Tag Archives: Hotel Management

by | October 26, 2011 · 5:11 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Risks: New Mexico Hotel Operator Sued By Guests Who Were "Spied On" Through Bathroom Wall


“.. family says in a lawsuit that they were spied on while taking showers last year in an Albuquerque hotel…”

“…named as defendants are Wyndham Worldwide Hotels, a parent company of Ramada Inn, which used to operate the motel, as well as Bhakta, Gonzales and another employee, Gibi George, who had access to the maintenance corridor. The complaint says all three of them subsequently left their employment at the hotel…”

Eric and Evangeline Vigil and their two children — a 17-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter — checked into the Ramada Inn, 2015 Menaul Blvd. NW, on April 23, 2010, during a weekend visit to Albuquerque to celebrate the teen’s birthday, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in state District Court.

The complaint says the wife was given a “special rate” for Room 135 when she and the children checked in. The hotel staff were unaware that they were later joined by her husband, the lawsuit says.

While taking separate showers the next morning, each family member heard noises coming from behind the wall of the shower stall. When the father examined the area around the fixtures, the complaint says, he noticed a hole under the faucet.

“As Eric Vigil looked into the hole under the faucet, he saw an eye staring at him from behind the wall,” it says. “Eric Vigil immediately hit the tub surround and shouted. He heard someone attempt to leave the area from behind the wall.”

The complaint says when Vigil went into the hallway, he noticed a maintenance door next to his room door.

According to the complaint, the general manager, Sanketkunar Bhakta, told Vigil “the maintenance guy” had been fixing pipe behind the door, but after Vigil called police, Sanketkunar told the officers that he and another employee, Sergio Gonzales, were fixing a sewer line. Subsequently, Bhakta changed his story and claimed that he and Gonzales were fixing television cables in the corridor, the complaint says.

An inspection of the maintenance corridor found insulation had been removed from the wall behind the shower stall “to afford a clear line of sight into the shower stall” and that a plastic bucket was placed there to provide a place to sit while spying through the peephole, the complaint says.

For more:  http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Suit–Family-spied-on-via-peephole-in-hotel-shower

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by | September 4, 2011 · 8:05 am

Hospitality Industry Insurance Risks: Hotel & Restaurant Owners Must Review And Update Insurance Coverage To Protect Their Businesses

  •  Proper insurance to value (ITV). The market sometimes offers blanket and agreed amount limits, which can help buyers overcome an instance where the insured has purchased too little building coverage.
  •  Business income limits. Most insurance buyers don’t take time to complete a BI worksheet—a valuable tool to determine proper exposure levels. The tool forces buyers and agents to address all aspects of a potential loss and its business impact.
  • Employee dishonesty limits. Hotel owners think they’ll never use this, and then learn their controller has been siphoning off small amounts of money for years, and the total loss is substantial.
  • Guest discrimination coverage. Hotels might buy employment practices coverage and not the guest coverage. Some specialty programs provide the coverage in the GL form.
  • Property in your care, custody or control. This is a “must have” for all hotels. Agents can offer this in the GL form or buy it as a legal liability (innkeepers) coverage on the crime policy.
  • Health care professionals as insureds. Resorts with spas have this exposure and need this coverage.
  • Valet parking services. Most full service upscale and luxury hotels and resorts offer valet parking services and need to be sure they are covered properly.
  • Ordinance and law. This is key property coverage with the ever-changing building codes. Buyers either buy too little or go without to help control cost. That’s not a good decision.
  • Green building coverage. The three key coverages are:

â—Š Green certified coverage. For a loss to a green certified building, coverage available from AGPOM will apply to rebuilding and additional expenses driven by regaining green certification.

â—Š Green upgrade coverage. This coverage pays the extra expense when a non-certified building opts to go green after a loss. Added costs might result from use of Energy Star equipment; eco-friendly lighting, paint and carpet; or water-efficient plumbing fixtures.

â—Š Green commissioning expense. This coverage provides for a commissioning engineer to inspect a newly built or repaired system after a covered loss to confirm operation at peak performance and expected efficiency.

For more:  http://ventureprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/articles/Hope%20For%20Hospitality.pdf

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Filed under Employment Practices Liability, Green Lodging, Guest Issues, Insurance, Management And Ownership, Privacy, Risk Management

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by | August 13, 2011 · 7:35 am

Hospitality Industry Information Security: Hotel Kiosk Computer Security Can Be Tested With Free Web Service Tool

“… iKAT (Interactive Kiosk Attack Tool) is a free web service that tries to bypass the protective mechanisms of internet kiosk PCs and gain control of the systems. Such computers can usually be found in hotel lobbies, airport lounges and other public spaces. Kiosk operators can use iKAT to test the resilience of their systems…”

The Linux- or Windows-based kiosk systems are usually protected and only allow specific applications to be launched. The primary aim of iKAT is to start a Windows or Linux shell. To achieve it, iKAT tries to exploit known vulnerabilities in a number of different ways. For example, when opening the iKAT page from a Windows-based kiosk system, users are presented with a “1Click PWN” button – this launches components including Metasploit on the server to scan the kiosk PC for browser exploits. Other avenues include accessing “Open File” or “Print File” dialogs in order to execute cmd.exe.

