Category Archives: Management And Ownership

by Ida | March 24, 2015 · 10:31 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hotels Are Getting Ready for Apple Watch”

The Accorhotel Apple Watch app will work in connection with a smartphone to manage reservations, access hotel information and property maps, and notify guests when a room is ready for online check-in. IHGâ€™s Apple Watch app is a port of its popular smartphone language translator. It will convert the words a user speaks into the watch into 13 different languages and even offer phonetic pronunciation help as well as a range of common phrases.

At an event in San Francisco earlier this week, Apple released more details on its new watch and showed off a few apps. Along with displaying the weather, making calls (as long as your phone is nearby), and tracking your fitness, the watch will also support Apple Pay, a mobile payment system that processes credit card transactions without the need to swipe an actual card. Ahead of the event, Marriott announced it would be the first hotel company to use Apple Pay, and would roll it out this summer at select Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Edition properties in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago.

Apple Pay uses the near field communication (NFC) chip in an iPhone 6 or Apple Watch to communicate with specially equipped card readers, providing more security than old-school magnetic card swipers. While this could be a huge money maker for Apple, with analysts predicting that mobile payment systems will process $700 billion in transactions by 2017, it also offers hotels a new tool to measure guestsâ€™ habits and preferences.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1OwUcqT

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Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Management And Ownership, Technology

Tagged as Apple, Apple Pay, Apple Watch, Big Data, Credit Card Security, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Branding, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, Hotel Technology, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, iPhone, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Marketing, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Risk Management, San Francisco, Security, Technology, Wearable Tech

by Ida | March 19, 2015 · 10:20 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “New Security Mindset: Focus On The Interior”

“We continue to be more focused on perimeter protection than on internal controls and monitoring. It’s clear that attackers are already inside or could be anytime they want and there’s nothing you can do about it on the perimeter…You would think external attacks cause all the damage. But study after study, two-thirds of attacks are mundane insider errors, lost equipment, technology failures, or lack of oversight over vendors.”

Chief privacy officer Jason Straight shares his insights on why organizations are struggling to stop the breach wave — and manage the aftermath.

Hackers keep on hacking, breaches keep on happening. The cycle continues, as major corporations now routinely get successfully compromised. A key element of the equation now is properly and efficiently responding to an attack as well as managing its aftermath.

The same old security missteps–falling for phishing attacks, not locking down sensitive data internally, giving users too much access, for instance–keep recurring. That’s because many organizations aren’t putting their security energy in the right places, according toÂ Jason Straight, senior vice president and chief privacy officer at UnitedLex, which provides outsourcing services and support for the legal industry.

For more:Â http://ubm.io/1BTm7L2

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Filed under Crime, Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Theft, Training

Tagged as Arrest, Business Journalism, Credit Card Fraud, Credit Card Security, Credit Cards, Crime, Cyber Attack, Cyber Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Dark Reading, Data Breach, Employees, Guest Safety, Hacking, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Information Technology, Insurance, IT, Jason Straight, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Theft

by Ida | March 18, 2015 · 11:22 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “How Tax Extensions and Regulations Will Impact Hotels”

IRS regulations generally affect all taxpayers that acquire, produce, or improve tangible property but especially impact lodging facilities, as these require continual upgrades, remodeling, and refreshes. Hospitality finance executives should be alert to the numerous elections required with 2014 tax returns.

Thereâ€™s no easy way to say itâ€”the lodging industry will likely face tax challenges in the next 12 months. The past year was fraught with congressional bickering, partisanship, gridlock, and, consequently, no passage of any major tax legislation. There was plenty of drama too, including the troubled rollout of the Affordable Care Act, congressional hearings over lost and retrieved IRS emails, and so-called corporate inversions, with U.S. companies acquiring foreign corporations, swapping headquarters, and reducing their U.S. tax load. This was all capped off by a shift in control of the U.S. Senate after the midterm elections.

Through it all, Congress and the Obama Administration have talked about various fixes to the tax code, but reform has largely remained at the bottom of the to-do list. Now, the new head of the Senate Committee on Finance and the newly minted chairman of the House Committee of Ways & Means, say that tax reform is a top priority.

