An African American woman who says she was required to sign a ”no party policy” when she checked into her Portland hotel filed a $300,000 lawsuit against the Marriott chain Monday, claiming it singled her out because of her race.

Felicia Gonzales, 51, claims the front desk clerk at the Residence Inn by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center told her that all guests had to sign the policy. But Gonzales soon learned that didn’t hold true as she watched white guests check in after her who weren’t required to sign the policy, according to the lawsuit.

A Marriott spokesman, Jeff Flaherty, said the company doesn’t comment on pending lawsuits.

The two-page no party policy, provided by Gonzales’ attorneys, says it was established to inform all guests of noise limits and “not to insinuate any distrust in the ‘average’ guest.”

“No hotels want to have parties in them and we don’t want that type of business,” the policy read.

The policy also said guests are responsible for any missing items from their suites and any damage caused to outside hotel property by “invited or uninvited person(s).”

This Google Maps screenshot shows the Residence Inn Downtown Portland/Convention Center at 1710 N.E. Multnomah St. (Google Maps)

Gonzales lived in Portland her entire life until she moved to California in October 2018, according to Kafoury & McDougal, the law firm representing her. In January 2019, she made a 20-hour drive to visit family in Portland, checking into the Residence Inn at 1710 N.E. Multnomah St., according to her lawyers.

Her lawsuit says she was a Marriott rewards member and “had never had a problem or noise complaint at any other Marriott hotel she had ever stayed at.” But the suit says she signed the policy when asked “so she could get into her room” for a five-night stay.

“Having to sign a “NO PARTY” Policy form did not feel right to Ms. Gonzales, so she went back to the front desk,” according to the lawsuit. “Ms. Gonzales observed as multiple Caucasian guests checked in. None of them were asked to sign a “NO PARTY” Policy.”

Gonzales’ suit seeks $300,000 for embarrassment, frustration, humiliation and “feelings of racial stigmatization.” The suit also says it could later be amended to add $1 million in punitive damages.

The suit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

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