Monthly Archives: September 2011

by | September 18, 2011 · 6:40 pm

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Florida Hotel Evacuated By Police Bomb Squad After "Suspicious" Suitcases Are Found In Lobby

“…The scare shut down nearby roads and displaced about 300 guests. They were shifted to the nearby Renaissance Hotel. Deputies roped the area off and surrounded the hotel…”

An International Drive hotel was evacuated Sunday night after two suspicious packages were found in the lobby, Orange County deputies said.

Authorities said the bomb squad was called to the Hilton Garden Inn on Westwood Boulevard. The suspicious packages were two suitcases that were left behind by guests in the lobby at about 6:00 p.m.

After nearly four hours, investigators deemed the two suitcases safe. But officials haven’t said what they found inside.

For more:  http://www.wftv.com/news/29225407/detail.html

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by | September 16, 2011 · 6:32 pm

Hospitality Industry Lawsuit Risks: "Hotel Negligence" Lawsuits Are Proliferating To Include Hotel Physicians Who Provide Guests' Medical Care

“…Hotel negligence is so prevalent in a vacation destination like Florida, with so many people harmed, that an increasing amount of our practice focuses on so-called resort litigation…and the types of negligence are expanding…to cases involving hotel physicians — doctors with whom the hotels have arrangements, that are called in to care for hotel guests…”

 The problem, says Reboso, is that the hotels typically do not check the credentials of the doctors and house call services they provide to guests. “You don’t know if you’re getting the best doctor in Florida or the worst,” says the injury lawyer. “And neither does the hotel. It’s a recipe for disaster. The clients we’re representing in these kind of resort litigation lawsuits have been harmed by negligent medical care.”

Nor do the hotels give guests the real picture on prices, adds Reboso: “In one case we are handling, the hotel said the service would cost $600, while the credit card charge — which comes well after you’ve left the hotel — was $6,300. We have found plenty of other cases in Florida when a $500 charge suddenly turns into a $4,000 or $5,000 bill. Obviously, the hotel industry and the medical profession need to educate themselves about what is going on and do something about it.”

 

For more:  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8793265.htm

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by | September 15, 2011 · 10:17 am

Hospitality Industry Cybercrime Risks: Hotel Management Should Have Policies "Disclosing Risks Of Hotel Computer And Wireless Internet Usage"

“…According to a report from antivirus software manufacturer Norton, global cybercrime has claimed 431 million adult victims in the past year, costing countries $114 billion in direct financial losses. That figure jumps to $388 billion when you factor in the value that victims place on the time they spent recouping the losses…”

Last year, in the U.S. specifically, more than 74 million people were victims of some form of cybercrime, leading to $32 billion in direct financial losses.

  • Recognize that your smartphone is really a pocket-size computer and is prone to the same types of attacks directed at your laptop and desktop. Take steps to protect it, such as keeping your operating system current and creating a strong password.
  • Keep your personal information to yourself. For instance, don’t put your entire birth date, including the year, on Facebook. Think about the security questions normally posed by your bank and other secure locations: “first school you attended,” “name of favorite pet” and the like. Are your answers on display online?
  • Know the pitfalls of public Wi-Fi. CreditCards.com says, “Avoid public wireless Internet connections unless you have beefed-up security protection.”
  • Beware of public computers, too. For instance, Kiplinger says, “Don’t access your accounts or personal information on public hotel computers, which could have software that logs keystrokes and records your passwords and account numbers.”
  • Use credit cards, rather than debit cards, when making purchases online. In case of fraud, you’ll get much better protection from liability with a credit card.

For more:  http://money.msn.com/identity-theft/article.aspx?post=6730f6ce-5203-4b59-bd46-f65a7a3545c2

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by | September 14, 2011 · 10:47 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Room Risks: "Hotel Minibars" Are "Loss-Leaders" At Many Properties Where Theft And Spoilage Cause Inventory Issues

“… actually [minibars] are loss-leaders…(some hotels have) been phasing out stocked minibars…Theft and billing problems can eat into minibar income. Hilton loses 5% to 20% of minibar revenue to “quote-unquote breakage…”

To cut costs and keep better track of sales, more hoteliers are installing automated minibars equipped with sensors that know when an item has been removed, immediately charging a guest’s bill.

Hotels and minibar manufacturers say these can cut labor costs since employees only have to check the roughly 25%-30% of rooms that use the minibar on a given day. Software can track how long items have been sitting in the minibar, cutting down on the problem of expired snacks.

But automated minibars cause problems of their own. If you take out an item and put it back, you might be charged, though most hotels give a grace period of about 40 seconds. And forget replacing a minibar’s high-priced sodas with your own snacks.

Sensors can also be overly sensitive, causing problems even for travel professionals.

For more:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904537404576554441363020606.html

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by | September 13, 2011 · 10:49 am

Hospitality Industry Information Security Risks: Senate Introduces "Personal Data Protection And Breach Accountability Act Of 2011" Forcing Companies To Secure Personal Data

“…Introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the Personal Data Protection and Breach Accountability Act of 2011 would force companies that hold online information for more than 10,000 people to follow strict guidelines to ensure the data is stored correctly…”

The U.S. Senate will consider a bill aimed at protecting citizens’ personal information from online data theft, and penalizing companies that don’t adequately store and safeguard their customers’ personal information.

