Hotels

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) launched its annual Hotels Campaign to demand that all New York area hotels and venues refuse to host Ahmadinejad and the Iranian delegation for the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) yearly September meeting in New York City. For a recap of UANI’s 2011 Campaign Against the Warwick, click HERE.

This year, the Warwick New York Hotel had the shameful distinction of playing host to Ahmadinejad. In response, UANI launched a boycott of the Warwick hotels group and its properties worldwide. The short-term profit from hosting the Iranian delegation is far outweighed by the grave implications of supporting a terrorist state that is violating international law by developing nuclear weapons.

In 2010 UANI successfully isolated Ahmadinejad to the only hotel that would accept him, the Hilton Manhattan East, after the InterContinental made the moral decision not to accommodate the Iranian delegation. UANI launched a boycott of of all Hilton Hotels properties and held a rally outside of the hotel. Responding to UANI pressure, the Hilton Manhattan East decided not to accommodate Ahmadinejad for the 2011 UNGA.

In the first year of the Hotels Campaign in 2009, UANI and its supporters successfully urged The New York Helmsley Hotel, Gotham Hall and the Essex House to refuse to host Ahmadinejad, thereby denying him a platform for his hateful rhetoric. Instead, Ahmadinejad was effectively quarantined to the InterContinental The Barclay, the one hotel in New York that agreed to accommodate the Iranian delegation.

2011

Warwick New York Hotel

UANI has been the first to learn that the Warwick New York Hotel will be accommodating Ahmadinejad for the 2011 UNGA. In response, UANI has launched a boycott of the Warwick International Hotels group and its properties worldwide. In 2010, the Warwick also hosted a “Monster’s ball” for Ahmadinejad and other extremists, including Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam and members of the New Black Panther Party.

Click here to demand that Warwick rescind its invitation to host Ahmadinejad.

2010

Hilton Manhattan East

During the 2010 UNGA, UANI effectively quarantined President Ahmadinejad to The Hilton Manhattan East Hotel, the one hotel in New York that agreed to accommodate the Iranian delegation. UANI launched a boycott of all Hilton Hotels properties and held a rally outside of his hotel. Responding to UANI pressure, the Hilton Manhattan East has decided not to host Ahmadinejad for the 2011 UNGA.

Omni Berkshire Hotel

On August 11, the Omni Berkshire Hotel, in response to a UANI letter to all New York City hotels, pledged they would not host Ahmadinejad during the 2010 UNGA.

Millennium UN Plaza Hotel

On May 2, UANI launched a campaign against the Millennium in response to its decision to host Ahmadinejad for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. Ahmadinejad exploited his appearance at the conference to rail against the West. Responding to UANI pressure, the Millennium has refused to host Ahmadinejad again for the 2010 UNGA.

2009

Jumeirah Essex House

On September 23, the Essex House cancelled a scheduled dinner for Ahmadinejad. The hotel stated "that no accommodation or banqueting facilities have been booked at the Essex House for the president of Iran or members of his delegation." The Essex House was the third venue in a week to bow to the pressure of UANI and its supporters.

Gotham Hall

On September 21, in response to UANI’s campaign, Gotham Hall cancelled a proposed speech of Ahmadinejad. In a statement, David Miller, a representative of Apple Core Holdings, the parent company of Gotham Hall, said, "Once we learned of the nature of this event and the attendance of President Ahmadinejad, we took steps to cancel the event."

The New York Helmsley Hotel

On September 18, at the urging of UANI supporters, The New York Helmsley Hotel cancelled a long-planned banquet in which Ahmadinejad was scheduled to attend and speak.

Howard Rubenstein, spokesman for Helmsley Properties, stated, "Neither the Iranian Mission nor President Ahmadinejad is welcome at any Helmsley facility. The Helmsley organization is grateful to United Against Nuclear Iran for bringing this matter to its attention so that appropriate action could be taken."

Intercontinental The Barclay

During the 2009 UNGA, Ahmadinejad was effectively quarantined to the InterContinental The Barclay, the one hotel in New York that agreed to accommodate the Iranian delegation. Responding to UANI pressure, the Intercontinental has not hosted Ahmadinejad since.