Dan Hotels Sues Texas Boutique Hotel Over Use of ‘King David’ Brand
Who owns the “King David” brand? The Dan Hotels chain has filed an unusual lawsuit in a federal court in South Texas against the operator of a small boutique hotel and restaurant in Houston, arguing that it is using the name “King David Hotel” without authorization, along with branding taken from the historic Jerusalem hotel. The trademark infringement suit is directed at “2615 Riverside,” which operates the hotel in Houston, along with its spa and the chef-run restaurant “HKD Supper Club,” which offers upscale “communal” meals in which diners share the same dishes and are served at the same pace. According to Dan Hotels, the American hotel is using branding in a way that could mislead consumers about any possible connection between the businesses. The Israeli chain’s trademarks were registered in the United States in 2018 and 2024, while the Houston complex opened in 2022.
It is likely that Dan Hotels was unaware of the boutique hotel in Houston until its representatives, on their own initiative, wrote to the Israeli chain’s legal representatives in October 2025 seeking consent or coexistence of the brands because of the similarity of the names. The hotel-restaurant, run by chef Dominique Lee, is Black-owned and “celebrates African American history through cuisine,” with special meals marking U.S. Independence Day and Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in America. Although the place has won critical praise for the chef’s ability to deconstruct and rebuild traditional Southern dishes, it is still a small local player, with a total of 154 rooms and four guest suites. King David Hotel in Jerusalem, according to the documents filed by Dan Hotels, hosts about 100,000 guests each year in its 237 rooms and dozens of special suites.
Dan Hotels’ lawyers rejected the boutique hotel’s request and responded in November with a stern warning letter demanding that the Houston owners immediately stop using the “King David Hotel” brand, the initials “HKD,” the crown in its logo, and any other similar variation. The lawsuit also includes a detailed visual comparison between Dan’s crown and the crown used by the Houston hotel. At the end of December 2025, the lawyers sent another appeal demanding a written commitment to stop using the branding within 10 days and warning of legal action. Representatives of the Houston hotel reviewed the correspondence but said they would not provide a written commitment at this stage.
Dan: HKD are trying to ride on the historic hotel’s image
Dan Hotels argues that the American hotel’s continued use of the trade name, even after receiving the warning letters, reflects a “conscious intent” to infringe rights and compete unfairly. The chain’s lawyers say the Houston hotel is trying to capitalize on the image of the King David as a “historic” hotel operating for nearly a century and hosting tens of thousands of visitors arriving from the United States. According to the lawsuit, the Jerusalem hotel is “the preferred place for hosting heads of state and politicians,” and has hosted numerous American presidents, including Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, as well as figures such as Madonna, Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Kissinger and Justin Bieber.
The Israeli chain is asking the court to issue an injunction barring the American operator from continuing to use the branding, as well as to order the removal of existing signage, the return and destruction of goods bearing the name, and the payment of damages and legal costs. The complaint states that the King David brand “has accumulated significant goodwill over decades,” and that this reputation “should not be put at risk because of the actions of another party over which Dan Hotels has no control.”
A hotel with history
King David Hotel in Jerusalem officially opened in 1931 on the initiative of the Jewish-Egyptian banking family Mosseri, with the aim of becoming the first true luxury hotel in the Middle East to offer exacting European standards. Its architectural design was intended to evoke a biblical palace, and its location provided a direct panoramic view of the Old City walls, Mount Zion and the Tower of David, giving it its royal name. The entrance hall was designed in an Assyrian style to reflect the era of King David, the reading room was inspired by the palace of King Solomon, and the dining room featured a Syro-Greek architectural style. The unprecedented splendor, combined with high service standards and strict security arrangements then unknown in the area, made the hotel a favored destination for the world’s wealthy.
It quickly became a center of social and political life for the elite of the time and a refuge for exiled kings, including Alfonso XIII of Spain, George II of Greece and Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia.
The British always liked the glamour of the place, and with the outbreak of the Arab Revolt in the 1930s, the British authorities seized large sections of the building and turned it into the seat of the secretariat of the Mandate government. As a result, the hotel became a fortified and heavily guarded site. Even so, on July 22, 1946, Irgun activists managed to smuggle explosives into the hotel hidden in milk cans and planted them in the “La Regence” restaurant in the basement, directly beneath the Mandate secretariat. The powerful explosion that threatened the entire structure completely collapsed all six floors of the southern wing. The disaster killed 91 people, including British, Arab and Jewish officials and officers, and injured dozens more.
After the British left and the War of Independence ended, the hotel was restored, returned to its original purpose, and was later acquired by Dan Hotels, which turned it into its official flagship hotel, still hosting kings, presidents and heads of state from around the world to this day. In response to ynet’s inquiry, Dan Hotels said, “As a matter of policy, we do not respond to legal issues.”
