One Hotel, but Two Competing Websites (and a Single Mention of Trump)<br />In a statement, the Trump Organization’s chief legal officer, Alan Garten, noted<br />that the management contract “mandates that all disputes be resolved through binding arbitration” and that “Trump Hotels has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Mr. Fintiklis.”<br />Mr. Fintiklis’s actions on Thursday, Mr. Garten said, “constitute an abuse of process<br />and represent another attempt by him to misuse the Panamanian courts in an effort to circumvent arbitration.”<br />“We look forward to litigating this matter in the forum agreed upon by the parties where we are confident we will prevail,” Mr. Garten said.<br />The dueling websites — and their conflicting occupancy information — are the latest twist in the oft-bizarre battle between President Trump’s family business<br />and the majority owner of the Panama City property, who has spent months trying to oust the Trumps as both the managers and the branders of the hotel.<br />By Thursday, a statement was released that said the hotel had a new name, Bahia Grand Panama; a new website; and even new social media accounts.<br />The statement, sent from “Public Relations,” declared, “As of today, the former Trump International<br />Hotel & Tower Panama is no longer managed by or affiliated with Trump brand.”<br />Don’t tell that to the Trumps, who continue to make their case in various legal venues.<br />On Monday, the majority owner, Orestes Fintiklis, declared victory<br />and a worker pried the silver T-R-U-M-P name from the property, even as the Trump Organization described the move as legally improper and disputed that it had permanently lost control.
