Tag Archives: Hotel Guest

by | January 24, 2014 · 9:27 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: “Slaying the Silent Killer, Carbon Monoxide”

“…Fireplaces, boilers, water heaters, pool-heating equipment, gas-powered tools, barbecues and cooking equipment are the most common types of fossil-fuel-burning equipment found in hotels,” said Todd Seiders, director of risk management at Petra Risk Solutions….” 20140123_carbonmonoxide_feature

“…Carbon monoxide is a gas, so it’s going to penetrate solids and seep into any open spaces just like cigarette smoke does,” said Stephen Barth, professor of hotel law at the University of Houston and the founder of HospitalityLawyer.com. “The problem is it’s deadly because you can’t see it, taste it or smell it. They call it the silent killer….”

REPORT FROM THE U.S.—Three deaths linked to a faulty pipe that allegedly exposed guests to a lethal dose of carbon monoxide at a Best Western in Boone, North Carolina, have hoteliers stressing the importance of carbon-monoxide safety.

With rare exceptions, hotels all have sources of carbon monoxide, sources said, and without proper installation, maintenance and inspection, hotel owners and managers could be putting their guests at risk.

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Hospitality Industry Legal Risk: “Parents File Lawsuit on Behalf of Teenage Girl Critically Injured in Panama City Parasailing Accident”

“…This lack of oversight means no one is keeping tabs on parasailing operators to make sure ropes that are damaged by sun and saltwater are replaced,” said Chalik who has spent years pushing for reform. “Parasailing should be a fun and safe activity, but parasailing companies that cut corners or disregard the safety of their customers can turn the popular beachside pastime into a dangerous and even deadly trip…”

PANAMA CITY, FL and ROANOKE, IN–(Marketwired – January 23, 2014) - The family of an Indiana teenage girl critically injured in a horrific parasailing accident last summer in Panama City, Fla. has filed a negligence lawsuit against the parasailing company, its owner and the hotel that operated the excursions.

On July 1, 2013, 17-year-old Alexis Fairchild of Huntington, Ind., and her friend Sidney Good of Roanoke, Ind., went up in tandem when strong winds snapped their parasail free from its boat below. Witnesses watched in horror as the girls were flung across the shoreline, smashed into a nearby condo rooftop and were dragged into a power line, before plunging into cars parked below.

“Aquatic Adventures Management Group, which operated Why Knot Parasail, not only ignored the fact that weather conditions had deteriorated, but failed to operate the boat a safe distance from shore,” said attorney Deborah Chalik, partner at The Law Offices of Chalik and Chalik, who filed the suit on in Bay County, Fla. on behalf of Alexis’ parents Michael and Angelia Fairchild. Chalik and Chalik has successfully represented a number of cases regarding parasailing accidents.

For more: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/parents-file-lawsuit-on-behalf-teenage-girl-critically-injured-panama-city-parasailing-1871901.htm

For the original article: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/florida-parasailing-victim-sidney-good-breaks-silence-article-1.1587594

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by | January 23, 2014 · 8:41 am
by | September 13, 2013 · 5:19 am

Hospitality Industry Health Hazards: Hotel Owners Must Be Aware Of Risks From “Naegleria Fowleriis”, Known As “Brain-Eating Amoeba” In Warm Fresh Water On Or Around Their Premises

HospitalityLawyer.com“…Hotel owners and operators must be aware of potential N.fowleri hazards in bodies of water on or around their premises. If you offer guests access to recreational bodies of warm fresh water, we recommend making N.fowleri informational brochures available at your front desk; you may even consider providing complimentary nose plugs. Of course, it is absolutely essential that you keep all swimming pools and hot tubs properly chlorinated. Don’t assume that the water in hot tubs and/or hot springs is sufficiently hot to kill N.fowleri; the amoeba can survive temperatures well in excess of 115°F (46°C) for short periods of time…”

Naegleria Fowleri Amoebic Meningitis RiskNaegleria fowleriis an amoeba common to warm bodies of fresh water, including lakes and unchlorinated or poorly chlorinated swimming pools. This amoeba can infect the human nervous system and induce a lethal form of encephalitis when a victim insufflates contaminated water deep into the nasal cavities; while infection is relatively rare, only one percent of all victims survive. This parasite has made the news in recent years with the moniker “brain-eating amoeba” because it feeds on the proteins that help form neurons in our brains.

HospitalityLawyer Converge Solutions

http://hlconverge.com/

Both travelers and hotel owners/operators need to understand the conditions that encourage N.fowleri infection, as this amoeba presents a significant health hazard and a potential liability. N.fowleri thrives in warm fresh water; it cannot survive in very cold, salty, or properly chlorinated water. Infections typically occur in stagnant bodies of water, often after swimmers have stirred up sediment (which contains N.fowleri spores), and usually involve an activity like jumping, diving, or wakeboarding. In 2012, two people in Louisiana died from N.fowleri infection after using contaminated tap water with their neti pots. Death almost always occurs one to twelve days after infection.

This past summer, a four year-old boy in Bernard Parish, Louisiana, died of PAM (primary amebic meningoencephalitis, the extremely lethal result of N.fowleri infection) after playing on a Slip ‘n Slide. A twelve year-old boy in LaBelle, Florida, died of PAM after kneeboarding in a water-filled ditch near his home. One very lucky twelve year-old girl from Arkansas managed to survive an N.fowleri infection, making her the third survivor in the recorded history of the disease.

For more:  http://hlconverge.com/

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Hospitality Industry Technology Solutions: Hotels Increasingly Rely On “Mobile Platforms” For Guest Check-In; “Mobile App Downloads” To Increase More Than 7-Fold In Next Five Years

Infographics On Hospitality Mobile Apps

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by | September 5, 2013 · 9:13 am
by | September 3, 2013 · 6:26 am

Hospitality Industry Cybercrime Risks: Criminal Hackers Target Hotels Lacking “Advanced Data Security Safeguards” On Local Credit Card Transactions; “Chip-And-Pin Cards” Coming Soon

“…criminal hackers gravitate to some hotels because, like retail stores and restaurants, hotels do many credit card transactions at a local level, where centralized and highly sophisticated data security safeguards may be lacking…Most hotels are locally owned, though managed by big Cyber Risk Insurance Graphichotel chain companies. For hotel owners, it is expensive to come into full compliance with the tough global data security criteria set by the credit card companies…That includes using complex passwords, being wary of public Wi-Fi, updating antivirus software — and checking credit card statements carefully…”

“…In the United States, credit cards use magnetic strips that are more vulnerable to hacking than the electronic chips embedded in credit cards in Europe and elsewhere. Such cards also require entry of a PIN…these so-called chip-and-PIN cards are headed our way, said Kathy Orner, vice president for information security at Carlson Rezidor, a worldwide hotel company that is among the industry leaders in data security…all of the major credit card issuers plan to start introducing these cards in the United States within two or three years…”

In its 2013 Global Security Report, Trustwave, a data security management firm, says that the top three industries targeted for data breach attacks in 2012, measured by the number of its investigations, were retailing (45 percent), food and beverage (24 percent) and hotels (9 percent). Three years ago, the hotel industry was at the top, but hotels have since made “significant strides” in improving credit card security measures, the report says.

Last year, for example, the Federal Trade Commission sued Wyndham Worldwide, the hotel chain, for what it said was inadequate safeguarding of credit card information that led to three data breaches at hotels in under two years, with “millions of dollars in fraud loss, and the export of hundreds of thousands of consumers’ payment card account information to an Internet domain address registered in Russia.”

The threat is constant, Mr. Roman said. “The best protection is vigilance, and that takes work,” he said.

For more:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/03/business/data-security-begins-with-the-traveler.html

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by | April 30, 2013 · 5:54 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Louisiana Hotel Sued By Guest Who Broke His Nose Walking Into A Glass Door; Claims “Unmarked Electric Glass Door Failed To Open Properly”

“…The (hotel) is accused of failing to keep doors properly functioning for its guest, failing to have doors properly marked for its guest, failing to Hospitality Industry Injury Lawsuitsensure the safety of its guest, failing to comply with the legal and contractual obligations for its guest, failing to act in good faith in paying for the losses of its guest and breaching its fiduciary duties and obligations for its guests…”

An Atlanta, Ga. man is suing a local hotel after he broke his nose when he walked face first into a glass door. Timothy Daniel filed a lawsuit against Clarion Inn & Suites, Choice Hotel International Inc. and their insurer in the Orleans Parish Central District Court on Feb. 15.

Daniel claims that while exiting the hotel building, without any warning signs, he walked into an unmarked electric glass door and broke his nose because the door failed to open properly.

The plaintiff is seeking full and just compensation for his losses caused by the injuries.

For more:  http://louisianarecord.com/news/251299-hotel-guest-sues-over-broken-nose-after-walking-into-glass-door

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by | April 12, 2013 · 6:38 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: East Coast Hotels Victimized By Man Who “Skipped Out On Hotel Bills” While Posing As Corporate Employee; $60,000 For A Presidential Suite

“…housekeepers found paperwork in the room belonging to (defendant)…a Residence Inn employee told police she received a call from Hotel Theft By DeceptionSerra in which he stated he would pay the bill if the Residence Inn would sign a waiver promising not to charge him with any crime. No agreement was made…Police then were notified the Residence Inn received an email from someone claiming to be a Raytheon employee, stating Serra would be staying there for 15 nights. The email address was identical to the one used in Serra’s February stay, police said…”

A Lowell man is accused of skipping out on bills in upscale hotels in seven states, running up charges while posing as an employee of major corporations.

In one case, prosecutors allege that in March, Michael Serra ran up a $60,000 bill for a stay in the presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston under the name Dennis Colling. Serra allegedly said he worked for Citigroup, but does not.

When confronted by Tewksbury police and a U.S. Secret Service agent, Serra allegedly confessed to committing crimes up and down the East Coast for two to three years. The Residence Inn at 1775 Andover St., Tewksbury, reported that a person named Carter Whitmore, who represented himself as a Raytheon employee, skipped out on a $6,349 bill in February. Court documents state that Raytheon refused to pay for the room because it had no employee by that name.

