Tag Archives: Hotel Employees

by | July 29, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “Hilton Turns Smartphones Into Room Keys”

“…Ensuring that the technology can be used safely may not be that easy. In September 2012, according to a report published two months later by Forbes, an IT services consultant for Dell returned to her Hyatt room in Houston,hotelkeys Texas, to find her laptop stolen. The hotel concluded that the thief had entered the room by exploiting a vulnerability in a digital lock made by Onity. The vulnerability had been disclosed at the Black Hat security conference in July, 2012, and Onity said it shipped a fix to customers the following month…”

Hilton Worldwide plans to allow guests to check-in and choose their rooms using mobile devices, and even to unlock their hotel rooms.

By the end of the year, Hilton says it will offer digital check-in and room selection at 11 of its brands, across more 4,000 properties. The service will be available to Hilton HHonors members in more than 80 countries, the company said.

“We analyzed data and feedback from more than 40 million HHonors members, as well as guest surveys, social media posts, and review sites, and it’s clear that guests want greater choice and control,” said Geraldine Calpin, SVP and global head of digital at Hilton Worldwide, in a statement.

For more: http://ubm.io/1la55xX

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

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by | July 28, 2014 · 9:40 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Innovator: Marriott Official Says Technology Will Play a Growing Role in Your Hotel Stay”

“…What we clearly know is not every guest wants to walk into a hotel and not talk to anybody. At a premium brand like JW or Marriott, they want both. If I’m on a vacation and I’m at a resort,Cahill_606 I’m probably going to spend a lot of time talking to a person. If I’m on a business trip and I’m checking in at 11 at night and getting up at 5 in the morning, I may want to bypass people. We’re looking at every aspect of our business model and trying to understand how does technology enhance it from a customer standpoint and a business standpoint…”

From check-in to check-out and every service in between, Marriott International is evaluating ways that technology can improve its hotel business. In an industry where customer service is paramount, that means a strategy that blends high tech with high touch, says Paul Cahill , senior vice president of brand management for Marriott Hotels.

Cahill oversees the company’s flagship hotel chain and the one where it pilots new technologies before rolling them out to other properties. To date, those technologies include a broad range of mobile services to ease guests’ stay inside the hotel, as well as experimentation with text messaging, social networking and location-based services.

For more: http://wapo.st/X4mEKs

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

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by | July 25, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “How Best to Battle Against Cybercriminals”

“…As part of the plan, properties should be aware of laws pertaining to data breach disclosure,CyberCriminal-620x330 educate staff on protocols, contact law enforcement to see who would have jurisdiction in the case of a breach, and put outside data monitoring and incident response teams on retainer…”

Hotels, the bad guys have their beady eyes on you.

“The more credit cards you have, the more interesting you are to someone,” says Suzanne Widup, senior analyst with Verizon’s RISK team. “You have data that they want.”

The hotel industry has a big target on its back, agrees Chris Pogue, director at Trustwave, an information security technology and services company, specifically because property management systems, food and beverage, and retail all reside under one roof and a central integration server consolidates all this customer data.

For more: http://bit.ly/Uy6szg

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by | July 24, 2014 · 9:30 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Employee Sues Beverly Hills Hotel for Back Wages”

“…Leloup was required to work until midnight providing special room service requestsHotel for the sultan and cleaning his suites, the suit states. Leloup had no time to return home during the visits and slept in his car, the suit states…”

A Beverly Hills Hotel employee who alleges he was required to work more than 15 hours a day like a “glorified slave” during visits by the historic establishment’s owner, the Sultan of Brunei, is suing for back wages.

Paul Leloup filed the lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming he is owed more than $60,000 in unpaid wages and penalties. A representative for the hotel could not be immediately reached.

For more: http://bit.ly/1pfaF6c

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by | July 23, 2014 · 10:00 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “The Impact of Legal Marijuana on Employers” (With Video)

“…Marijuana possession and use remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act,mary jane but federal enforcement is curtailed in states that have sanctioned the use of medical marijuana. In some of these states, laws prohibit discrimination against qualified patients in employment decisions…”

Twenty states and the District of Columbia have passed a form of legislation that decriminalizes the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and Colorado and Washington have recently legalized the recreational use of the drug. While employers are under no legal obligation to allow marijuana use in the workplace, the drug’s legality leads to questions regarding an employer’s response to an employee who fails a drug test or admits to being a medical marijuana patient.

