Category Archives: Maintenance

by | April 7, 2014 · 8:20 am

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…”

RANCHO MIRAGE – 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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by | April 2, 2014 · 9:03 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “The Accessibility Puzzle: Navigating ADA Requirements”

“…In new construction and renovations, architects often fail to provide an appropriate variety of accessible rooms that would offer guests with disabilities options comparable to those available to non-disabled guests, Vu says. Image ‘This can be a very expensive mistake. Oftentimes hotels are purchased without a thorough ADA review so that the new owners are unaware of the issues present at their new hotel’…”

In the years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the lodging industry has faced many hurdles—and many opportunities—in implementing the far-reaching civil rights law. The past two decades have been a mixed bag of regulatory enforcement, litigation, and gradual recognition of the roles ADA and accessible design play in our industry. Since 1990, hoteliers have spent billions of dollars making their facilities accessible to individuals with disabilities in compliance with the ADA, not only because it’s the law but also because it’s their mission to make all guests feel comfortable and welcome.

“ADA compliance for new properties is easier than older ones since new hotel compliance standards usually come from the brands,” says Raj Shendge, COO of Ohio-based SAP Hotels. ADA compliance for older properties is trickier. He notes that when rules change in the middle of the game it becomes much more difficult. “No lawyer, city official, fire marshal, brand manager knows what is happening.”

For more: http://www.lodgingmagazine.com/the-accessibility-puzzle-navigating-ada-requirements/

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by | March 27, 2014 · 9:11 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Managing by Text: Using Tech in Back of House”

“…For many hotels, it starts on the guest services side. For example, guests who need assistance can send a text that will be routed directly to the appropriate department, such as engineering or roomservice.Image This simple interaction already removes a traditional element of hotel operations—the front desk—from the equation. From there is a progression for hoteliers to use similar methods to communicate internally among staffers…”

Hoteliers are increasingly using electronic formats such as text, email and FaceTime for back-of-house communications, and are finding the strategy is both highly effective and cost-efficient. Just like in the front of the house, where guests increasingly rely on phones and handhelds while traveling, mobile devices are now becoming critical for back-of-house operations, according to sources.

With cellphones essentially ubiquitous and younger staffers particularly reliant on them, many hoteliers are smartly tapping into this technology base to replace outdated procedures, reshaping everything from staff meetings to service calls.

For more: https://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/13408/Managing-by-text-Using-tech-in-back-of-house

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by | March 26, 2014 · 8:19 am

Hospitality Industry News Update: “Deadly Hotel Fire Raising Safety Concerns in New Jersey”

“…One woman, who stayed at Mariners Cove days before the fire, says the motel had battery-operated smoke detectors, but fire victims say they never went off.  ‘That’s the thing, they were battery-powered fire alarms. Once they get hot and they melt, they are not going to work,’ said Tammy Tilton…”

The deadly motel fire in Point Pleasant, New Jersey is raising safety concerns at other motels in the area.

Activity has died down at the scene, but the probe continues into Friday morning’s deadly fire at the Mariners Cove Motor Inn in Point Pleasant Beach.

The blaze killed four people, including 66-year-old Albert Sutton, formerly of Mount Laurel.

Based on surveillance footage pulled from the rubble and restored by computer experts at the Ocean County prosecutor’s office, detectives have determined the cause of the fire was careless smoking.

For more: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=9479643

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Filed under Claims, Fire, Hotel Industry, Injuries, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology

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by | March 25, 2014 · 8:35 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Bed Bug Lawsuits: Reducing Your Clients’ Risk”

“…Your clients, of course, are responsible for their own actions, or lack of action, when dealing with bed bugs. But there are actions you can take to help your clients avoid these kinds of deviations, minimize their risk of lawsuits, and reduce their liability if a lawsuit is ultimately filed. Of course, by doing so, you also reduce your own liability and risk from any bed bug litigation. But you must be proactive…”

Until they experience a bed bug crisis first hand, property managers usually can’t comprehend the full impact on their property. Most fail to appreciate just how difficult it is to control bed bugs once they have spread and become established.

That’s why property managers often address bed bug complaints with the same casual approach as complaints about cockroaches or ants. They typically do not respond aggressively, at the first sign of trouble, and before the bed bugs become entrenched and spread to other areas of the building. And property managers often resist investing the time, money and effort necessary to control a bed bug outbreak. That puts both of you at risk of a lawsuit.

For more: http://www.pctonline.com/pct0314-bed-bug-lawsuits.aspx

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by | March 24, 2014 · 8:29 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Hotel Sues Fla. Sheriff Over Unwanted Guests”

“…Florida law ‘clearly sets forth that [as] a hotel operator of a transient establishment — you can go in and say, ‘I don’t wish to entertain you anymore,” Blair said. ‘The statute says you can call the sheriff, and he has a duty to remove them.’Image A separate group of independent hoteliers has sued along similar grounds. It is seeking a declaration on whether the Sheriff’s Office is properly interpreting state law, but that case is still pending in state court…”

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Dianna Chane says she cannot get the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to remove unwanted guests from her HomeSuiteHome hotel, even if they aren’t paying, are using drugs or committing assault.

