Lawsuit Demands Miami Hotel Return $2.3 Million Deposit in Wake of COVID-19 Event Cancellation

MIAMI — The owner of a Jewish day school and a travel agency have sued a Miami hotel owner, alleging it has wrongly refused to refund a $2.3 million deposit for room reservations made in connection with a Passover event that had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a March 23 complaint filed in the Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, plaintiffs contend that the hotel is required to refund the deposit pursuant to the “force majeure” provision in the parties’ contract, which was triggered by the COVID-19 non-essential business closures.

Beginning in 2018, Elegant Travel and then Magen David …