The owners of Waikiki Edition have terminated their contract with Marriott and rebranded the hotel as Modern Honolulu, according to the Wall Street Journal. M Waikiki filed a lawsuit in May citing Marriott’s mismanagement and its failure to make the fledgling Edition brand a success. Then, this past weekend, the owners changed locks and signage to reflect the new name.
Marriott claims that M Waikiki’s actions are not only unethical but illegal. “This is a deeply unfortunate, regrettable, and illegal event,” says Marriott COO Arne Sorenson in a statement. “The owner and its partners raided the hotel literally under cover of night, forcibly taking over the property and threatening our employees with dismissal unless they immediately agreed to a change of management. We will aggressively and vigorously pursue all remedies against the owner and its partners in this illegal act, which was completely and blatantly in violation of Marriott’s contractual agreements.”
On August 31, a judge ordered M Waikiki to return the hotel to Marriott’s control. M Waikiki has also filed for bankruptcy protection.