For more:  http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Free-web-service-cracks-internet-kiosks-1321613.html

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by | May 25, 2011 · 8:14 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Risks: Texas Hotel Manager Arrested For Theft As Guest Cash Payments Were Adjusted In The Computer

“….Hotel management discovered Hunter had been stealing for some time, the affidavit claimed. Officials found Hunter would check guests in and adjust off cash payments in the computer, then take the money...”

“…Hunter…was charged with theft over $1,500 under $20,000, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Hunter’s bond was set at $5,000…”

A 30-year-old woman is suspected of stealing more than $3,000 from a Burkburnett business she worked for. On May 13, police were contacted by a representative of Sunway Hotel Management. The person said an audit of the property found money had been taken from the hotel safe, and from cash transactions.

The representative said Hunter, the general manager, said she had borrowed the missing money to pay for a child’s doctor bill, and would return it when she got paid. She was told she needed to come to the hotel to discuss the issue but never showed up.

A total of $2,618 in cash payments had been taken that way, allegedly all by Hunter. The total reached about $3,268 including petty cash from the safe.

For more:  http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2011/may/25/crime_beat_5-25/

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by | April 22, 2011 · 7:14 am

Hospitality Industry Pool Risks: Pennsylvania Hotel "Alcohol-Related" Hot Tub Death Highlights Dangers Of "After-Hours" Usage Of Pool And Hot Tub Rooms

“Management is now considering whether to prevent guests from being able to enter the room after hours…”

“…Hotel guests must use a plastic keycard to unlock a door to access the pool and hot tub room…Rules posted clearly on the door say it is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and guests use the pool and hot tub “at their own risk,” 

Authorities have identified John Saviello, 42, of Bridgeport, Montgomery County, as the man who died after being found unresponsive in a city hotel hot tub.

Mr. Saviello’s death Wednesday morning was ruled accidental, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at Community Medical Center after being found in a hot tub at the Clarion Hotel on Meadow Avenue.

Mr. Saviello graduated from the University of Scranton in 1992, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, university spokesman Stan M. Zygmunt said.

Why he was staying at the hotel or visiting the area was not clear on Thursday.

Authorities have not yet identified a 45-year-old woman who also was found unresponsive and intoxicated in the hot tub. She was OK after being taken to Community Medical Center, Scranton Police Chief Dan Duffy said.

Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland said after an autopsy that the use of drugs and alcohol might have led to Mr. Saviello’s death, but results of a toxicology report will take several weeks.

In the hotel lobby on Thursday, assistant general manager Mark D’Angelo said the staff will review safety procedures in light of the incident.

“It’s a tragedy,” Mr. D’Angelo said. “We do have to learn from it, if there are any precautions we have to take.”

Hotel guests must use a plastic keycard to unlock a door to access the pool and hot tub room, Mr. D’Angelo said. Rules posted clearly on the door say it is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and guests use the pool and hot tub “at their own risk,” he said.

Management is now considering whether to prevent guests from being able to enter the room after hours, Mr. D’Angelo said.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/victim-identified-in-hot-tub-drowning-1.1136101#ixzz1KGRJb400

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by | March 25, 2011 · 3:05 pm

Hospitality Industry Guest Security: Hotel Security Depends On Management Adopting A "Global Security Program"

Effective security and risk management relies on a foundation of principles including critical rapid data flow, standardization of emergency protocols, executive leadership and effective local management, not luck. We can guarantee only that attacks against hotels will happen again. The nature of the hospitality industry offers porous, soft, attractive targets.

The corporate security departments of most major hotel brands are not budgeted to provide the effective layers of detection or deterrence required to minimize this risk. A cautious examination of the major world economies reveals the first early signs of improvement. This presents an opportunity for major brands to offer an enhanced measure of security to their important customer base. We should consider that the safety of business and recreational travel is on the minds of everyone who boards a plane and visits or stays as a guest in your facilities. Comfortably resolving this sense of uneasiness is good business.

There are several critical elements required to create an effective hotel global security program:

•    security risk management software (global command and control);
•    security management standardization by venue;
•    new generation security equipment with software analytics; and
•    training.

Management methods that increase margins and reduce the risk of crime, terror, accidents and incidents, can be summarized by four words: global command and control.

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/5239/Guest-safety-in-an-unsafe-world

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by | March 4, 2011 · 8:32 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Theft: Delaware Hotel Accounting Manager Arrested For Cash Thefts And Falsifying Business Records

Detectives with the Division of Gaming Enforcement arrested 53-year-old Andrew McCoy of Smyrna on Tuesday. He is charged with theft and falsifying business records.

  • An employee theft is any intentional misappropriation of employer property, e.g., inventory, fixed assets, currency checks, or trade secrets.
  • It can include fraud (intentionally misleading the employer), embezzlement (theft of corporate funds) or forgery (altered negotiable instruments).
  • It can be as straightforward as a theft of petty cash or as complex as a misappropriation scheme detectable only in an audit.
  • It can be the isolated act of a single low-level employee or a complex scheme involving a trusted senior employee.

