Southwest Hit with $215K Lawsuit After Flight Attendant Allegedly Flooded Hotel During Layover: Lawsuit

A Florida hotel is suing Southwest Airlines after one of their flight attendants allegedly caused a flood at the property.

According to a notice of removal obtained by PEOPLE, a Renaissance hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. is seeking damages for a February 2025 incident in which they claim a female Southwest airlines flight attendant “negligently interfered” with the fire sprinkler in her room during a layover. They claim in a notice of removal that they submitted a claim to Southwest, via its insurer, of $215,000 in remediation-related costs.

The incident allegedly triggered sprinklers to go off not only in the flight attendant’s room, but other rooms in the hotel, forcing them to cancel guest reservations. The flight attendant is named in the suit, but the hotel says Southwest is liable for its employee’s actions.

The hotel claims restoration experts were brought in to dry out, sanitize, and deodorize the affected rooms. Flooding is alleged to have extended beyond rooms to communal areas of the hotel including the front desk and offices.

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The notice of removal claims the hotel’s costs are $215,576 in total to repair the damage from the flood.

Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.