Lawsuit Faults Hotel Chain for Assault on Guest

A former New York City investment banker is suing the Starwood hotel chain over a sexual assault she says happened in her locked hotel room in Finland.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in Manhattan federal court by Alison Fournier.

She says a desk clerk at the Hotel Kamp in Helsinki gave a copy of her room key to a fellow guest after he said he was her husband. She says the man entered her room and began groping her in bed but she grabbed a bathrobe and fled.

Fournier spoke at a news conference accompanied by high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred. Her lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Stamford, Conn.-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. says it’s taking the allegation seriously and seeks to understand the facts.