Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Injured Israeli: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Hotel Rooms Are Mine!
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 14, 2012
Modified Sep 14, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 14, 2012
Modified Sep 14, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It's almost that time of year when clown-of-the-century nominee Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers his annual United Nations roast. Knowing Ahmadinejad, there'll be plenty of anti-Semitic hoo-haw, 9/11 conspiracy theories, and tons of the argle-bargle pseudo-scientific baloney he is so fond of regurgitating. But he may have a problem getting a room this year, if former NYer Stuart Hersh gets his way: Hersh has served papers to The Warwick Hotel (where Ahmadinejad and his large entourage have booked rooms) demanding the hotel hand over his rooms.
Hersh was severely injured in a 1997 suicide bombing in Israel; a federal court found Iran liable for the attack in 2003, and ordered them to pay Hersh $12 million. He now claims this entitles him to assume Ahmadinejad’s reservation or receive whatever money the hotel gets paid for it. “Ahmadinejad is going to be staying at The Warwick hotel, paying a fortune, and he owes me $12 million and he just won’t pay it,” Hersh told the Post by phone from Israel. “He throws that in my face and in the face of America, saying: ‘Hey, I still got money—despite your sanctions.’ ”
Hersh's lawyer, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, estimated that Iran would spend at least $20,000 a night to house its delegation at The Warwick for the week. Ahmadinejad also stayed at The Warwick—the hotel founded by William Randolph Hearst located on 54th Street at Sixth Avenue—last year, and attended a "Monster Ball" there in 2010. Although Ahmadinejad and his crew are offered free accommodations at the Iranian Mission to the United Nations, they have rejected that in recent years for fancier digs; but many other elite hotels have rejected them (including the San Carlos Hotel, The Loews Regency Hotel, and the Preferred Hotel Group).
For Ahmadinejad's sake, let's hope he can find somewhere opulent enough to stay; after all, who would want to miss his highly-anticipated UN address on September 26th. Considering he referred to Israel as a "cancerous tumor" just last month, we're sure he'll be extremely respectful speaking on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
Tagged
hotels
iran
mahmoud ahmadinejad
stuart hersh
united nations
warwick hotel
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
November has 3 meteor showers and the best chance to see Uranus
"Even in the city, some of these meteors will be bright enough that you'll be able to see them."
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Nov 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
A 'beautiful' day for a marathon, as runners, spectators pack NYC streets
The race starts on Staten Island, and snakes through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx before ending in Central Park. Andreas Almgren of Sweden and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya finished first.
By
Walter Wuthmann
News
A 'beautiful' day for a marathon, as runners, spectators pack NYC streets
The race starts on Staten Island, and snakes through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx before ending in Central Park. Andreas Almgren of Sweden and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya finished first.
By
Walter Wuthmann
Calif. judge cites 'mountain of evidence' ICE racially profiled Latinos, drawing NY notice
By
Herb Pinder
Mamdani says Trump will 'immediately' grant visa to Ghanaian mom of slain Bronx teen
By
Christian Santana
and
Giulia Heyward
Overflowing school in downtown Jersey City is hitting a crisis point, parents say
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .