Tag Archives: Hotel Guest

by | February 3, 2013 · 7:24 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Hotels Should Employ “Motherboard Fix” To Make Electronic Door Locks Secure From Hacking And Break-In

“It’s the older Onity locks that are subject to hacking,” Seiders said. “With the old locks, which were the best at the time, the encryption code that authorizes the lock to open has been installed on all of those individual Onity Electronic Locklocks. The hacking device, when it’s plugged into the lock, fools the lock into thinking it’s an authorized programmer. The newer locks don’t have the encryption code in each one; the code is issued at the front desk.”

Following a robbery at a Houston hotel in which thieves exploited security flaws in Onity locks first revealed at the Black Hat conference in July, Hotel Management spoke with Todd Seiders, director of risk management at Petra Risk Solutions and former director of loss prevention at Marriott, for tips on how hoteliers can keep their rooms secure.

“[Onity] immediately started offering the caps and screens to block the port that causes the vulnerability, but I don’t think that’s a very valuable option, because if you block these terminal ports and you have an emergency in the room and the lock has failed, you have to be able to plug in the portable programmer or you’ll have liability issues,” Seiders said. “The thing to take advantage of now is the motherboard switch out. If you mail it in within a reasonable amount of time they’ll replace it for free. The motherboard fix, that’s what these hotels should be doing.”

While Seiders noted that the recession has meant less money available for full-time security staff and new equipment like cameras, he emphasized the importance of staff training in hotel security. “My advice is to go walk the halls and if you see a person standing in the hallway go and look at him for 60 seconds. He’ll either go to a room, or, if not, approach him and say ‘what’s up,’ find out if you can help him. Customer service is the best security.”

Seiders also pointed out that the newer models are not as vulnerable to hacking.

In a statement from Onity, the company said, “Over the next several weeks, we will ensure all hotel properties in our database receive the mechanical solution. These mechanical caps and security screws block physical access to the lock ports that hackers use to illegally break into hotel rooms. The mechanical solution remains free of charge to customers. Technical solutions vary depending on the age, model and deployment of locks at properties.”

For more: http://www.hotelmanagement.net/operations-management/keep-your-rooms-secure-from-door-lock-hackers

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by | January 29, 2013 · 7:21 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Texas Hotel Guest Files “Negligence Lawsuit” After Marble Tile In Elevator Falls On Child Causing “Serious Injuries”

“…as (plaintiff)  stepped off the hotel elevator, a large marble tile fell from a wall and onto the child’s head, Hospitality Industry Lawsuitchest and leg.  His bodily injuries were serious, permanent and disabling…”

An Oklahoma woman claims her son was injured at a Galveston hotel and is seeking damages in a suit against the owner. Shawna Martin filed a lawsuit against Neel Shah Hospitality Inc. on Jan. 25 in Galveston County District Court.

According to the suit, Martin and her 8-year-old son were on vacation in Galveston on Jan. 14, 2007, and the boy was injured at the at the Comfort Inn & Suites in the 6300 block of Seawall Boulevard.

“Allowing a loose tile which was inadequately secured to the wall….. posed an unreasonable risk of harm and the defendant had constructive knowledge of that risk,” the original petition says.

The defendant is blamed for:

  • Failing to properly and adequately secure the mirror to the wall;
  • Failing to perform an adequate inspection to determine whether there was a hazard present;
  • Failing to repair said mirror; and
  • Failing to warn.

For more:  http://setexasrecord.com/news/281053-woman-sues-galveston-hotel-after-marble-tile-strikes-son

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by | January 24, 2013 · 8:28 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Alabama Hotel Sued By Guest Trapped In Elevator; “Sustained Injuries During Escape From Broken Machinery”

“…(plaintiff) and several others became entrapped in the hotel’s elevator…(she claimed) the hotel didn’t respond to the emergency call which resulted in two male guests in the elevator prying the door open and Hotel Elevator Accidentcreating an opening to escape…hotel administrators pulled King by the legs through the opening resulting in her falling and suffering physical injuries…”

An Alabama resident is suing a local Marriott-owned hotel after allegedly being trapped in an elevator and sustaining injuries during an escape from the broken machinery. Maureen A. King filed a lawsuit against Marriott Hotel Services, Inc., Renaissance Hotel Management Company, LLC, Renaissance Hotel Operating Company, Sodexo, Inc. and John Doe in the Orleans Parish Central District Court.

The defendant is accused of failing to respond to the emergency elevator alarm, pulling petitioner from the elevator and causing her to fall and failing to seek emergency assistance.

An unspecified amount is sought for past medical expenses, future medical expenses, past lost wages, future lost wages, pain and suffering and mental anguish.

For more:  http://louisianarecord.com/news/248516-renaissance-pere-marquette-hotel-blamed-for-injuries-sustained-by-guest-stuck-in-elevator

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by | January 15, 2013 · 7:48 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: California Hotel Faces “Negligence Lawsuit” Over Carbon Monoxide Leak From Hotel Pool Boiler

“…(the plaintiff) was a guest at the time of the evacuation, which was believed to be caused by a boiler leak…claims the hotel was not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors resulted in exposing paying guests to hotel Carbon Monoxide Poisoninghazardous levels of the gas… he’s claiming negligence and requesting the hotel cover costs of general damages, medical bills, potential loss of revenue and legal fees…”

A carbon monoxide leak that prompted the evacuation of the Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport hotel in Burlingame in November prompted a lawsuit from a guest who was staying at the hotel. On Friday, a lawsuit was filed against the hotel on behalf of Robert and Diane McNamara by San Francisco-based attorney Richard Schoenberger.

Firefighters were called to the hotel at 150 Anza Blvd. to test its air quality and evacuate guests around 1 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, according to news reports at the time.

The carbon monoxide was traced to a boiler that feeds the hotel pool and a spa, Central County Fire Chief Don Dornell said at the time. The unit was immediately shut down, and carbon monoxide levels dissipated, he said. At the time, it was reported that there were no injuries nor was treatment required of anyone. Guests were able to return to their rooms shortly after 5 a.m. Crews remained at the hotel monitoring the air throughout the morning.

For more:  http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=1761499&title=Carbon%20monoxide%20leak%20at%20hotel%20sparks%20lawsuit

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by | January 8, 2013 · 8:42 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Illinois Hotel And Restaurant Sued For “Negligence” After Guest Attacked By Man With Knife In Restroom; “Allowed Unauthorized Access To Property”

“…The lawsuit claims the hotel and restaurant at 909 N. Michigan Avenue were negligent when they allowed Restaurant Crime“unauthorized persons to gain access to their hotel, restaurant and restroom facilities” and didn’t perform proper security checks…”

An Oak Brook doctor who was stabbed in the neck and face during an attempted holdup at a Gold Coast restaurant in November is suing his alleged attacker along with the restaurant and hotel that houses it. Mir Shah says he was violently attacked and stabbed several times by Jimmy Harris in the bathroom of the Westin’s The Grill on the Alley on Nov. 17, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court. The restaurant’s bartender was also injured when he chased Harris, who cut him with a knife, police said.

Harris, who also goes by the name Jimmie Harris, had been freed from prison eight days prior to the attack. He has at least 60 arrests and nine felony convictions dating to the late 1970s, according to Chicago police, state and court records.

Shah, an oncologist, was out to dinner with his family that night after attending the Lights Festival along the Magnificent Mile. While in the bathroom, Harris approached Shah and announced a robbery before stabbing the doctor in the right side of his neck and face, prosecutors said. Shah is now disfigured and disabled, according to the suit.

