Monthly Archives: April 2014

Hospitality Industry Insurance Update: “Insurance Recovery for Business Interruption & Slowdown”

“…When claims arise, insurance companies will often look for ways to deny coverage or diminish their exposure to the loss. After charging you premiums based on the entirety of your business operations, these insurance companies should not be so quick to deny coverage to you on the grounds that Image you merely suffered a slowdown or partial interruption. If your insurance company is not fully cooperating, you should engage the services of an insurance recovery attorney who can assist you in getting the insurance company to honor its obligations under the policy…”

What happens when a hotel suffers property damage, whether by natural disaster or man-made accident, and is forced to close some or all of its rooms, amenities or services? It is important to understand how insurance can protect you from the resulting financial loss. In addition to potential recovery for property damage from your property/casualty policy, you may be able to recover lost revenue from your business interruption coverage. If your operations are disrupted, whether completely or partially, the language of your policy will determine if, and for how long, your insurance company will cover such loss.

For more: http://hlconverge.com/index.php/component/k2/item/825-insurance-recovery-for-business-interruption-slowdown

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Filed under Business Interruption Insurance, Insurance, Management And Ownership

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Tiered Wi-Fi Emerges as New Industry Model”

“…major hotel companies that have offered free Wi-Fi for several years at limited- and select-service brands have recognized that free basic Wi-Fi is indeed now a consumer expectation. Wifi In response, they have begun developing tiered offerings that satisfy customer demands while also leaving open the possibility of revenue for premium service….” 

After seeing complimentary Wi-Fi service become ubiquitous at limited- and select-service hotels, owner-operators of full-service properties are now facing growing pressures from consumers and brands to provide a tiered program that features free, property-wide basic service while charging for premium broadband access.

 “What we’re seeing now is more brands responding to consumer demand, because there has been a clear indication from consumers that basic connectivity is something they now expect us to provide (at no cost),” said Bill DeForrest, president and CEO of Chicago-based Spire Hospitality, which manages 22 properties including two full-service hotels under the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand.

For more: https://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/13509/Tiered-Wi-Fi-emerges-as-new-industry-model

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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “Hotel Security for the Traveler”

“…There are three questions to ask for selecting a secure hotel: Are there electronic door locks? Is there good key control? And is there a fire alarm and water sprinkler system? Image Generally, the only way to find this out is calling the hotel directly. The number one security issue is controlling who has access to a guest’s hotel room…

The sad truth is that criminals target travelers, especially in and around hotels. The abundance of literature on the topic of hotel security does not seem to have deterred criminals from using hotels as a target of their trade. An informal survey of hotel security staff reveals old patterns of crime repeated and new tricks (or new variations of old tricks) continue as before. There are, however, some practices which can reduce your risk of being the target of crime or other hazards in a hotel.

For more: http://businessdayonline.com/2014/04/hotel-security-for-the-traveler/#.U0v56q1dXnw

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Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Conference Update” Southern California Hotel and Lodging Conference”

Hospitality Industry Conference Update

Come check out Petra’s own Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders, and Loss Control Manager, Marco Johnson, at the Southern California Hotel and Lodging Conference.

For more: http://www.calodging.com/events/2014-southern-california-hotel-lodging-conference/

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by | April 11, 2014 · 8:33 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Two Arrested at Flagstaff Hotel on Prostitution Charges”

“…When the officer asked where the woman got the money, she said it came from the men she sleeps with. The woman, who said she had just moved to Arizona from California, Image told the officer she became a prostitute a few weeks earlier because a friend told her it was a good way to make money. She said she placed an ad on Craigslist and charged the men who responded to it between $100 and $150 to have sex with her…”

An 18-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were arrested on prostitution charges at a Flagstaff hotel this week.

According to the police reports, two officers responded to the Quality Inn at 2500 E. Lucky Lane around 7 p.m. Monday after someone called Crimestop to report that several different men had been coming and going from a young woman’s room.

Officers knocked on the woman’s hotel room door and a man with disheveled and partially unbuttoned clothing walked out. He shouted, “It’s the cops” as he tried to walk away but was stopped by one of the officers.

