NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey woman says she was mistaken for a prostitute at a Miami Beach hotel, but that wasn't the worst of it.
Anna Burgese says in a federal lawsuit a group of women she believes were prostitutes attacked her in the lobby of South Beach's W Hotel in January.
She says the women thought she was a competitor infringing on their territory. Burgese says she was slammed into a wall and thrown to the ground, and the hotel staff let the assailants get away.
The lawsuit filed Friday in New Jersey accuses the hotel of negligence, saying it offered a "prostitute-friendly environment."
Burgese's attorney says Burgese and her husband, a homebuilder, are seeking "sizeable" damages.
A spokesman for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide says the company regrets the incident but declined to comment on the suit.
