Monthly Archives: June 2011

by | June 16, 2011 · 5:42 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Surveillance Video Shows Man Stealing Flat Screen TV From Washington Hotel Conference Room

“…Surveillance video from the waterfront Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel in Vancouver, Wash., shows a man last week carting out a 42-inch TV set – at 6 p.m. in the evening, according to The Colombian…”

“…The stolen TVs are valued at about $1,000 each. TVs stolen from guest rooms won’t work outside the hotel, but the TV from the conference room will, the story says…”

And the same man is believed to have stolen TV sets from a Staybridge Suites hotel and a Country Inn and Suites hotel near the Portland, Oregon, airport. It’s not clear whether others are involved in the scam.

This particular thief can be seen in the Homewood Suites hotel’s video using a hand truck to haul the TV wrapped in yellow hotel linens into a green Ford Escort wagon, the Colombian reports. He then returned the hand truck to the hotel and drove away.

The items came from the hotel’s conference room, where a meeting was held earlier that day, hotel general manager Kari Jonassen told the Colombian.

“This just makes me so mad that somebody has the gall to do this,” Jonassen told the paper.

For more:  http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2011/06/vancouver-washington-thief-steals-tv-sets-from-hotels-homewood-suites/174274/1?csp=34travel&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+hotelcheckincommunityfeed+%28Hotel+Check-in%3A+A+road+warrior%27s+guide+to+the+lodging+landscape+-+USATODAY.com%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail

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by | June 15, 2011 · 7:35 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Theft Risks: Delaware Hotel Sales Manager Arrested For "Creating Fictitious Hotel Rewards Program Accounts" And Purchasing Goods Later Resold For Cash

“…McNeill worked at the Renaissance Hotel, part of the Marriott chain, in Tinicum Township as a sales manager until Nov. 24, according to court papers. According to court documents, McNeill allegedly created six fictitious accounts in Marriott’s rewards program and logged points into the system. Purchases using those accounts were made between October and December of last year…”

A former Delaware County hotel employee has been arrested after she allegedly used more than $103,000 worth of fraudulent “hotel points” to buy items on Skymall, the online shopping catalog.

Tia L. McNeill, 34, formerly of King of Prussia, was taken into custody on Tuesday at a Sheraton Hotel in Towson, Md., where she now works. She has been charged with theft, criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen property, and related offenses, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Also arrested was Christopher Jordan Jr., assistant director of basketball operations at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Jordan told police he would use accounts created by McNeill to order merchandise and then resell the items for cash. He would then send half the proceeds to McNeill.

In addition, McNeill allegedly illegally obtained $26,775 worth of Marriott Visa cards, which can be used only at the hotels

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by | June 14, 2011 · 6:46 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotel Owners Can Now Obtain "Bed Bug" Insurance Policies That Combine Insurance For Pest Control And "Lost Revenue"

“…In the past, the cost of treating bedbugs was seen as an unplanned expense that had to be paid out of pocket by the landlord…”

“…Treatment of bedbug problems and replacement of any property was excluded from property insurance policies. In recent months, some hotels have obtained loss of attraction coverage that covers losses if rooms have to be taken out of service because of bed-bug infestations…”

Aon Risk Solutions, the risk management arm of giant insurance broker Aon Corp., has teamed with Global Excess Partners, a Manhattan-based commercial property insurance company, and Terminix, the nation’s largest pest-control company, to offer the first-ever bedbug-specific insurance policy for hotels, landlords and corporations.

The new insurance plan, announced Monday, will not only cover the cost of bedbug termination, but also covers lost revenue during the time the creatures are still running riot before succumbing to pest eradication techniques that range from a new non-toxic treatment that can clean a room in five days or less, to mattress encasements.

In an effort to quell a chance of an outbreak, many companies have been hiring exterminators like M&M to conduct monthly preventive visits, which cost anywhere from $100 to several thousand dollars. Mr. Wong said his company recently conducted a $25,000 job that came as a result of bedbug infestation.

For more:  http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20110613/REAL_ESTATE/110619964

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by | June 13, 2011 · 7:40 am

Hospitality Industry Insurance Risks: Florida Hotel Water Pipe Bursts Causing Lobby Ceiling To Collapse And Guest Evacuation

Guests at a Miami Beach hotel were evacuated after a water pipe in the building burst, causing the ceiling to collapse into the hotel lobby.

