New York Supreme Court [Getty Images]. New York Supreme Court [Getty Images].

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has said it doesn’t feel the New York Supreme Court is the appropriate place for the legionnaires lawsuit against the company to be heard.

The company is facing a US $16.7 million (AED 61.3m) lawsuit in the US after two guests staying at the Westin Mina Seyahi in Dubai claim they caught legionnaires disease at the property.

The suit claims that Thomas Boyle, from Britain, and Elodie Nogues, from France, contracted the disease after staying at the Westin in January and February of 2009, according to a report in The National.

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It claims the health of the pair deteriorated rapidly and resulted in hospital stays and both plaintiffs were unable to return to their normal lives having suffered from depression and anxiety.

The New York Supreme Court is deciding whether the case can go to trial, a decision that could take up to a year to make.

However, Starwood Hotels & Resorts said it “does not believe the New York Supreme Court is the proper forum for this matter”.

“[Starwood] has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit. A similar suit filed in federal court in New York by the same attorneys for one of the plaintiffs was dismissed last year by the court on its own volition,” the statement given to Hotelier Middle East said.

The company said it couldn’t comment further on the matter as it is pending legal action.