Authorities say the former director of hotel accounting at Dover Downs has been arrested in connection with cash thefts from the hotel. Dover Downs CEO Denis McGlynn tells The News Journal of Wilmington that McCoy was fired in February after evidence was found of internal thefts. McGlynn says the thefts, believed to have totaled between $20,000 and $25,000, involved small cash transactions.

For more:  http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/ac67083ec0e54c05a592be7577a39914/DE–Dover_Downs-Theft/#

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by | February 3, 2011 · 10:21 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Hotel Owners Must Strive To "Avoid" Employee Lawsuits With "Strong Management" And "Attentive HR Staff"

“…a review of selected cases shows plaintiffs prevailed in 55% of retaliation and whistleblower lawsuits and in 75% of sexual harassment cases…”

“…The pro-employee and, many argue, pro-union policies of the Obama administration have arguably made matters worse, if not convincing employees to sue or obstruct their employers, at least showing them how it’s accomplished…”

 

The Department of Labor, for example, citing the difficulty the average employee encounters in navigating the legal system, has said it will now provide wage/hour claimants who had filed cases with the agency but whose claims would not be heard (including those whose claims lacked merit) with a list of local attorneys who, as a DOL official announced, “may be able to help.” 

The National Labor Relations Board, its regulatory and judicial reach muted during the Bush administration, is an agency reborn, replete with pro-union appointees. In mid-December 2010, the Board announced a proposed rule that would require employers to place on employee bulletin boards a poster notifying employees of their right to unionize. Employers, particularly those in the hospitality and other service industries staffed predominantly by minimum wage employees, are understandably likely to object. Meanwhile, unions won two-thirds of all conclusive elections conducted in 2009, the most recent year surveyed, according to the NLRB’s 2009 annual report.

  Vanquishing the curse of litigation is no easy task. Labor and employment lawyers long have argued that the only effective way is to keep it from happening—to keep the genie in the bottle. How? The most practical prophylactic is a combination of strong, compassionate leadership (the opposite of what destructive leaders peddle) and an equally strong, dialed-in HR team who fairly administer policies that recognize an employee’s intrinsic value and reinforce the organization’s unequivocal support for fair treatment.

For more: http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/4679/Two-big-HR-challenges-in-2011

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by | January 27, 2011 · 7:16 pm

Hospitality Industry Technology Issues: Hotel Managers Must Recognize The Importance Of Video For Marketing, Information Sharing, Communication And Education

“… innovation is going to be led by video and many companies are not prepared to capitalize on its power.  Everywhere around you people have smart phones and they do something with it that has an element of video. That is very different than we did a couple of years ago.”

(As) video becomes integrated in many different business models and sooner or later all companies, regardless of industry, will need to find creative ways to incorporate video into marketing, sharing of information, communication, and learning. Those companies that are unable to cater to different audiences via various media will suffer.

“It’s not just the phone industry or the media industry. It is going to be incorporated into every business model you find around the globe.”

Verwaayen says the U.S. and Europe have embraced different content formats and that Asia is catching on. ” The world is going to be a place where applications are going to cater to the taste of consumers and from that perspective consumers have all the power.”

For more:  http://blogs.forbes.com/miasaini/2011/01/26/davos-explosion-of-video-is-next-technological-innovation/

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by | January 26, 2011 · 4:38 pm

Hotel Industry Technology: Hotel Owners Will Raise "Guest Satisfaction" With Increased Availability Of Mobile Device "Host-Based" Applications On Hotel Facilities And Events

“…a conference application, which put all the materials you typically get at a conference on the device, but also a directory of all the other people at the conference, with photos. We could push video and photos to the device during the meeting and update things real time as the conference was happening.”

Clearly the consumers, the guests we serve, are increasingly on the road and increasingly connecting to us through mobile devices, and there’s a tremendous pace of innovation on these devices. We don’t talk about smart phones now as much as we talk about super phones.

We’ve already launched applications for the iPhone across our brand, but we’re also building out applications for other mobile devices–a whole host of location-based services. You could imagine a time when a guest wants to find things around the hotel, or even within the hotel they’re at—if they need to find a coffee shop or a clothing store because they have forgotten something for their trip.

We rolled out 2,500 iPads—the largest one-day rollout of the iPad ever. We included on those iPads a couple interesting applications—a conference application, which put all the materials you typically get at a conference on the device, but also a directory of all the other people at the conference, with photos. We could push video and photos to the device during the meeting and update things real time as the conference was happening.

The other application we piloted was the beginning of a virtual concierge idea. It allows our guests to order room service from the device, find out more information about the hotel, see all the information that is typically in a booklet on the desk in the hotel room—with rich video and audio and linked right into the property management system at the hotel.

For more:  http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/hilton-cio-mobile-device-use-in-hotels-is-skyrocketing/5332/

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