooms as late February, although I am not sure why they would have the ability to do so – if Fintiklis and other owners own the hotel rooms, that property is theirs. It got worse, calling police, fighting over control of key sections of the hotel. Fascinating from a neutral third party perspective, like two rival crews fighting for control of a ship. Seize the helm! Get to the armory! Secure engineering! It reminds me of the late Star Trek series, where the crew would either have to fight off invaders, or retake the ship stealthily from an occupying force.
This action from Fintiklis is telling – where played a Greek song on the piano in the hotel’s lobby, a song which “celebrat[es] [Greece’s] fight to overthrow a fascist regime“. (Emphasis mine)
Police actually arrived to ensure peaceful transition.
Next Steps
It is currently undergoing rapid de-Trumpification, with workers removing Trump name from signage. I would expect next steps for the Trump Organization to file a counterattack and push for some resolution to outstanding legal matters, but for now it appears Fintiklis and the hotel owners he represents have won a battle. For the war, we will have to see. I find these stories always interesting, especially the concept of “owning” a hotel room, such as the MGM Signature, or the Plaza Hotel in NYC, or what the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas was supposed to be. Stay tuned for the next installment in the Trump Hotel Panama battle royale!
Featured Image is the Panama skyline, from Pixabay. Original article here. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which, should you click through and/or make a purchase, grant me a commission. Also, I only post in the best interest of my readers. Lastly, thank you for supporting my blog and my travels.
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