And at the insistence of the National Taxpayer Advocate, the IRS has recently adopted an official Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Itâ€™s not the Magna Carta but certainly a step in the right direction. As 2015 begins, the most important impact of 2014 will be the new rules that will affect tax compliance and tax return requirements, which either stem from the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (TIPA) or will be triggered by earlier legislation, rulings, and treasury regulations.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1xyqPtC

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership

Tagged as Affordable Care Act, Arrest, Capitalization, Credit Cards, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Finance, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Insurance, IRS, IRS regulations, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, lodging facilities, Lodging Industry, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Motels, National Taxpayer Advocate, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Tax Extensions, Tax Regulations, tax return, tax returns, Taxes, Technology

by Ida | March 16, 2015 · 9:23 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Preventing Credit Card Fraud at Hotels”

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/113722566 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutionsâ€™ Loss Control Manager, Matt Karp, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report â€“ â€˜Preventing Credit Card Fraud at Hotelsâ€™.Â

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

For more information on Petra and P3 visitÂ petrarisksolutions.comÂ or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under Crime, Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Theft

Tagged as Arrest, Big Data, Breach, Credit Card Security, Credit Card Security Breach, Credit Cards, Credit Fraud, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Data Hack, Data Privacy, Data Theft, Employees, Fraud, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, hotel workers, Hotels, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk, Risk Management, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, Videos

by Ida | March 13, 2015 · 9:55 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Marijuana: An Emerging Coverage Risk”

The federal government has greeted legalization by the states with benevolent indifference. The Controlled Substance Act categorizes marijuana as contraband for any purpose, including medical use, designating it a Schedule 1 drug along with heroin and LSD. The manufacture, distribution, or possession of marijuana remains a federal crime for which, if prosecuted, state legalization laws cannot be used as a defense.

The emerging legal marijuana economy will see explosive growth in the coming years. Insurers should be prepared to adopt policies that spell out coverage for legally grown marijuana plants and medical marijuana property. The cannabis industry is expected to grow to nearly $15 billion over the next four years. In states where manufacture, sale and use is legal for recreational purposes, legalization will have a profound impact on not only personal lines insurance, but also commercial coverage, workersâ€™ comp, product liability, healthcare insurance and more.

Currently, 27 states have either decriminalized or legalized marijuana use in some form. Four states: Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, and the District of Columbia allow recreational use. In addition, recreational marijuana initiatives are expected to appear on the 2016 ballots in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada. According to a recent Gallop poll, 51% of Americans now support full legalization. In 2014, Oregonians voted to legalize marijuana by a 56 to 44% margin. More Oregonians voted to legalize cannabis than voted to retain their incumbent Democratic governor or senator in the same election.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1Mybsbq

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

Tagged as Arrest, Coverage Risk, Employees, Federal Law, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Injuries, Insurable interest, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Marijuana, Legal Risks, legalization, Liability, Managing Risk, Marijuana, Mature, Medical Marijuana, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, possession of marijuana, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, State Law

by Ida | March 11, 2015 · 10:15 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “The Growing Risk of Cyber Liability” (Video)

In the last two years, significant data breaches have affected well-known companies such as Target, Home Depot, JP Morgan Chase and eBay â€” just to name a few. The issue has become so prevalent that President Obama issued an executive order in February 2013 to strengthen the U.S. cyber security framework.

In today’s society, weâ€™re experiencing a steady increase in the number of users who utilize the Internet and technology each and every day. As a result, businesses are looking more to technology in order to stay efficient in their business practices. While technology is convenient in many ways, it also exposes businesses to cyberattacks.

According to the Poneman Institute’s Cost of Cyber Crime Study, there was an 18% increase in the number of cyberattacks in 2013, and a report by Symantec on internet security found that 61% of small and midsize businesses experienced a cyberattack in 2013. Hackers are constantly looking to disrupt business operations; hence, it is more important than ever to prepare organizations for potential security breaches.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1MtrBRm

And for more how to best protect your property from a cyber security attack, check out the video below from Petra’s own P3 Risk Management Team.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/121258482 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutionsâ€™ Loss Control Manager, Marco Johnson, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report â€“ â€˜How to Help Protect Your Hotel’s Computer Network and Information Systemsâ€™.Â

For more information on Petra and P3 visitÂ petrarisksolutions.comÂ or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under Crime, Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Social Media, Technology, Theft, Training

Tagged as Arrest, Credit Cards, Crime, Cyber Attack, Cyber Liability, Cyber Security, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Data Breach, Digital Marketing, Digital Technology, Employees, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Insurance, Internet, Internet Security, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Risk Management, Risk Management Division, Risk Management Update, Security, Social Media, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, Training, Video

by Ida | March 10, 2015 · 10:13 am

Hospitality Industry Marketing Update: “Trends and Budgeting For 2015” (Infographic)

Click above to view the whole image!

1. Mobile Presence

2. Local Presence

3. Social Presence

4. Content Marketing

5. User Experience

6. Paid Search Presence

7. ROI Analysis – Cross Channels

8. Understanding Your Customer Journey

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1Bnw44D

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Filed under Finances, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Tagged as 2015, Budgeting, Content Marketing, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Employees, Fire, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Net, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Infographic, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Local Presence, Managing Risk, Marketing Trends, Mobile Presence, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Marketing, P3, Paid Search Presence, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, ROI Analysis, Security, Social Media, Social Presence, Surveillance, Technology, User Experience

by Ida | March 9, 2015 · 9:27 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Engaging Todayâ€™s Connected Travelers”

To improve the overall guest experience, hotels should leverage their unique position as a supplier, said Bernard Ellis, vice president of industry strategy at Infor Hospitality, a software provider. â€œYou know more about your property than anybody else, so you can maximize that with things like early check-in and late checkout, room type, food and beverageâ€”all based on looking at the guestâ€™s past preferences,â€ Ellis said.