For more:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-doctor-stabbed-after-mag-mile-lights-festival-sues-suspect-20130107,0,4498714.story

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by | January 7, 2013 · 7:46 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Hotel “Mobile Applications” Must “Post Privacy Policy” Allowing Guests To “Access And/Or Request Changes To Personal Information”

“…In the case of an online service, “conspicuously posting” a privacy policy requires that the policy be “reasonably accessible…for consumers of the online service…the consumer (must be able) to access or request mobile technologychanges to personal information, (and) the operator of the site will notify consumers of changes, and the effective date of the policy..”

Hotel companies are actively entering the mobile application space as a means of gaining market share and solidifying guest relations. In addition to online travel agents like HotelsbyMe.com, a number of brands including Omni, Choice and Starwood have developed mobile applications. However, as mobile applications gain popularity, hotel companies should consider how privacy and security laws will impact how they can use those applications.

For companies with operations in California, that issue was highlighted on December 6, 2012, when the California Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Delta Airlines for failing to include a privacy policy with a smartphone application. The lawsuit, the first of its kind, alleges that Delta violated California law requiring online services to “conspicuously post its privacy policy” by failing to include such a policy with its “Fly Delta” mobile application.

The California online privacy law

In 2004, California enacted the California Online Privacy Protection Act (“CalOPPA”). This law requires operators of websites and online services to “conspicuously post” privacy policies about the personal information that is collected, how the consumer can access or request changes to personal information, how the operator of the site will notify consumers of changes, and the effective date of the policy.

In the case of an online service, “conspicuously posting” a privacy policy requires that the policy be “reasonably accessible…for consumers of the online service.”

CalOPPA does not define an “online service” or mention “mobile” or “smartphone” applications, likely due to the fact that in 2004, smartphones and mobile applications were just being developed. However, the California Attorney General considers any service available over the internet or that connects to the internet, including mobile apps, to be an “online service.”
For more:  http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article68597Hotel_Lawyer_on_How_New_Privacy_Law_Enforcement_May_Affect_Your_Mobile_Apps_Used_in_Marketing_.html

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by | January 3, 2013 · 8:02 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: California Hotel Guest Arrested For Using Stolen Credit Card To Pay For Room; Used Laptop On Open Wi-Fi Network To Steal Account Information

“…(suspect) allegedly rented a room at the Montage by using a stolen credit card. The fraud went undiscovered for two days while Larson accrued a $2,134 tab, but he disappeared from the resort prior to the arrival of cyber securitypolice…he used a laptop to collect credit card information from people making purchases or checking their accounts…”

An admitted identity thief, apparently expert at stealing credit card account information over open wi-fi networks, was arrested last week after skipping out on a $2,134 bill at Montage Laguna Beach, police said. Police tracked Harold Eric Larson, 37, to his hometown of Orange and arrested him on Thursday, Dec. 27, on several theft related charges, Capt. Jason Kravetz said in a statement. He is accused of using stolen credit card numbers to rent hotel rooms to for himself and friends in Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, Kravetz said.

Coincidentally, on Dec. 26 police received a complaint about guests using drugs in a room at Laguna Cliffs Inn and arrested Edward Richard York, 40, of Tustin, allegedly for possessing methamphetamine and marijuana, Sgt. Louise Callus said. Officers learned the room was rented with a stolen credit card number provided by Larson, said Kravetz.

Larson was previously arrested by Laguna police last April on 23 felony counts of fraud and theft after he was caught using stolen credit card information to rent hotel rooms.  He pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to three years probation, one year in jail and restitution.

For more:  http://www.lagunabeachindependent.com/2013/01/02/identity-thief-held-hotel-scam/

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by | November 29, 2012 · 8:47 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Satisfaction: Hotels Must Develop And Facilitate A "Mobile Device Strategy" That Pays "Careful Attention To Guests' Needs"

“…Given the rapid move to mobile devices by travelers, (hotels must) develop a “mobile strategy” that facilitates the use of mobile devices to make sure a hotel is noticed during a mobile search–and gets the business. Hotels must find a way to become part of guests’ mobile ecosystem, in part by paying more careful attention to guest needs…”

Two new publications from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at the School of Hotel Administration outline technology issues and the effects of social media on the hospitality industry. A study by Cornell’s Chris Anderson confirms what hospitality operators have long suspected–social media reviews drive hotel reservations.

