by | May 27, 2014 · 9:47 am

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

“…Hoteliers can take a proactive approach to dealing with spammers by regularly checking their information is correct on major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and BingImage…Once hackers identify an easy target, they can install their own codes on the back-end of the hotel website. For instance, they may switch the booking widget so that it brings customers to a copy of the hotel’s website and then the booking is subsequently made through a third party…”

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://bit.ly/1jXwANU

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by | May 23, 2014 · 8:24 am

Hospitality Industry Bed Bug Update: “Suit: Calumet Park Hotel Infested With Bed Bugs”

“…The one-count lawsuit claims the hotel negligently and carelessly failed to provide guests with safe and sanitary rooms; Imagefailed to take steps, including inspections and extermination, to keep its premises clean and free of infestations; and, among other things, failed to train staff appropriately to recognize signs of bed bugs…”

A woman suffered from bed bug bites after she stayed at a hotel in Calumet Park, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.

Bridget Flowers rented a hotel room Feb. 14 at the Magnuson Hotel, 12800 S. Ashland Ave., and slept on the bed and used the sheets that the hotel provided, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court.

For more: http://bit.ly/1gWJaOj

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by | May 22, 2014 · 8:12 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Lincoln City Hotel Sues for Defamation After Anonymous Person Posts Scathing TripAdvisor Review”

“…In March, the Oregon Court of Appeals for the first time took up the issue of whether Oregon business owners can sue people who post scathing reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List, Facebook or elsewhere.Image In its March ruling, the appeals court said the owners of an outdoor wedding venue could sue a wedding guest who posted a Google Review that included the statement that attending the event was ‘The worst experience of my life!’..”

Less than a month after an anonymous TripAdvisor.com user posted a very unflattering review of a Lincoln City hotel, the hotel has filed a $74,500 defamation lawsuit in an attempt to stop the reviewer from posting again and driving away business.

For more: http://bit.ly/Ty1L8Z

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by | May 21, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Marriott Bids for Gen Y Business With AC Hotels”

“…Personalization will be key to success as the next generation will guard their privacy except with a handful of brands,Image and then they will expect the company to know and meet their expectations. ‘Loyalty, big data and digitiization. You combine all the those and the epicenter of that is where you get personalization,’ Jhunjhunwala said. The key operating word is ‘trust’…”

As hotels are learning it’s going to take more than free Wi-Fi, a Facebook account and extra sockets to please the millennial traveler, Marriott is bringing the AC brand to the United States with hopes of locking in the loyalty of the Gen Y business traveler.

It has so far approved plans for 33 hotels in the United States, with the first set to open in New Orleans in September, followed by Kansas City and Miami, said Callette Nielsen, brand vice president for AC Hotels by Marriott.

For more: http://cnb.cx/1lQmlsQ

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by | May 20, 2014 · 8:48 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Texas Teen Found Dead in Hotel Room After Her High School Prom”

“…When police arrived at Gomez’s hotel room, they found evidence of that after party, including what police referred to as ‘an indication of alcohol.’ ImageInvestigators are also looking into the possibility that prescription painkillers may have been involved…Another teen guest staying at the Hyatt Friday night said he could hear partying going on all night in Gomez’s room. ‘We knocked on the door to see if anything was going on, but they didn’t answer,’ he said…”

On May 18, homicide police in north Houston are still investigating the death of a high school senior found dead in a Hyatt Hotel room yesterday morning following her MacArthur High School prom.

The deceased has been identified as 17-year-old Jacqueline Gomez, a senior at MacArthur High, according to ABC News. Gomez has been described by other news outlets as being 18.

For more: http://exm.nr/1jn8ufg

 

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by | May 19, 2014 · 8:32 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Your Hotel”

“…When working with contractors, make sure to check references and ensure that the company has the proper permits before starting construction on a project, says Stephen Barth, the founder of HospitalityLawyer.com and professor of hotel law at the University of Houston…ImageNew requirements from the International Code Council (ICC) for the International Building Code and the International Fire Code state that carbon monoxide alarms should be installed in any location that includes a device that could potentially produce carbon monoxide…”

Last spring, three people died from carbon monoxide poisoning after staying at the Blue Ridge Plaza Best Western Hotel in Boone, N.C. The victims—elderly couple Daryl and Shirley Jenkins and 11-year-old Jeffrey Williams—visited the property seven weeks apart and all stayed in room 225.

Though the initial investigation following the Jenkins’ deaths was inconclusive, toxicology reports eventually revealed that the deadly gas was to blame for the tragedies. The pool heater’s exhaust pipe, which ran directly under room 225, was the source of the lethal leak.

For more: http://bit.ly/1khYBQb

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by | May 16, 2014 · 8:33 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hotels Working On Concierge App For Check-in Via Smartphones”

“…Marriott Hotels, for instance,offers mobile check-in for select members who can check in via the mobile app and collect their key card from a designated mobile check-in desk. Image‘This technology will change the guest arrival experience and streamline the entire check-in process,’ said Prasad Iyer, head-cluster e-commerce, Indian subcontinent and Maldives at Marriott Hotels…”

Come 2015, guests arriving at the Aloft and W Hotels will be able to bypass the traditional check-in desk and enter their rooms using their smartphone as the room key.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which owns the two boutique brands, is working on collaboration with locking and security solutions provider Assa Abloy to develop keyless checkin technology that will allow the guests to check in and out of their rooms using their mobile phones.

For more: http://bit.ly/1n4iwRN

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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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