Monthly Archives: February 2011

by | February 14, 2011 · 3:48 pm

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: "Bed Bug" Workshops Planned By Hotel Industry Association And National Pest Management Association (NPMA)

http://www.npmapestworld.org/

From identifying bed bugs to inspection techniques to public relations issues and legal ramifications, nationally-recognized experts will provide management tips to help hoteliers make informed decisions and stay out of the newspaper – and the courtroom. Many of AH&LA’s partner state associations are assisting in providing local speakers to lead hotel-specific discussions. Additionally, a marketplace component enables attendees to learn latest in bed bug products and management services. And, AH&LA members can earn recertification points by attending.

“Although last year’s headlines of bedbugs have abated, our industry and others are grabbling with how to best combat this most resilient pest,” said AH&LA President/CEO Joe McInerney. “From developing a targeted action plan to having an effective media response plan in place, these workshops will provide hoteliers with invaluable resources.”

For more:  http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4050187.html

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by | February 13, 2011 · 1:56 pm

Hotel Industry Pool Safety: Two Small Boys Nearly Drown In "Extremely Crowded" Pool Conditions At New York Hotel Pool

“They were both breathing when they left the pool,” said Cheektowaga Sgt. Brian Gould. “I know the one kid was coughing up water. The other was a little more serious.”

Two boys were rushed to the hospital late Saturday night after nearly drowning at a hotel pool in Cheektowaga. The boys, ages 9 and 10, were taken to Women and Children’s Hospital after the incident in the Millennium Hotel pool on Walden Avenue. Both are expected to live, according to Cheektowaga police.

Police and emergency crews were called to the hotel at 2040 Walden Ave., near the Walden Galleria, at about 9:45 p. m. Saturday for the report of a possible drowning, police officials said. The hotel pool was “extremely crowded” when, at some point, the two boys went under water, Gould said.

Police are still trying to determine what happened and what the boys were doing at the time they went under. Gould credited some of the people at the pool for their quick action, which probably saved the lives of the two boys.

For more:  http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/cheektowaga/article340606.ece

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by | February 12, 2011 · 9:05 am

Hotel Industry Guest Issues: Hotel's Must Establish Overnight "Pet" Policies Including Fees, Deposits, Allowable Dog Breeds And Size, Vaccination Requirements, And Damage Liability (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO5Fqc5kuQc]

Consumer Reports magazine finds more hotels are making their rooms pet friendly.

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by | February 10, 2011 · 10:40 am

Hotel Industry Risks: Sprinkler System Extinguishes Fire In A Tennessee Hotel Room Caused By Criminal "Meth Lab" Operation

“…Clarksville Fire Rescue and Emergency Medical Services responded to a fire alarm at the Value Place Inn… By the time emergency crews arrived, the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire…”

“The temperature in that room had to reach at least 155 degrees for the sprinkler system to come on,” Williams said. “We suspected that it was things used to cook meth.”

 

“…This is the second meth lab bust in a hotel in the past few months…”

A search of his room uncovered a burned bathtub, a one-gallon can of camp fuel and the burned remains of a plastic Coke bottle. There was also a strong odor of camp fuel coming from the room, Williams said. The man had second- and third-degree burns on his face, neck, chest and both arms, Williams said. The man was sedated and transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s burn unit. He man has not been identified, and his condition is unknown at this time.

The Drug Task Force was called in and blocked off an entire wing of the hotel. “We found what was left of a meth lab that caught fire, and it had also injured the subject that was in the room,” said Lt. Jesse Reynolds, director of the 19th Judicial District Drug Task Force. “We removed the evidence, and a cleanup crew was called out to pick up the components.”

For more:  http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20110210/NEWS01/102100309

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by | February 9, 2011 · 8:36 am

Hospitality Industry Health Issues: Hotel Management Must Recognize The Growing Importance Of Having "Smoke-Free" Rooms And Public Spaces As Publicized By Websites Such As "FreshStay.com"

“…FreshStay.com will only list hotels that are 100% smoke-free as part of its industry-leading directory of  non-smoking hotels…”

“…members of FreshStay.com have eliminated smoking not just in guest rooms, but also all meeting rooms, restaurants and other public spaces…”
 

“The difference between a non-smoking room and a 100% smoke-free hotel can make all the difference to a health conscious traveler, or to the growing number of Americans who suffer from allergies, asthma and other sensitivities,” says Ray Burger, Founder of FreshStay. “Members of FreshStay.com consistently receive outstanding feedback from their guests, which is why we always say Frequent Breathers prefer FreshStay. Those guests are then more likely to return because they know their room will be clean and smoke-free every time – guaranteed.”