“…Gushing water spread into the hotel lobby and part of the ceiling collapsed, said Adonis Garcia, spokesman for Miami Beach Fire Rescue.…”

A water pipe located between the first and second floor of the Claremont Hotel on the 1700 block of Collins Avenue burst Sunday evening. Guests at the Claremont were evacuated and relocated to another hotel.

“The fire department said where the roof came down, it was actually leaking from inside and then it just blew out the ceiling,” said Ros Guttso, hotel general manager. No one was injured.

For more:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/13/2264379/miami-beach-hotel-evacuated-after.html

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by | June 12, 2011 · 6:24 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Security: Texas Hotel Management Faces Questions On How A Man Stole A "Master Key" And Entered A Guest Room Before Assaulting Guests

“What shocks me most … This guy had a master key and just walked right into the kids’ room high and started swinging at them,” Hernandez said. “Thankfully the kids were screaming and (coach Joseph) Rosendo was nearby to help.”

Attempts to contact Clarion management for a comment on how they lost a master key and the attack itself were unsuccessful Saturday. Hernandez said at least it wasn’t the hotel room with his female athletes.

The coach of the Lubbock Warriors spoke out, voicing many concerns about the hotel’s security and the legal system after his squad was attacked early Friday morning, hours before a boxing competition.

Nicodemus Alvarado, 18, allegedly attacked members of the team while he was drunk and high on cocaine after using a stolen master key to gain entry into their hotel room at the Clarion on the 4300 block of West Wall Street about 12:20 a.m. Friday, police said.

Besides issues with the hotel’s security, Hernandez also raised questions about the legal system in general after he learned of Alvarado’s past.

Alvarado was arrested less than three months ago during an unrelated incident on the exact same charges: First-degree felony for burglary of habitat with intent to commit another felony and for possession of a controlled substance.

He was arrested for the first set of felonies following a March attack on a woman. He allegedly pushed his way into her residence and began assaulting her after he disconnected her emergency call to police, according to the March arrest affidavits.

Despite his $56,000 bond, Alvarado eventually was released from the county lockup. According to clerk of court records, Alvarado was only adjudicated for the misdemeanor charge of interfering with an emergency call during the March 6 incident. It was not known, as of press time Saturday evening, under what circumstances the felony charges were dropped or dismissed

Read more: Coach criticizes hotel, legal system after attack – Mywesttexas.com: Top Stories http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_90772213-c4f4-5716-994b-a4279a012afb.html#ixzz1P4TArI00

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by | June 10, 2011 · 9:14 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Arkansas Hotel Evacuated After High Levels Of "Carbon Monoxide" Sickens Family Of Four; Traced To A Faulty Swimming Pool Heater

“…Fire Department officials say a North Little Rock hotel was evacuated after a family of four was hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning…traced to a faulty swimming pool heater…”

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Friday that Fire Department Capt. J.R. Pflasterer said the carbon monoxide was found at unsafe levels throughout the hotel Thursday He said it was traced to a faulty swimming pool heater.  Pflasterer said 64 people were forced to leave the Comfort Inn and Suites after the family went to a hospital about 8 a.m. He said about 10 of those evacuated reported headaches or dizziness.

Pflasterer said carbon monoxide levels returned to normal Thursday afternoon. The hotel’s telephone number was continually busy Friday morning, so it could not be learned when it would reopen.

For more:  http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/852f6fb07d9149cb9238e0adf171f81b/AR–Carbon-Monoxide-Ark-Hotel/

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by | June 9, 2011 · 6:13 am

Hospitality Industry Risk: "Petra Risk Solutions" Releases "P3 Hospitality Risk Report" Video On "Innkeeper's Limit Of Liability"

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/52513786 w=630&h=354]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Innkeeper’s Limit of Liability’. 