For more: http://bit.ly/WDC3kN

For a brief video with more information on how to handle these situations, check out the video below:

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/101528983 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Risk Management Director, Todd Seiders, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Medical and Recreational Use of Marijuana and Employer Rights’. 

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

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

 

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by | July 22, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Veteran, Local Service Dog Turned Away From Hotel”

“…He went to Panama City Beach with his dog, which he depends on, along with his parents and his roommate.Karl-Fleming-and-dog He went looking for a hotel room at the Front Beach Inn….Fleming said he was yelled at by the front desk clerk and told she had no vacancies when the sign out front read vacancy. Fleming said she later told police they had rooms…”

Karl Fleming was just looking to do something fun at the request of his family, but it turned into a distressing situation when he and his service dog were turned away from a hotel.

Army veteran Fleming attended K9s for Warriors camp in Ponte Vedra Beach. He graduated with his service dog ‘Kuchar’ last year and moved on, ready to face the world. But Wednesday night he had a setback.

Fleming has a traumatic brain injury as a result of a rocket propelled grenade while he was serving in Afghanistan in 2011.

For more: http://fcnews.tv/1A1SZAR

For a brief video on some of the steps you can take to help train your front desk staff at your hotel, check out the video below:

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/96622404 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Loss Control Manager, Marco Johnson, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Front Desk Best Practices’. 

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

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | July 14, 2014 · 9:33 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Smoke Alarm Laws Taking Effect”

“…The biggest change, which took effect July 1, 20140225165058_87769requires all new battery-operated smoke alarms sold in California to be built with a nonremovable 10-year battery. Existing smoke detectors don’t have to be replaced until they reach the end of their 10-year lifespan or start malfunctioning…”

New smoke detector laws, including a change that took effect July 1, are intended to keep working alarms in rental properties and homes in Tracy and throughout California.

State Senate Bills 1394 and 745 are phasing in rules for installation and types of smoke alarms during the next two years.

For more: http://bit.ly/1qYv68S

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by | July 9, 2014 · 9:23 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Update: ” L.A. Hotel Workers Could Get $15.37 an Hour — the Highest Minimum Wage in the U.S.”

“…Hotel operators point to a report from the California Hotel & Lodging Association that shows severe job cuts from the higher wage,cash which will hurt the L.A. economy. But proponents say the local economy will benefit, because workers who earn more money will spend more…”

Barack Obama wants $10.10. Seattle got $15.

Now, Los Angeles hotel workers might be outdoing them all with the country’s highest minimum wage: $15.37 an hour, thanks to a new city ordinance that is expected to pass by Labor Day.

It would be a boon for Sandra Diaz, and 10,000 workers like her, who keep the hotel industry running in L.A. by cleaning rooms, doing laundry, and working the kitchens.

Fresh off a decision by Seattle’s city council last month to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15, L.A. lawmakers say the city’s booming tourism should translate to higher wages for hotel workers.

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

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by | July 8, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Perch App Helps Hotels Track Competitors”

“…While Perch is geared toward small businesses in general, Evans says it has proven to be particularly beneficial to hotel owners and managers.perch Users can stay connected with the community by watching local hotels, restaurants, and venues to discover events and activities happening nearby…”

Social media offers hotel owners and managers a wealth of information at their fingertips, but being able to access it all can be a challenge. With so many outlets that allow guests to share pictures and thoughts about a hotel—Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and Instagram, just to name a few—it’s virtually impossible for one individual to keep track of everything that’s posted online.

For more: http://bit.ly/VVryt4

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by | July 2, 2014 · 8:28 am

Hospitality Industry Financial Update: “The New ABCs of Hotel Financing”

“…Dual branding is a mechanism that’s gaining steam and attractive to lenders.ABCs By placing two brands in one building, you’re maximizing efficiency in a number of ways: increasing the number of rooms on the land parcel; sharing a common lobby, public areas, and housekeeping staff; and employing one general manager and one salesperson…”

The fundamentals of hotel investing have never been better, and opportunities abound for getting deals done. The current funding landscape isn’t as crazy as the Wild West days of 2007, but a rebounding economy and rosy RevPAR optimism, coupled with new financing schools of thought and plenty of competition, mean opportunities are out there for buying, selling, and refinancing properties. This quick primer from hotel financing insiders tells you what’s really working now.

For more: http://bit.ly/1qy3IzU

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