Below are states with smoke-free laws and the percentage of rooms that must be “smoke-free”: 

  • 100 percent: Michigan, Wisconsin
  • 80 percent: Arkansas (only if there are more than 25 units), Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska (see story), New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio
  • 75 percent: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington
  • 65 percent: Montana
  • 50 percent: Arizona, Louisiana (casinos and gaming centers excluded), Rhode Island
  • 35 percent: California 

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article52093.html

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by | February 8, 2011 · 10:29 am

Hotel Industry Pool And Spa Risks: Michigan Hotel Faces Legal Issues After Guests Develop Skin Rashes From Bacterial “Accumulation Of Growth” After Pool And Spa Not Properly Backwashed And Chlorinated

A hockey team and parents from Illinois stayed at the hotel Jan. 18 and 19, and all 11 boys who went in the water developed a rash within 24 hours, said …a mother of one of the boys.

“…the health department inspected the pool Jan. 20 and told hotel managers that the pool and spa had to be backwashed. Managers were told to change the method used to chlorinate the water…”

“…she is retaining an attorney to compel the hotel to reimburse the traveling party for its rooms and medical bills…”

The hot tub at Holiday Inn-Southgate Banquet & Conference Center was closed for one day recently after several 7- and 8-year-old boys got bumpy, red rashes. According to Wayne County Department of Public Health documents, the tub and pool were inspected after a parent’s complaint and health officials told hotel management to close the tub for maintenance.

The investigation found a bacterial “accumulation of growth” on the hot tub and pool filter, and the hotel also had to sanitize those. The hot tub also was drained.

According to the health department, the hotel followed all of the changes and recommendations, and the hot tub was reopened the next day.

LoPresti said the hockey group received a gift certificate for one night’s stay free at the hotel for its inconvenience, but she doesn’t find that acceptable. “We wanted answers, (and) corporate and (the) local manager will not return the team’s calls,” she said. LoPresti said she did receive an e-mail from hotel management explaining its cleaning procedures and apologizing for any discomfort.

LoPresti said she is retaining an attorney to compel the hotel to reimburse the traveling party for its rooms and medical bills.

For more:  http://thenewsherald.com/articles/2011/02/08/news/doc4d4c7aeb6802b829841452.txt?viewmode=fullstory

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by | February 7, 2011 · 7:29 pm

Hotel Industry Security Risks: Importance Of Security Cameras And Securely-Locked Doors Seen In Robbery And Assault Of Louisiana Hotel Guests

It’s believed the two men by-passed the front desk and slipped into the hotel through the back door as someone else was leaving. Security cameras show they went directly to the elevator and proceeded to the 6th floor.

The Sleep Inn Hotel in Kenner is where police say three guests were terrorized inside their 6th floor hotel room. Security cameras are posted in all public areas of the hotel.

That’s how detectives obtained pictures of the men they say robbed the victims at gunpoint and took off. “We know there was some property taken but we don’t have a whole lot of information about that right now,” says McInnis.

WGNO Reporter, Darian Trotter says, “The fact that there were other guests on the 6th floor, but no other robberies reported, leads investigators to believe the victims may have been targeted.”

Lt. McInnis says he showed the victims pictures from security cameras. “They said these are the two individuals who burst into the room carrying firearms and robbed us,” McInnis says. He says the victims had never seen the gunmen before, and therefore did not know their names or any information that might help police identify them.

For more:  http://www.neworleans.com/news/local-news/559140.html

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by | February 5, 2011 · 9:43 am

Hospitality Industry Fire Risks: Canadian Hotel Health Club Sauna Fire Caused By "Short-Circuited Ceiling Light"

An almost full Chateau Laurier was evacuated Thursday night after a fire broke out in the sauna room, and while the investigation was still ongoing Friday morning, early indications were that a ceiling light may have short-circuited.

The fire was contained to the sauna, which is encased in thick masonry, said fire department spokesman Marc Messier. Perrin added that while it is a heritage building, the hotel’s electrical systems have been updated and are regularly checked to make sure they’re up to code.

