Its a hard story to believe, but if its true, then defending Uncle Sam at the W Atlanta Downtown could get you roughed up and land you in jail. That is what allegedly happened to Michael Pelkey, who was attending a forensic accountants convention at the hotel.

Drink Shop bar at the W Atlanta Downtown

In a lawsuit filed against the hotel, Pelkey says he told a man sitting in the hotel’s bar to stop badmouthing the United States.

Turns out the man was the hotel’s night manager, and Pelkey was promptly told by the bartender to leave.

The W Atlanta Downtown’s bar is called Drink Shop, and has won an award for the best bar/lounge design.

On the way back to his room, Pelkey says five or six men accosted him in the hallway, broke his glasses and handcuffed him.

He was then allegedly dragged out and made to sit on a planter box in the parking lot for an hour before the police were called.

Pelkey was charged with being intoxicated in public and threatening people, but apparently never given a breathalyzer. He was held in jail until the next morning and then released.

All this happened on Dec 6 last year. A judge cleared Pelkey of the public drinking charge on Feb 15. Pelkey has now filed a $250,000 lawsuit against the hotel. The night manager and others involved were not named in the lawsuit.

Question is, is it all true or was it just a drunken brawl? If it turns out to be true, the W Atlanta Downtown is in trouble – for false imprisonment, and more importantly – employing a night manager who badmouths the US. On the other hand, if it’s all a part of Pelkey’s alcohol-fueled imagination, then he’ll probably be in even more trouble.

Photo courtesy Starwood Hotels

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