The bill would impose fines on companies who don’t follow the guidelines and leave customer data open to compromise, and open the door for customers to sue companies that don’t adequately protect their data.

Blumenthal’s bill would put the U.S. government in line with states such as Massachusetts, which has legislation that fines companies that improperly protect residents’ digital data.

For more:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44491737/

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by | September 12, 2011 · 7:11 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Minnesota Hotel Security Employees "Fight" With "Partiers" As Mini Riot Erupts Outside Hotel

 “…hotel security employees were fighting with event-goers… partiers soon began moving north on Nicollet Mall, throwing restaurant patio furniture into the streets and getting into fights, but damage was minimal…

Police made three arrests after what they’re calling a “mini riot” broke out on the streets of downtown Minneapolis. Dozens of officers responded to a dance party involving several hundred teens called Big Bash 2 around 10 p.m. Saturday. The event was held in a hall next to the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Three people were arrested, including someone who punched an officer in the face.

For more: http://www.chron.com/default/article/Police-arrest-3-after-mini-riot-in-Minneapolis-2165669.php

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by | September 11, 2011 · 7:26 am

Hospitality Industry Fire Risks: Hotel Room Mattress Fires Can Cause Expensive Damage To Room And Contents

Damage to the hotel is estimated at $15,000 and to the room’s contents at about $10,000, Victoria Fire said.

A fire in a suite at City Metro Suites overnight cost several thousand dollars of damage to the hotel.

Victoria Fire responded to the incident at Rock Bay Avenue and Gorge Road to find the mattress on fire. The room’s occupant was not inside the suite at the time.

The fire was quickly put out and didn’t cause damage to neighbouring suites. The cause of the fire is not known.

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Mattress+fire+City+Metro+Suites+causes+thousands+damage/5382797/story.html#ixzz1XeoryR3C

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by | September 9, 2011 · 10:39 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Hurricane Irene Damage Forces Closure Of North Carolina Hotel Until 2012

 “…(a review of)…the situation with repair and restoration companies, insurance and safety inspectors, and a host of others, we have regretfully concluded that the safest option for our guests and associates is to temporarily close the hotel in order to thoroughly and efficiently complete the work,”

Damage from Hurricane Irene has forced the Sheraton Atlantic Beach to close for the remainder of the year. The hotel is now contacting all the groups and individuals who were booked through December 31.

An employee meeting is being held this afternoon. Ninety employees will be furloughed during the repair process, according to Barnes.

“We will be communicating with employees twice a week regarding our process and sincerely look forward to the opportunity to welcome everyone back after the first of the year, ” Barnes said. “Until then, we are working to place our employees in temporary positions and we welcome calls from employers who are looking for quality staff.”

For more:  http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/129527083.html

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by | September 8, 2011 · 6:24 pm

Hospitality Industry Pool Safety: Hotel Pools Repeatedly Test "Unsafe" For "Psuedomonas" As The Bacteria Is "Chlorine Resilient"

“…about 10 percent of the pools tested in the region come back as bad, earning the “unsafe” rating. Most of those ratings come from the pseudomonas presence…Pseudomonas is ubiquitous; we all have it on our skin, that’s why you should take a shower first before swimming. 99 out of 100 people do not…Sometimes a pool or spa will have a problem especially the pseudomonas because it’s resilient to chlorine.”

Each day, four times a day, John Huggins tests and retests the water quality at the 130,000-gallon outdoor pool at Hart Ranch in Rapid City.

Despite the pool supervisor’s best efforts, his pool, along with more than a dozen of the city’s hotels’, continually fail to meet bacteria standards set by the state health department.

The Journal obtained hundreds of pages of records through a public information request. Of the 36 establishments in Rapid City with pools, about half had tests come back as “bacteriologically unsafe for swimming” this summer.

The 18 failing Rapid City hotels and motels house 36 individual pools, hot tubs or water parks. Of those, about half had tests come back positive for pseudomonas, a nasty bacteria that causes swimmer’s itch and other skin or ear infections.

Read more: http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/many-hotel-pools-sink-below-state-standards/article_4bcb4a2c-d84e-11e0-a833-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1XSfQSNSp

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by | September 7, 2011 · 12:17 pm

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Florida Motel Damaged By "Minor Tornado" That Tears Roof Off

“…the storm was accompanied by 35 mph winds but it was a wind burst, or a minor tornado according to eyewitnesses, that pulled the roof off the motel and placed a good portion of it next door on top of… Condos (next door)…”

Sixteen residents of the Holiday Isle Resort at 14711 Gulf Blvd., were displaced early Sept. 7 after a wind storm took about one-third of the roof off the building.

No injuries were reported when the storm struck shortly after 1 a.m. but the American Red Cross was on the scene to help the motel’s residents find temporary housing.

For more: http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/beach_beacon/content_articles/090711_bhb-01.txt

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