The historic, 99-year-old hotel was at 91-per-cent capacity, firefighters said. The blaze broke out at about 11:40 p.m. in the sauna ceiling on the main floor and it was brought under control by midnight. No injuries were reported, and damage was estimated at about $12,000. Hotel guests gathered in the lobby where blankets, hot chocolate and more were passed around, said hotel spokeswoman Deneen Perrin. Staff were also on hand to provide regular updates during the 20 minutes that guests needed to be out of their rooms.

The fire was initially reported by overnight cleaning staff who were working in the pool area, which was closed, and saw some smoke. While the nearby health club is open 24 hours a day, no one was using it at the time, Perrin said.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Chateau+Laurier+sauna+fire+forces+evacuation+near+capacity+hotel/4228769/story.html#ixzz1D6g2fkOB

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by | February 4, 2011 · 2:58 pm

Hospitality Industry Risk Solutions: New York Hotel Introduces "iPads" Into Guestrooms For Room Service, Concierge Communications, And Room Controls As Technology Delivers Instantaneous Quality Control Throughout Property

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/19170938]

 At the touch of a screen, guests are able to order room service, make restaurant reservations, communicate directly with the concierge, request wake-up calls, explore NYC destination guides, and even check airline schedules and print boarding passes (which are promptly delivered to their room). Guests can even use the iPad to control the lights in their room as well as the heat and air conditioning systems.

New York’s Plaza Hotel is offering iPads in each of its guest rooms and suites. The program, which launched in January, makes the landmark hotel on Central Park South the first hotel in the world to provide guests services and room controls using iPads and Intelity’s ICE (Interactive Customer Experience) software to all of its guests.

“We chose the iPad because it is a great piece of equipment that is here to stay and won’t disappear tomorrow,” adds Krige. “It brings another five star element to the hotel.”

The iPads will not replace the human element at The Plaza.

“They are not meant to replace our concierge service and the personal touch we are known for,” Krige says. “It is to provide more choice. At a five star hotel you should have choices—if you want to use the iPad, you can do so. If you want a butler service, that is available, too. If you want to be left alone, that is a choice, as well. By putting the iPads in the guest rooms, we are bringing a new technology to everyone’s fingertips.”

In addition to providing a service to guests, the system helps the hotel track how it responds to requests made by guests, such as how long it takes to deliver a requested toothbrush. “If you order a pair of slippers, the request will go directly to the slipper department with no intermediary,” says Krige. “The requests go directly to the end producer, so that they can be very efficient.

For more:  http://www.luxist.com/2011/02/03/the-plaza-in-new-york-offers-ipads-in-all-guest-rooms-and-suites/

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by | February 3, 2011 · 10:21 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Hotel Owners Must Strive To "Avoid" Employee Lawsuits With "Strong Management" And "Attentive HR Staff"

“…a review of selected cases shows plaintiffs prevailed in 55% of retaliation and whistleblower lawsuits and in 75% of sexual harassment cases…”

“…The pro-employee and, many argue, pro-union policies of the Obama administration have arguably made matters worse, if not convincing employees to sue or obstruct their employers, at least showing them how it’s accomplished…”

 

The Department of Labor, for example, citing the difficulty the average employee encounters in navigating the legal system, has said it will now provide wage/hour claimants who had filed cases with the agency but whose claims would not be heard (including those whose claims lacked merit) with a list of local attorneys who, as a DOL official announced, “may be able to help.” 

The National Labor Relations Board, its regulatory and judicial reach muted during the Bush administration, is an agency reborn, replete with pro-union appointees. In mid-December 2010, the Board announced a proposed rule that would require employers to place on employee bulletin boards a poster notifying employees of their right to unionize. Employers, particularly those in the hospitality and other service industries staffed predominantly by minimum wage employees, are understandably likely to object. Meanwhile, unions won two-thirds of all conclusive elections conducted in 2009, the most recent year surveyed, according to the NLRB’s 2009 annual report.

  Vanquishing the curse of litigation is no easy task. Labor and employment lawyers long have argued that the only effective way is to keep it from happening—to keep the genie in the bottle. How? The most practical prophylactic is a combination of strong, compassionate leadership (the opposite of what destructive leaders peddle) and an equally strong, dialed-in HR team who fairly administer policies that recognize an employee’s intrinsic value and reinforce the organization’s unequivocal support for fair treatment.

For more: http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/4679/Two-big-HR-challenges-in-2011

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