Hotels that establish meaningful relationships with guests can maximize revenue opportunities and increase customer satisfaction, travel industry experts said during the Digital Marketing Strategy Conference, which was hosted by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International in Manhattan last week. Here are some best practices panelists shared for using technology to engage with guests before, during, and after their stays.

Before They Arrive
Googleâ€™s industry head for travel, Tiffany Miller, said that during the pre-booking period, consumers visit 18 travel-related sites. â€œYou have two and a half weeks to inspire the traveler to book your property,â€ she added. To make an impact, marketers should take creative approaches, like using celebrities or YouTube stars to boost engagement or allowing consumers to spread the message through self-generated videos.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1NACu5k

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Filed under Employee Practices, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Tagged as Connected Travelers, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Digital Marketing Strategy, Employees, Guest Experience, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Marketing, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Revenue Opportunities, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Social Media, Technology

by Ida | March 6, 2015 · 10:40 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Reducing the Spread of Contagious Illnesses” (Video)

A supplement to frequent hand washing is to use hand sanitizer. To encourage use of hand sanitizers by employees and guests, place labeled hand-sanitizer dispensers at the front desk, restaurant areas, back offices, public restrooms, and elevators. Check and refill the dispensers daily.

Winter months bring an increase of cold, influenza, and other communicable illnesses to the workplace. To reduce the spread of germs and cross contamination, housekeeping departments should focus on common contact points.

Sanitize Hard Services. Most hard surfaces, such as doors, drawers, telephone receivers, TV remote controls, light switches, toilet handles, and in-room directories, can be disinfected with a commercial disinfectant cleaner on a daily basis. Returned guestroom keycards should be placed in a separate bin for disinfecting. All guestroom glassware must be thoroughly washed with hot water and detergentâ€”in a dishwasher or three-compartment metal sinkâ€”before being placed back into service. Improperly sanitized glassware and utensils can transmit mononucleosis, herpes, E. coli, salmonella, hepatitis A, influenza, and even staph infections. Hotel glassware should never be washed in a guestroom sink.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1E0wrBS

And for more on industry best practices, check out the video below from Petra’s own P3 Risk Management Team.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/98741016Â w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutionsâ€™ Loss Control Manager, Matt Karp, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report â€“ â€˜Preventing Norovirus at Your Propertyâ€™.Â

For more information on Petra and P3 visitÂ petrarisksolutions.comÂ or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under Employee Practices, Food Illnesses, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as Death, Employees, Guest Safety, Hand-washing, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Illnesses, Injuries, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Measles, Motels, Norovirus, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Pool and Spa Safety, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Division, Risk Management Update, Training, Virus, Virus Outbreak

by Ida | March 5, 2015 · 9:32 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Veteran Says Hotel Dispute Over Service Dog Led to Arrest”

White suffered a traumatic brain injury and spinal wounds while serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan in 2012 when a 200-pound improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. The Wyoming, Mich., resident said he has been on anxiety medication and has been helped greatly by Camo.

A bill making its way through the Legislature may prevent situations like the one Monday night in which a young veteran was arrested at a Bonita Springs hotel after he, his family and his service dog were denied lodging.

Jason White, 34, was arrested at the Best Western following a dispute with the hotel manager and staff over his service dog, Camo. He was charged with battery and destruction of property, the Lee County sheriff’s report said, after he kicked and cracked a television and shoved the hotel manager, Vinit “Vinnie” Patel.

For more:Â http://newspr.es/1Ej6AHZ

And for more on the do’s and don’ts of service animals, check out the video below from Petra’s own P3 Risk Management Team.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/102936915Â w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutionsâ€™ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report â€“ â€˜ADA Service Animals: Do’s and Don’tsâ€™.Â

For more information on Petra and P3 visitÂ petrarisksolutions.comÂ or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under ADA, Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Insurance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as ADA, ADA Service Animal, Americans with Disabilities Act, Arrest, Crime, Employees, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, hotel manager, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurants, Risk, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Service Animals, Training, Veterans, Videos

Category Archives: Management And Ownership

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hotels Are Getting Ready for Apple Watch”

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “New Security Mindset: Focus On The Interior”

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “How Tax Extensions and Regulations Will Impact Hotels”

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Preventing Credit Card Fraud at Hotels”

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Marijuana: An Emerging Coverage Risk”

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Reducing the Spread of Contagious Illnesses” (Video)

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Veteran Says Hotel Dispute Over Service Dog Led to Arrest”

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