For more:  http://www.lowellsun.com/local/ci_23010643/city-man-held-hotel-fraud

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by | March 30, 2013 · 1:10 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Alabama Hotel Guests Hospitalized After Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Caused By “Malfunctioning Heating Unit And Faulty Duct Work”

“…the problem likely had to do with a heating unit that malfunctioned in addition to some faulty ductwork. The carbon monoxide poisoningissues impacted the fifth and sixth floors of the hotel…in addition to the 11 total guests exhibiting symptoms on Friday morning, a family of four also were said to have been experiencing flu-like symptoms. The family was urged to seek medical treatment and did so before returning to their home in Florida…”

Fifteen guests at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Hoover were taken to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning on Friday. According to Hoover Fire Department Lieutenant Rusty Lowe, firefighters received a call at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Friday morning about an unresponsive guest at the hotel.

Upon arrival, fire officials discovered ten additional guests who were exhibiting symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The guests’ symptoms ranged from headaches and nausea to mental problems.

All of the impacted guests were transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment.

For more:  http://www.cbs42.com/mostpopular/story/15-guests-at-Birmingham-hotel-treated-for-carbon/BDBQeW5_70mbg122MdCg5Q.cspx

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by | February 21, 2013 · 6:31 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Colorado Hotel And Restaurant Sued By Woman Who “Drank Bleach In A Water Glass”; Lawsuit Seeks $100,000 For “Negligence And Breach Of Implied Warranties Of Merchantability And Wholesomeness Of Food”

“…(plaintiff) suffered serious and continual medical problems, including the inability to eat effectively, persistent acid reflux syndrome, digestive problems and other symptoms…(her) relationship with her husband Hospitality Industry Injury Lawsuitsand her ability to care for her children have been affected…among the claims in the lawsuit are negligence, breach of implied warranties of “merchantability and wholesomeness of food,” loss of consortium and a violation of Colorado’s premises liability statute…”

A Basalt woman is suing the owner and operator of the Viceroy Snowmass, alleging that she was served and drank out of a glass that had bleach in it at the hotel’s Eight K restaurant. The incident happened during brunch in February 2011, according to the lawsuit by Janine and John Reichert. The suit, filed Tuesday in Pitkin County District Court, seeks more than $100,000. It lists Base Village Owner, the hotel’s owner, and Viceroy operator KHM Snowmass as the defendants.

After being seated, a waiter poured water for the Reicherts’ party from a pitcher, wrote their attorney, Alan Feldman of Aspen, in the lawsuit. “Immediately after Janine drank from the glass, she jumped up out of her seat, stating that she had drank chemicals and needed to get to the bathroom as she was going to throw up,” the lawsuit says. “Janine’s throat began to burn and swell up. … [She] raced to the restroom, where she became violently ill.”

John Reichert dipped his finger in her glass and allegedly tasted a bleach solution. The wait staff then cleared all of the glasses from the table and disposed of their contents, Feldman wrote. One Eight K employee allegedly told John Reichert that “it is typical for the water pitchers to be soaked in a solution of bleach for sterilization and that the waiter could have picked up a water jug soaking in this bleach solution, believing it to be drinking water,” Feldman wrote.

However, as Janine Reichert was talking to a poison-control operator, a manager allegedly told her that she had ingested merely the residue from the bleach left on the jug.

For more:  http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/156795

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by | February 14, 2013 · 6:34 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Tennessee Hotel Sued By Guest Who Lacerated Leg On Bed Frame; $400,000 Sought For “Lost Wages, Suffering And Disfigurement”

“…a cap on the horizontal support bar of the bed frame extended out several inches from the box spring, and the cap, made of a stone-like material, was chipped, creating a sharp edge. The sharp edge was hidden by a bed Hospitality Industry Injury Lawsuitsskirt draped over the box spring, “concealing the sharp edge from plaintiff’s view…(she had to be) treated for infection and other complications from the laceration (resulting in) medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and scarring and disfigurement…”

A Florida widow and freelance author and illustrator has sued the Red Roof Inn in Clinton for up to $400,000 over a leg laceration she says she received while staying at the hotel in August. Lauretta J. Evans, 76, said she was on her way home to Florida on Aug. 7 when she stopped at the Red Roof Inn on Buffalo Road, according to a lawsuit filed in Anderson County Circuit Court on Feb. 8.

As she prepared to go to sleep, Evans said, she sat on a bed in the room and “immediately felt a sharp and intense pain in her lower left leg. Plaintiff looked down to see that she had sustained a severe laceration to her lower left leg, and perceived that she was bleeding profusely,” the lawsuit said.

It said emergency medical personnel were called to the scene, and Evans was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

“This concealed sharp edge constituted a dangerous condition that represented a latent defect undiscoverable by the plaintiff,” the lawsuit said.

The Red Roof Inn, also referred to in the lawsuit as Sant Partnership, had a duty to keep its place of business, including rooms assigned to patrons such as Evans, free of “latent defects and dangerous conditions,” the suit said.

For more:  http://oakridgetoday.com/2013/02/13/florida-widow-sues-clinton-hotel-over-leg-laceration/

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