2 tourists claim they were falsely imprisoned by security of Strip hotel

Two guests of a south Strip property are claiming false imprisonment after they say they were detained by security after an altercation.

Two guests of the Delano claim in a lawsuit filed Aug. 14 in Clark County District Court that they were confined in a holding cell for around four hours by security after an altercation with another patron. They are suing on four counts of false imprisonment; negligence; intentional infliction of emotional distress; and negligent hiring, training, retention.

MGM Resorts International, which operates the property formerly known as the Delano, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The property was rebranded W Las Vegas in December.

Plaintiffs Andriana Thomopolous and Rania Kassab were guests at the Delano, adjacent to Mandalay Bay, on Nov. 10, according to the suit.

While both were walking through the common area of the resort with their relatives, Thomopolous “inadvertently brushed passed another female guest in the crowded space,” the lawsuit claims. The female guest then became “verbally aggressive” and threw a drink directly onto Thomopolous and Kassab, the lawsuit claims.

When the plaintiffs attempted to alert security, they claim they were separated from their spouses, escorted into a “secure back-office area” and detained in a holding cell by Delano security for around four hours without explanation or identifying any wrongdoing, the lawsuit alleges.

While detained, the plaintiffs say they were unable to contact their spouses, subjected to a pat-down and were “verbally reprimanded” when they would stand to ask for updates, the lawsuit alleges. Delano security had allegedly reviewed the surveillance footage of the altercation and admitted the plaintiffs “had done nothing wrong,” but still kept them in detainment, the suit claims.

Additionally, a third detainee, not associated with the altercation, was added to the cell and was “visibly hostile,” stated the lawsuit, and had to be physically restrained by Delano security next to the plaintiffs.

Upon being released, the plaintiffs said they were issued a warning stating that “any future incident would result in trespass, effectively criminalizing her continued presence at the hotel,” the lawsuit claims.

They are asking for general damages in an amount in excess of $15,000; special damages in an amount in excess of $15,000; punitive and exemplary damages; reasonable attorneys’ fees; costs of suit; and other and further relief as this court may deem just and proper.

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.