  P3 ( Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

 For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | June 8, 2011 · 7:37 am

Hotel Industry Pool Safety Risks: Hotel Management Must Insure Full "Pool And Spa" Safety Compliance Including Drain Cover And "Clear Water" Maintenance

“…On average 566 people are hospitalized in Florida each year for injuries suffered from near drowning… Costs of a near drowning-related hospital stay range from $10,000 for standard 2-day treatment to $4 million in case of brain damage…”

“…Federal law requires public pools and hot tubs to be equipped with an anti-entrapment drain cover. A safety vacuum release system is required for those pools or hot tubs with a single main drain…”

 “…Keep pools clean and clear so that swimmers can be seen if they are in trouble in the water. This can prevent drownings. Also clean and clear water is a sign of disease free water. ..”

According to the Florida Department of Health, studies from 2001-2005 suggest that the state averages 465 deaths per year from unintentional drowning. Similar studies suggest that Florida ranks in the United States in drowning deaths for young children. A more recent statistic points that in 2008 71% Florida’s drowning deaths involved children ages 0-4. The federal and state laws offer some pool regulations through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007, named after a 7-year-old who died after the suction of a drain entrapped her underwater. Entrapment occurs when a pool’s filtration system sucks a child under water.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission enforces the law, and public places such as health clubs and hotels must comply or risk an immediate closure of the pool area. So the first step to pool safety is to make sure the pool drain complies with the law and has a safety vacuum release.

In addition to preventing the dangers from faulty drains there are other steps to make pools safer. Many pools with cloudy water may contain harmful bacteria. Believe it or not many deaths and injuries come from bacteria in pools and spas. Legionnaires disease is a disease that can kill and can be acquired from just sitting next to a dirty hot tub or spa. In a recent Orlando case a visitor from England died when exposed to Legionella bacteria and acquired Legionnaires disease sitting poolside next to a hotel spa next to the pool. If the hot tub is dirty or murky, stay away and contact the pool operator and the County Health Department. Your life may depend on it.

For more:  http://orlando.injuryboard.com/property-owners-liability-slip-and-fall/pool-safety-tips-for-summer-.aspx?googleid=291052

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by | June 7, 2011 · 7:56 am

Hospitality Industry Computer Risks: Cybercrime Risks Remain Perilous As "Malicious Software Or Malware" Increases To 6 Million Programs In First Three Months Of 2011

The amount of new malicious software, or “malware,” unleashed on the internet during the first three months of this year hit six million programs, according to a report last week by McAfee, the computer antivirus maker. “It’s been a busy start to 2011 for cybercriminals,” Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, said in a statement.

A 2009 study by computer antivirus maker McAfee and SAIC, a technology security firm, estimated that computer crime cost companies $1 trillion across the globe, but analysts say the actual total is sure to be higher as computer security breaches are underreported.

“I think all the service providers are victims of this type of issue, it’s just whether the company has a public interface to warn users of this type of problem is the big question,” Andrew Lih, author and professor at the University of Southern California, told CNN.

“Google has been pretty good at being forthcoming in having this kind of dialogue with its users,” Lih said. “It’s very possible to probable that these other service providers, from Yahoo to Microsoft to any of these other ones, have had these types of attacks, it’s just that Google has been very public in trying to combat this.”

For more:  http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/07/the-hidden-cost-of-cybercrime/

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by | June 5, 2011 · 9:50 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Amended "Americans With Disabilities Act" (ADA) Became Law On May 24 With Potential For "Increased Frequency Of Litigation Losses"; Management Must Improve Accomodation Efforts

“…under the amended act, an employee who suffers from depression may be able to function quite normally with the aid of medication but will still be considered to be disabled and will need to receive accommodation….”

“…the frequency of discrimination claims will likely increase — as will the frequency of litigation losses — but she says the severity of individual claims will likely not change all that much, with class actions in this field being a rarity…”

Existing employment-practices liability insurance policies shouldn’t have to be rewritten or modified, she says. “We would push back on any attempt to limit coverage just because the act has been expanded.”

Employers, however, should be integrating their disability-management programs to include non-occupationally injured and ill employees, and not just workers’ compensation cases, according to Pimentel.

“That is the big trend, and by the way, from an ADA-compliance standpoint, I recommend employers take a close look at doing that,” Pimentel says.

Employers should also be revisiting how much training they are doing among their supervisors on employee etiquette, language and comfort levels in communicating with disabled employees, he advises.

“Talking to them about their needs for accommodation is … an enforced requirement under the law,” Pimentel says.

For more:  http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/story.jsp?storyId=533338925

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