Once a supporter of Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Chane has sued Sheriff Bob Hansell, saying he is forcing independent hotels on U.S. Highway 192 to become homeless shelters.

“What has crushed me is I have been denied the right to manage my own property,” Chane said. “I feel like we’ve been taken hostage.”

For more: http://www.policeone.com/investigations/articles/7004783-Hotel-sues-Fla-sheriff-over-unwanted-guests/

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by | March 17, 2014 · 8:31 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “The ‘Beacon-Enabled’ Hotel Of The Digital Age”

“…I mainly focused on automation and making the experience easier. The next step is to look at ways hotels can increase revPAR (revenue per room),Image which I will focus on in the next article. People have been talking about smart housing for a long time but that is over now. Smart hotels will be realised. The only question is: By who?…”

Our homes are becoming more and more connected to so-called ‘smart homes’ with smart tv’s, smart fridges, and smart lights. Hotels want to give the feeling of comfort and one way to achieve this is to replicate the feeling of being at home. Smart homes are the future and Hotels should embrace change and be at the forefront of technological innovation.

I have been blogging about iBeacon technology and how it could create a whole new experience in stadiums and museums. While many have been focusing on the marketing and shopping benefits of implementing the latest technologies I want to help you look further than that. I would like to introduce the smart hotel.

For more: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/column/global/154000392/4064433.html

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by | March 14, 2014 · 8:56 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Code Violations Plagued The Majestic Hotel Before Fire”

“…In an evaluation of the hotel in 2012, the fire chief predicted the hotel’s ultimate demise stating, “In the event of a fire it is anticipated portions of the yellow brick will begin to fail at an early state in the fire’s development.Image To place the cities firefighters inside the yellow brick building under those firefighting conditions is to needlessly expose them to injury or death…”

Two weeks ago today an historic hotel, more than 100 years old, went up in flames. Tonight, we’re learning more about what Hot Springs city leaders did to try and prevent the Majestic Hotel fire. Talk to just about any Hot Springs resident and they’ll give you a memory of the Majestic.

One bystander said, “That was the restaurant there and 20 years ago my husband and I had our first date there.” Another person said, “We had our wedding reception in the Majestic.” In the 1950’s the hotel became so popular, construction crews added on to it.

For more: http://www.arkansasmatters.com/story/d/story/code-violations-plagued-the-majestic-hotel-before/52879/rJ44s7w9-ku2EpG5lLKoGw

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by | March 13, 2014 · 8:43 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “NWC Student Dies in Fall at Denver Hotel”

“…Thamba’s death remains under investigation, according to Sonny Jackson, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department, but foul play is not suspectedImage….Thamba fell from a balcony at the Holiday Inn Denver East at 3333 Quebec St. between 3-4 a.m. Tuesday, Jackson said. How far he fell, and what caused the fall, have not been determined, Jackson said…”

An international student attending Northwest College died early Tuesday morning when he fell off a balcony at a Denver hotel.

Levy Thamba, of the Republic of Congo, Africa, began attending Northwest in late January. He apparently traveled to Denver during the college’s spring break.

For more: http://www.powelltribune.com/news/item/12164-nwc-student-dies-in-fall-at-denver-hotel

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by | February 18, 2014 · 8:43 am

Hospitality Industry Liability Risk: “Carbon Monoxide Leak At Westin Sends 9 To Hospital”

“…A total of 20 guests and employees were evaluated by paramedics, resulting in the transport of nine people to the hospital.  Four employees who worked in the area of the hotel’s laundry roomImage were transported by paramedic unit to the Hyperbaric Chamber at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.  Five additional patients, four employees and one guest, were transported to local hospitals…”

For the second time in as many months, Anne Arundel County paramedics were alerted to the presence of dangerous levels of carbon monoxide on the scene of a call by carbon monoxide detectors carried on their medical equipment.  On Sunday February 16th just after 1:30 p.m., paramedics responded to the Westin Hotel, located at 1110 Old Elkridge Landing Road in North Linthicum to assist an employee who felt faint.  While assessing and treating the patient, the paramedics were alerted to the possible presence of carbon monoxide by their CO alarm.  They immediately requested additional assistance to the scene and began to evacuate the patient and others in the area.

Additional responding units checked other areas of the hotel and found excessive levels of carbon monoxide in various locations in the hotel.  Some levels were in excess of 700 parts per million- levels capable of causing serious injury with just two hours of exposure.  The seven story hotel was evacuated by firefighters going room to room on each floor to ensure all employees and guests had been evacuated.

For more: http://www.eyeonannapolis.net/2014/02/17/carbon-monoxide-leak-at-westin-sends-9-to-hospital/

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