Monthly Archives: May 2014

by | May 15, 2014 · 8:36 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Roving Prostitution Ring Busted in Hotel Sting”

“…Detectives then watched as the women received texts from Tatum, police said, and peered through a peephole of the hotel room’s door as Tatum paced outside in a hallway. ImageFinally, police arrested Tatum along with one of the women, a 19-year-old described as helping Tatum oversee the other women. She faces a charge of promoting prostitution…”

Armed with a handgun, a convicted felon slipped from state to state in recent months with several prostitutes forced to work for him, according to Indianapolis metro police.

Terrence Tatum ran Internet ads that lured men to enjoy sex with five women for $500, police said, or choose from several other less expensive options with women nicknamed “Marvelous,” “Candy” or “Vegas,” among others.

For more: http://indy.st/T6NeB6

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by | May 14, 2014 · 9:02 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Benton Police Bust Crime Ring Based Out of Hotel”

“…Police said detectives found four stolen vehicles, a large amount of stolen property and numerous articles of evidence related to identity theft and forgeries in the suspects’ possession.Image Methamphetamine, prescription medication and ecstasy were also found on the scene…The suspects purportedly used multiple rooms at the hotel to avoid detection and used stolen license plates and vehicles to avoid being caught, the release states…”

The arrest of a burglary suspect on Monday led Benton police to discover and bust a Saline County criminal enterprise ring, officials said.

Officers responded to a burglary in progress around 12:45 p.m. Monday on River Heights Drive. While police were unable to locate the suspect — identified as Jason Hamilton, 33, of Benton — at the time of the burglary, Hamilton was later located in Pulaski County and taken into custody, the Benton Police Department said in a news release.

For more: http://bit.ly/1gE0r9o

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by | May 13, 2014 · 8:18 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Lawsuit Seeks to Invalidate Massive Hotel Subsidy”

“…The suit claims that Kring illegally received $7,250 in contributions from entities and people connected to O’Connell, including Anaheim Park Place Inn, Orangewood, LLC, Image Stovall’s Inn, LLC and members of the Support Our Anaheim Resort (SOAR) advisory board, among others…”

A $158 million hotel tax subsidy — one that triggered a contentious Anaheim City Council split and a wave of political activism — is once again the target of a lawsuit that, if successful, could invalidate the deal.

For more: http://bit.ly/1spS9XL

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by | May 12, 2014 · 8:21 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Living Green at OTO Development’s Newest Georgetown Area Hotel in Downtown Washington D.C.”

“…Forward-thinking in its design and construction, the hotel is seeking LEED Silver certification. Upon opening, the Hilton Garden Inn will begin participating in the LightStay program, Imagea Hilton Worldwide initiative to save energy by continuous measurement and reduction of electric, gas and water consumption…” 

Opening late May, the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/Georgetown Area brings environmentally friendly accommodations to Washington, D.C.’s high-end Georgetown neighborhood. Perfect for the savviest business and leisure travelers alike, the hotel gracefully blends modern technology, plush furnishing and a desirable location while keeping green.

Managed by the experienced hospitality company OTO Development, the Hilton Garden Inn is dedicated to providing guests a fantastic Washington, D.C. experience while staying environmentally conscious.

For more: http://bit.ly/1jSvRxe

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by | May 9, 2014 · 8:29 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Sex Predator Busted at Cleveland Hotel Trying to Arrange Sex With Teen Girls”

“…Marquand is currently serving a five year prison sentence for attempted rape and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor….ImageAssistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Brett Kyker is the task force Director and warns, ‘We aren’t sitting waiting for crime to be committed, we’re going out, actively trying to identify predators living among us.’…”

An exclusive 5 On Your Side investigation reveals a sex predator caught on tape during an undercover operation by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

James Marquand, 31, traveled from his home in Flint, Michigan to a Cleveland area hotel where he believed he had arranged to have sex with two young girls ages 12 and 14.