One particular value of analytics is that they can highlight and resolve problems with guest satisfaction that may not show up in conventional guest surveys. Hotel operators are aware that their property needs to appear near the top of web search results, and analytics can present techniques for making this happen, such as connecting the hotel with local attractions or events.

  • First, he documented the increasing influence of TripAdvisor, as the number of reviews consulted by consumers prior to booking a hotel room has steadily increased over time.
  • Second, an analysis of transactional data from Travelocity illustrated that a 1-point increase on Travelocity’s 5-point scale allows the hotel to increase its price by 11.2 percent and still maintain the same occupancy or market share.
  • Third, by matching ReviewPRO’s Global Review IndexTM with STR’s hotel sales and revenue data, Anderson’s analysis finds that a 1-percent increase in a hotel’s online reputation score leads up to a 0.89-percent increase in a hotel’s average daily rate (ADR), as well as an occupancy increase of up to 0.54 percent and up to a 1.42-percent increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR).

Perhaps most critically, customer reviews have now become a major discriminating point for customers’ determination of a hotel’s quality. Whereas price used to be used for that purpose, customers now put a greater weight on user-generated content on social media sites. Surprisingly, the fashion industry may be a model for how to use social media to promote hotel sales. People like to hear comments on how they look in a new outfit, so the issue is how to translate that kind of interaction to a restaurant meal or hotel stay.

For more:  http://www.equities.com/news/headline-story?dt=2012-11-29&val=770928&cat=service

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by | October 24, 2012 · 6:12 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Illinois Hotel Guest Files "Negligence Lawsuit" After Stepping In "Drainage Hole" In Parking Lot; Seeks $50,000 In Damages For Medical And Court Costs

“…it (was)…difficult to see a drainage hole in the parking lot. When he stepped in the hole, Wright says he tore his right meniscus and will need to have a full knee replacement in the next few years to repair the injury…”

An O’Fallon hotel is being sued after one if its guests allegedly hurt his knee when he stepped in a hole in the hotel’s parking lot. Samuel Wright filed a lawsuit Oct. 5 against Kingston Hotel Group LLC in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

According to the petition, Wright and his family were staying at the Candlewood Suites in O’Fallon in July 2011. Wright says he left the hotel through the west exit door to go to his car in the parking lot. The surface of the parking lot was exceptionally dark, Wright claims, because of some asphalt sealant the hotel had applied to it.

Wright accuses Kingston Hotel Group, the owner of the hotel, of negligence for allegedly failing to warn guests of the potential hazard in the parking lot. He asks for more than $50,000 in damages for medical expenses and court costs.

For more: http://madisonrecord.com/issues/366-personal-injury/247261-candlewood-suites-in-ofallon-sued-over-customers-trip-in-parking-lot

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by | October 23, 2012 · 6:32 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: North Carolina Hotel Suffers Extensive Water Damage After "Prank Phone Call" Causes Guest To Activate Fire Sprinkler

“…The caller told the guest who answered to activate the fire sprinkler in the room because there was a gas leak. After the guest followed the directions, the caller hung up…”

For the second time this year, a Leland hotel has suffered extensive damage because of a prank phone call. Leland Police say early Sunday morning, someone called the front desk of the Best Western off US 17 and asked to be transferred to a room.

The same thing happened to another guest in the hotel back in May. That prank flooded the first two floors of the hotel and caused thousands of dollars in damage.

Leland Police detectives believe this prank may be only one of many nationwide, as was the case back in the spring. Detectives are investigating any and all leads and plan on possible collaboration with federal officials to aid in this investigation.

For more:  http://www.wwaytv3.com/2012/10/22/leland-hotel-damaged-prank-call-for-second-time

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