A Message from Daniel del Olmo, President of Sage Hospitality

The recent lawsuit filed against Sage Hospitality, related to its hiring practices at the Shinola Hotel, is baseless. Unfortunately, it is clear that the plaintiff’s attorney is spreading these false allegations through the media in an attempt to intimidate the company and cause reputational and financial harm.

Here are the facts: since Sage Hospitality took over operations of the Shinola Hotel in November 2023, more than 78% of the new hires self-identify as people of color and 66% of those new hires self-identify as Black or African American. 71% of the employees who have been promoted since Sage Hospitality took over operations identify as people of color and 57% of those promoted identify as Black or African American.  

Today, almost 75% of our team members are people of color. 60% of those team members are Black. Our diverse workforce is represented on every level of our organization ranging from entry level employees to directors who serve on our executive leadership team.

Our preliminary review of the facts reveal significant inconsistencies with the plaintiff’s allegations in this lawsuit. Of the four roles for which the plaintiff applied, three of them were filled by Black applicants. Both of the positions the plaintiff applied for using the false name “John Jebrowski” were filled by Black people. It is important to note that all of these positions were filled prior to this lawsuit.

While we can not disclose further details as it relates to this specific matter, we want to assure you, our team members and our community, that discrimination of any kind will never be tolerated. Sage Hospitality has a demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion and is recognized as a national leader in hospitality. We believe that everyone benefits from a diverse and inclusive environment and will continue to foster an inclusive workplace.

Daniel del Olmo, President of Sage Hospitality