For more: http://bit.ly/1iyvByL

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by | May 8, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risk: “Environmental Heat Solutions Warns That Bed Bug Cases Could Rise Due to Increase in Travel and Lack of Awareness”

“…One of the most important places to check for bed bugs, according to experts, is in hotel rooms. This is because of the amount of movement through them. Bed bugs can ‘hitchhike’ on clothing and take up residence in mattresses. Image From there, they can attach to new hosts and ‘hitchhike’ out...Individuals who are dealing with bug infestations should consider methods like bed bug heat treatment and canine bed bug detection to remedy the problem...”

Environmental Heat Solutions is spreading awareness about the rise of bed bug infestations and the reasons behind them.

There’s a silent epidemic that is sweeping the United States, and that epidemic is bed bugs. Due to a number of circumstances and a lack of proper education, more and more businesses and families are struggling with getting rid of bed bugs.

For more: http://bit.ly/1gbWqIR

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by | May 7, 2014 · 9:11 am

Hospitality Industry Customer Service Update: “The Future of How Travelers Evaluate Hotels”

“…Currently, TrustYou’s Meta-Reviews have a broad reach, with more than 50 million monthly impressions from more than 120 intermediaries, OTAs, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), Convention & Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) and GDSs. As this number grows, more and more travelers are able to make more informed, Image smarter travel decisions in the shortest amount of time…”

Ten years ago, travelers had to base their booking decisions on traditional advertisements and marketing. This was the only available information to go off of when booking. Then, user-generated content came along and changed everything, introducing user-generated content to the travel industry. Travelers could turn to the opinions of their peers to get an inside look at what the hotel was really like.

For more: http://bit.ly/1lYA2Z1

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by | May 6, 2014 · 8:54 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Services Update: “Empowering Employees to Improve Guest Services”

“…By providing employees with the right tools, hotels can meet these needs while gaining customer loyalty. ‘By empowering employees with the right productivity and collaborative tools and using technology to collect, Image access and optimise data about individuals, hotels can not only strengthen their business model, but also provide an enhanced guest experience,’ concludes Jones…”

From the moment a guest enquires about a hotel, to the moment they leave the property, staff strive to offer patrons a seamless experience that differentiates their brand and fosters loyalty. In the past, this experience arose from the hotel’s ability to provide efficient and personalised interactions between guests and its staff.

But in today’s world, where mobile and online applications are increasingly replacing traditional face-to-face interactions, is it really possible for hospitality organisations to deliver a compelling personalised service?

For more: http://bit.ly/1uvktvU

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Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “The Power of Cloud for Hotels”

“…Early adapters like InterContinental Hotels Group have seen a vast improvement in the operational systems and guest services with cloud systems. The cloud being cost effective, flexible, and easy to integrate, Image with increased data security eliminates chances of owning a capital investment that is outdated. Cloud PMS is now the go-to choice for the intelligent hotelier who wants to stay ahead in the competitive hospitality and travel industry…”

Technology and innovation has stopped taking us by surprise. Every year numerous new innovative solutions and technological concepts enter into the market addressing issues, solving problems, easing operations and keeping the industry vibrant and ever changing.

For more: http://bit.ly/St7jRO

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by | May 5, 2014 · 8:37 am
by | May 2, 2014 · 8:46 am

Hospitality Risk Solutions Technology Update: “A Child’s Efforts To Save Her Mother Lead To Changes In Hotel 911 Calls”

“…According to a survey conducted by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, which found that guests can’t simply dial 911 for help in 55 percent of all franchised hotels…But Imagethe good news here is it seems like the majority of hotels who do not have direct-dial 911, those changes can be made by reprogramming the equipment rather than replacing it…”

As her mother was being attacked, a 9-year-old girl frantically dialed 911 for help from inside an East Texas hotel room. She dialed once, twice… four times that December day, but the call never went through.

Her mother took her last breath.

What the girl did not know was that the hotel’s phone system requires a “9″ first to reach an outside line. “She told us she did what she was supposed to do,” said her grandfather, Henry Hunt. “And it didn’t work.”

For more: http://cbsloc.al/1oa8Vtw

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