Colorado hotel guest says he was bitten by bat while sleeping, has filed lawsuit

A man who stayed at the Sheraton Denver Hotel Downtown last summer says he woke up to bats flying around his room -- and that one of them bit him. KCNC via CNN Newsource

DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) -- A man who stayed at a downtown Denver hotel last summer says he woke up to bats flying around his room -- and that one of them bit him. He has now filed a lawsuit against the hotel.

The incident happened in August 2025 in a room on the 22nd floor of the Sheraton Denver Hotel Downtown, 1550 Court Place, the largest hotel in Denver with more than 1,200 rooms.

The guest, a commercial airline pilot, asked that his name not be used for fear of job repercussions. His attorney, Ed Lomena, said his client was asleep when the disturbance began.

“(He) was sleeping and he woke up to a commotion, and he woke up and said there were bats flying around his room,” Lomena said.

Lomena said it was the middle of the night. Hotel maintenance was called to remove the bats but missed at least one. The lawsuit alleges hotel workers never plugged a hole under the air conditioner where the bats are believed to have entered, and that the hotel did not move the pilot to another room.

The next morning, Lomena said, the pilot discovered another bat still in the room.

“So the next morning he gets up, and that’s when he sees, hanging from the curtain rod, a bat hanging upside down,” Lomena said.

The pilot recorded a short video clip of the bat. According to records, Denver Animal Control was called to remove the animal and take it for rabies testing. The pilot also took photos of what he says was a bite on his foot.

Lomena said his client feared for his life.

“He was bit by a bat,” Lomena said. “He was scared he was going to die and leave his family without a father.”

The incident occurred about a month after Denver Animal Protection had warned of two rabid bats being found in Denver in July 2025. Rabies can be deadly to humans if not treated promptly.

The Sheraton and its parent company, Marriott, did not respond to multiple CBS Colorado emails seeking comment about the incident. The hotel’s general manager also did not respond to an email request for comment.

Medical bills show the pilot was billed nearly US$100,000 for rabies vaccines and treatment, which was paid for by his insurance.

Lomena said the pilot later tested negative for rabies, but said that doesn’t minimize the lasting impact of the encounter. He said the pilot, who travels frequently for work, now checks hotel rooms for openings before he can relax.

“He’s always staying in hotels because of his job, so now anytime he goes to a hotel he’s constantly searching around the room, looking for openings, looking for ways wildlife can get into his room,” Lomena said. “(It’s) hard for him to sleep.”

The lawsuit was first noted by BusinessDen, a digital publication.