RACY REAL ESTATE: THE STANDARD HOTEL INSPIRES BAD BEHAVIOR?


Does real estate with a racy image expose you to potential legal hazzards? Does it inspire bad behaviour? An Australian businessman acquitted of trying to rape a maid at The Standard is suing the Meatpacking District boutique hotel for $10 million, charging that its racy atmosphere contributed to the false charges filed against Matthew Moorhouse, 42, who allegedly attacked the maid when she went to clean his room on Nov. 9, 2009.

He claimed she lied after he caught her rifling through his bag. He was acquitted in July this year. The hotel’s floor-to-ceiling windows are well known for allowing nude guests to put on a show for passers-by in nearby High Line Park.

The suit was filed last week in Manhattan Supreme Court.

“It makes you think about real estate in general,” says Leonard Steinberg, managing director of Prudential Douglas Elliman and publisher of LUXURYLETTER. “What exactly will the new owners of the Guccione Mansion on the Upper East Side be inspired to do, and who will be sued if bad behavior ensues? Interestingly, Andre Balazs bought the Upstate New York mansion that used to belong to Bob Guccione several years ago….maybe this purchase inspired the antics at The Standard?”

Is everything, including real estate, leaning towards CONSERVATIVE this Fall?