For more: http://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/two-arrested-at-flagstaff-hotel-on-prostitution-charges/article_c972d69c-c073-11e3-bbe6-0019bb2963f4.html

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Filed under Crime, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Legal Risk: “Caring For Dying Wife Cost Chef at Tony Hotel His Job, Lawsuit Alleges”

“…Esselborn maintains he was entitled to take the time off to care for his ailing wife. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for immediate family members with a serious health conditionImage….A message left Tuesday for the hotel’s general manager was not immediately returned. The suit, filed in Manhattan state Supreme Court, seeks unspecified monetary damages…”

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Annadale resident Robert Esselborn and his family endured a staggering blow on Christmas Eve when his wife, Barbara, a popular school teacher, died nine days after suddenly taking ill. She was just 38.

The day before, Esselborn had been jolted on another front.

He was fired by reality-show-winning chef Anthony Paris from his night cook job at Manhattan’s chic Crosby Street Hotel for taking time off to care for his dying spouse, Esselborn alleges in a lawsuit.

For more: http://www.silive.com/southshore/index.ssf/2014/04/caring_for_dying_wife_cost_che.html

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Filed under Claims, Employee Benefits, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Management And Ownership

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “5 Factors to Consider When Courting Spring Breakers”

“…Local ordinances and zoning laws could affect your business. ‘There comes a point when residents, business owners, and politicians no longer want those students there, and theyImage will start passing laws like in Daytona Beach or Fort Lauderdale to curb or even eliminate behavior,’ Laurie says. ‘Students will then go to a place where those rules don’t exist.’…”

From March through mid April, hundreds of thousands of college students flock to warmer climates for a weeklong escape from the winter doldrums and pressures of academic life. And while this time of year can bring a spike in hotel occupancy to popular vacation destinations across the country, the traditional spring break party does come with its fair share of challenges and risks for owners. John Laurie, director of the destination marketing and tourism practice at Bond Public Relations and Brand Strategy in New Orleans, shares five factors to consider when determining whether to court the next generation of spring breakers.

For more: http://www.lodgingmagazine.com/5-factors-to-consider-when-courting-spring-breakers/

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Filed under Claims, Crime, Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Safety Update: “Rancho Mirage Hotel Evacuated Due to Gas Line Rupture”

“…Someone in the area reported the smell of natural gas and the building’s 24 units were evacuated and police, fire and the Gas Co. were all called, she said. Image The damage was done to an approximately 1-inch line, she said. The gas was shut off and once the area was deemed safe, the nearly 65 people evacuated to another area of the 360-acre resort were allowed back into their units…”

A natural gas line has been repaired and an evacuation order lifted at Westin Hills Golf Resort and Spa hotel at 71-333 Dinah Shore Drive.

Something hit the meter at time share building number 45 which broke the line, said Deborah McGarry, spokeswoman for Southern California Gas Co.

For more: http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/2014/04/06/westin-hills-golf-resort-spa-rancho-mirage-gas-line-rupture/7389275/

 

 

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Filed under Claims, Guest Issues, Health, Hotel Industry, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Update: A Look Inside The Hotel Industry”

2 Comments

by | April 4, 2014 · 8:08 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Protect Your Online Presence”

“…Starkov suggests that franchisees put pressure on the brands to gain access to their own listings so they can better manage their online reputation. Image ‘If there is no ownership of the listing and no responses from the property, even the positive reviews don’t sound credible,’ he says. ‘And negative reviews without a response sends a signal that the hotel doesn’t care’…”

In January, spammers hijacked official website links for thousands of hotels listed within Google+ Local, rerouting visitors to third-party booking services. Since these listings feed results into Google Search, Maps, and Hotel Finder, Google worked quickly and quietly behind the scenes to correct the links. And despite the irritation of this hack, there are key takeaways for hoteliers that can help them protect their online presence.

For more: http://www.lodgingmagazine.com/how-to-protect-your-online-presence/

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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology