HOSPITALITY RISK SOLUTIONS

by Ida | April 15, 2015 · 8:59 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Attract Millennials With Millennials”

â€œI see folks around me in the hotel industry, and theyâ€™re bouncing between jobs.â€¦ When we are bringing on this staff, itâ€™s important to show them there is this upward mobility and there is a reason you should be here for more than two years,â€ he said. â€œI think thatâ€™s important and maybe this whole jumping around between jobs is getting a bad rap about loyalty.â€

Front-desk associate or freestyle rapper? The two need not be mutually exclusiveâ€”particularly as operators seek â€œrock starsâ€ to provide a more authentic level of service to guests who increasingly want that real experience.

Who better to know about what millennial guests, in particular, want than hoteliers who belong to that generation?

â€œI always harp on with my corporate staff, I want people at the front desk who have a rock-star personality,â€ said Ravi Patel, the 29-year-old president of Hawkeye Hotels.

He has just that in Del, a front-desk associate at one of Hawkeyeâ€™s hotels who dabbles in freestyle rap on his off days. Working alongside Del is another double-duty performer who spends part of his time as a bartender.

â€œThese guys know exactly what it is to be really engaged with your audience,â€ Patel said. â€œSo now whenever I see the surveys come in from that hotel, it literally names off, â€˜Oh yeah, I talked to Del, and he told me what he does in Des Moines.â€™ Itâ€™s really capturing a different kind of associate as well and getting them to work for you.â€

For more: http://bit.ly/1b3hlSV

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Filed under Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media

Tagged as Branding, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Generation Y, 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 workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Legal Issues, Managing Risk, Marketing, Millenials, Millennials Generation, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, Online Marketing, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Technology, X Generation

by Ida | April 13, 2015 · 9:13 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Survey Finds Social Media Boosts Hotel Occupancy by 2x”

â€œThe hospitality industry has experienced the impact social media can have on their business, both positive and negative, but these findings allow properties to quantify the impact of taking action on reviewsâ€”and make it easier to justify additional investments in social media engagement,â€ said Aurelia Setton, Medalliaâ€™s general manager for hospitality.

Hotel properties that actively engage with social media reviews grow occupancy at double the rate of properties that donâ€™t, according to a study released by Medallia. The study examines customer and business data from more than 4,400 hotel properties worldwide to understand and quantify the impact of social media engagement on a companyâ€™s revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and social reputation.

Results Overview
The study found a direct relationship between responsiveness to social media reviews and occupancy rate. Properties that responded to more than 50 percent of social reviews grew occupancy rates by 6.4 percentage points, more than twice the rate of properties that largely ignored social media reviews. These socially engaged properties also outperformed the hospitality industry as a whole, which achieved a 4.3 percent occupancy growth rate during the same period.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1cphmkq

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

Tagged as Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Facebook, Facebook Marketing, Google, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Branding, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Occupancy, Hotel properties, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, LinkedIn, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Marketing, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, Online Marketing, Online Reviews, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Manager, Social Media Marketing, social media reviews, Technology, TripAdvisor, Twitter

by Ida | April 10, 2015 · 8:40 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Issues Loom For Keyless Entry in Hotels”

“At the moment, the complications might be magnified for multi-brand, multi-property operators piloting more than one keyless system from more than one brand/vendor, but sources said that this somewhat disjointed approach may actually be preferable to a universal solution; at least until keyless tech is a little further along in its development cycle.”

As hotel companies across the industry begin to embrace keyless entry technology, they will also need to work out the challenges that go hand in hand with such integration.

Major conglomerates such as Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide are continuing to conduct pilot testing across multiple properties and brands. Starwood is backing up the technology with a $15-million investment. After launching its SPG Keyless solution at select properties (Aloft Beijing; Aloft Cancun; Aloft Cupertino; Aloft Harlem; W Doha; W Hollywood; W Hong Kong; W New York-Downtown; W Singapore; and Element Times Square), the company is now installing SPG Keyless in 30,000 doors at all of its 150 global W, Aloft and Element hotels.

In the meantime, Hilton is pilot testing its own mobile-enabled room key technology at 10 U.S. properties. By yearâ€™s end, the company expects to offer the digital amenity at all U.S. properties of four brands: Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Canopy by Hilton. Looking ahead to 2016, Hilton will then deploy the technology at scale across 11 brands globally. Similar to the SPG Keyless solution, Hiltonâ€™s keyless entry platform is driven by the companyâ€™s branded mobile app. Hilton hopes the keyless system will drive usage of the app, which hoteliers can then use to drive incremental revenue through mobile devices. Itâ€™s a potentially major revenue source to sway hoteliers who might still be on the fence.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1Fusi7x

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

Tagged as Android, Arrest, Branding, Credit Cards, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Digital Branding, Digital Marketing, Digital Media, Employees, Guest Safety, Hilton Hotels, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hospitality Technology, Hotel Brand, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel News Now, Hotel Reviews, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, Hotel Technology, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, iPhone, Keyless Entry, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Marketing, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, Online Marketing, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Technology, Theft

by Ida | April 9, 2015 · 9:37 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Security Flaw In Hotel Wi-Fi Routers Could Put Devices At Risk”

“This is the second time in recent months that security researchers have warned of hotel Wi-Fi networks being a potential vector of attack for cybercriminals, providing a not-so-subtle reminder that individuals must be ever-vigilant regarding the security of their devices and access points.”

Cylance, a security vendor, says that its security researchers at the Sophisticated Penetration Exploitation and ResearchÂ team (SPEAR) have uncovered a flaw in the InnGate Wi-Fi router commonly used by many hotels that could be placing the devices of guests at risk. According to Wired, the Cylance team reports, the vulnerability could threaten not just guests, but could also spread to the hotels themselves if hackers are able to compromise the router to allow them to access other parts of the hotel network. Cylance says this could potentially impact reservations and billing.

The vulnerability, dubbed CVE-2015-0932 gives an attacker full read and write access to the file system of an ANTLabsâ€™ InnGate device, Cylance reports. Â Cyber thieves gain remote access through an unauthenticated rsync daemon running on TCP 873, which then allows them to read and write unrestricted to the file system of the Linux based operating system.

For more: http://bit.ly/1yYJZK7

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

Tagged as Android, Arrest, Computer Security, Credit Cards, Crime, Cyber Law, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Free Wifi, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, Hotel WiFi, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Information Security, Insurance, Internet Security, iPhone, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurants, Risk Management Update, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, WiFi, Wifi Router

by Ida | April 8, 2015 · 8:59 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Exploring The Brave New World of Hotel Tech Amenities”

“The most powerful existing effect of digital technology on design, Jacobs told me, is the feedback loop of websites and social media that plays back the success or failure of each design choice in real time, making it visible to the guestâ€™s friends, and their friends, and theirÂ friends.”

Hotels are my favorite places to think and write, or simply to escape from reality, which is sometimes harsh. The hotels I am grateful for are run by sensitive, thoughtful people who provide the precarious balance of anonymity and personal care that I crave. I want privacy, interesting design, and also a place to be sociable or take a meeting for an hour or two without breaking the spell of being somewhere far away from home. I like camping out alone under the stars, in a nice room with a comfortable bed, a desk, and room service.

As human beings become switching stations for the digital signals coming in and out of our phones, the technological backwardness of so many hotels has become, for me, part of their charm. I take comfort in the fact that hotel rooms often double as museums of Jurassic technologiesâ€”the desktop landline that acts as a five-pound free weight, the dedicated button you must push to order room service, the DVD player for which you can rent actual DVDs. Still, the fear that the hotel experience I am dependent on might dissolve into the surrounding digital babble of Big Data and wearable gizmos and giant LCD screens doesnâ€™t seem entirely unreasonable.

For more:Â http://for.tn/1JopkVV

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Tagged as Amenities Hotel, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Green Technology, 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 Technology, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Information Technology, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Leisure, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, New Technology, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Room Amenities, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Travel, TripAdvisor

by Ida | April 7, 2015 · 1:26 pm

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “4 Ways to Differentiate Your Hotel”

“If you canâ€™t find anything fun that is truly local, then expand the circle of your list to include the county, the state or even the region in which your hotel is located.Â Then figure out how to inexpensively incorporate at least three of those items into your property.”

If you spend any time paying attention to trends in our industry, the buzz words youâ€™ll likely come across include â€œunique,â€ â€œauthentic,â€ â€œartisanal,â€ â€œsense of place,â€ â€œlocal,â€ â€œcraft,â€ â€œexperiential,â€ â€œdiscovery,â€ the latest iterations of â€œboutiqueâ€ and â€œlifestyle,â€ and the single most overly and incorrectly used word in the English language, â€œcurated.â€

Todayâ€™s trend words all have one definitional element in common: They all are somewhat synonymous with â€œdifferentâ€ in one way or another. Guests are looking for different experiences in the different cities they visit, particularly road warriors. â€œDifferentâ€ in that context doesnâ€™t necessarily mean â€œbetter,â€ just not â€œthe same.â€

If this is not your year for a major renovation, and you wonâ€™t be turning your lobby into an experiential gathering place or your restaurant into an eclectic journey of discovery, there are still things you can do to be different and successful.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1Ph7h84

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Filed under Employee Practices, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel, Hotel Branding, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel News Now, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Illnesses, Injuries, Insurance, Internet Marketing, Invest, Investments, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Marketing, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, Online Marketing, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Surveillance, Technology

by Ida | April 6, 2015 · 12:21 pm

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Water Shortages Threaten Hotel Industry”

“Itâ€™s no wonder then the hotel industry has become a target of well-meaning legislators and bureaucrats looking to save some precious water for the state. The California State Water Resources Control Board recently instituted new rules that among other things require foodservice establishments to provide water only to customers who request it and mandate hotels give an option to guests of not having linens and towels laundered daily.”

Letâ€™s face it: The hotel industry in the United States over the past 20 years has mostly been paying lip service to sustainability issues. Itâ€™s difficult to blame hotel owners and operators for that attitude because environmental issues are seldom major operational or profitability concerns at most properties.

There are exceptions, of course, but for the owner of a typical mid-market suburban hotel, green issues typically are only seriously addressed for one of two reasons: the vague promise of operating cost savings or the public relations glow generated by being a good and green citizen.

That situation is beginning to change, especially in California and the Southwest. The culprit is water, or the lack thereof.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1yPC4Pa

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Filed under Finances, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Pool And Spa

Tagged as California, Drought, Employees, Environmental Issues, Federal Government, Federal Law, Global Warming, Green Issues, Green Lodging, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel News Now, Hotel Owners, Hotel Pools, Hotel Safety, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Pool and Spa Safety, Pool Safety, Risk Management, Southwest, Sustainability, Water, Water Park, Water Shortage

by Ida | April 2, 2015 · 9:08 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “L.A. Hotel Fire Kills 1, Injures 15; Some Jump From Windows to Escape”

“Of the 29 people who were staying at the hotel, 15, including a child, were hurt and suffered minor to serious injuries, fire officials said.Â Most of the injured suffered broken bones from jumping, fire officials said.Â Alejandro Lopez, 40, said he was trapped inside his room and the intense flames left him with only one option: Jump out of the window.”

A man was killed and 15 were injured when flames overtook a hotel early Thursday in Wilmington, forcing some peopleÂ to jump out of windows.

People were trapped by flames inside the two-story Wilmington Hotel at 111 E. C St. shortly after 3 a.m. as firefighters arrived, said Erik Scott, spokesman forÂ the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Other hotel residents jumped out of windows to escape the flames.

For more:Â http://lat.ms/1G7cf4F

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Filed under Fire, Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Injuries, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as American Red Cross, Blog, California, Death, Employees, Fire, Fire Damage, fire officials, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Fire, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Risk, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Injuries, Insurance, Insurance Coverage, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Liability, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Times, Managing Risk, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, serious injuries, Wilmington, Wilmington Hotel

by Ida | April 1, 2015 · 10:20 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “The Threat Most Hoteliers are Ignoring”

“Thatâ€™s particularly true when hoteliers begin marking their competitive differentiation on priceâ€”the average price of an Airbnb listing in NYC hovers slightly above $200/night and is well below the average cost of a hotel room in, say, Manhattan.”

â€œIs anyone worried about Airbnb?â€

Nary a hand was raised when Mark Woodworth asked that question from the main stage at the Hunter Hotel Conference. The head of PKF Hospitality Research had to peer into the sea of some 1,200 attendees, hand above his squinted eyes like a sailor gazing into a foggy horizon, to find any. There were maybe five in all.

â€œWell, Iâ€™m going to talk about it anyway,â€ Woodworth said.

He was right to do so. The peer-to-peer accommodations platform is a threat to both demand and rate. Weâ€™ve documented that fact time and time again. Hoteliers just donâ€™t want to hear it.

This dismissive attitude is based on the fact that it takes a lot of Airbnb supply to truly steal share. To reach that mass, Airbnb needs a strong concentration of willing hosts in high-demand markets such as New York City and San Francisco.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1CNEnao

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as AirBNB, Credit, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Branding, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel News Now, Hotel Reviews, Hotel Risk, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, hoteliers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Hunter Hotel Conference, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Loyalty Programs, Managing Risk, Mark Woodworth, Mobile Technology, Motels, New York City, Online Branding, Online Marketing, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, San Francisco, Security, Technology, Threat, U.S. Travel Association

by Ida | March 30, 2015 · 10:47 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “The Good, The Bad, and Especially â€“ The Ugly. Why Responding to EVERY Review is Essential to Your Reputation”

“Address the comment, validate their frustration, apologize for their poor experience, and find a way toÂ make it better. This will, of course, depend on what the grievance is exactly, but itâ€™s probably an easy fix, and your response to the issue will be there forever for all future guests to see.”

Feedback, constructive criticism, or maybe just plain old criticism. Are you shuddering at the thought? If you are, stop, because though it may be hard to take sometimes, itâ€™s essential to the success and well-being of your hotel. Thatâ€™s right, criticism whether good, bad, or even ugly, is a necessary tool for you and your management team to have and to use. Without feedback, youâ€™ll never know what youâ€™re doing well, and what you could do better. Listening to all comments and responding appropriately and in a timely manner is one of the best tactics for hotel reputation management.

Regardless of whether your hotel has received a positive or negative review, you must give equal attention to both. Donâ€™t be arrogant. Mistakes are made everywhere in life, misunderstanding and miscommunication happens no matter what. Therefore, never turn up your nose at a grievance, large or small. Many potential guests will judge a hotelâ€™s customer service based on how the hotel responded to previous guests comments and reviews. Therein lies the true value of responding to all comments â€“ to show future guests you have responsive management, that you care about your guests and any issues that may arise.

From our very own experience, hereâ€™s a quick list of best practices when it comes to responding to reviews

For more:Â http://bit.ly/19qiItu

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Filed under Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Tagged as Cybersecurity, Employees, Guest Safety, HMG Hospitality, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Branding, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Managers Group, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Reviews, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, Online Marketing, Online Ratings, Online Reputation, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Social Media, Surveillance, Technology, Trip Advisor, Yelp, Yelp Reviews

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Issues Loom For Keyless Entry in Hotels”

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Security Flaw In Hotel Wi-Fi Routers Could Put Devices At Risk”

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Exploring The Brave New World of Hotel Tech Amenities”

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “4 Ways to Differentiate Your Hotel”

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Water Shortages Threaten Hotel Industry”

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “L.A. Hotel Fire Kills 1, Injures 15; Some Jump From Windows to Escape”

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “The Threat Most Hoteliers are Ignoring”

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