Tag Archives: Hotels
Hospitality Industry Employment Solutions: “Gratuity Guide” Released By American Hotel & Lodging Association
November 27, 2013 · 9:36 am
Hospitality Industry Technology Solutions: Hotels Increase Collection Of Guest Information With Social Media & Surveys To “Upgrade The Experience”
“…Like other luxury hotels, the Peninsula collects a cache of information about its customers, which is stored in a guest-preference database. 
But it’s done with only one purpose: to upgrade the experience. It contains information about your favorite food, your preferred room and what side of the bed you sleep on…Experts will tell you it’s unfair to compare a hotel with a few hundred guests with a chain with tens of thousands. Maybe, maybe not. La Quinta Inn & Suites recently used a feedback-management platform to harvest information through social media and surveys to determine what guests thought of its breakfasts, which are included in the price of their stay…”
Airlines, car rental companies and hotels ought to spy on their customers more often. Collecting information about you to improve customer service — and only for that purpose — could return the American travel business to greatness.
That’s no coincidence, says Offer Nissenbaum, managing director of the Peninsula Beverly Hills. “If you collect all the little details,” says Nissenbaum, “you can meet and exceed a guest’s expectations.”
Actually, figuring out which side of the bed you sleep on seems to be one of the hottest data points in the hotel business. The Ritz-Carlton, which also delivers above-and-beyond service, notes your preferred side, says spokeswoman Allison Sitch. Why? Because that’s where the staff will place a water bottle and other amenities, which means a lot when you roll out of bed in the morning.
The volume of data being collected by luxury hotel chains such as Ritz-Carlton or Peninsula might make an NSA agent blush. But the hotels gather it unapologetically, “as long as the data is being used to make the customer happy,” says Sitch.
The insights were sent directly to front-line employees and managers for their feedback. La Quinta responded by adding signs and more prominently displaying the healthy foods they already offered, and customer approval rose.
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Technology Solutions: Hotels Increase Collection Of Guest Information With Social Media & Surveys To “Upgrade The Experience”
Filed under Guest Issues, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology
Hospitality Law Insider: “Duty Of Care” That Businesses Owe To Mobile Employees From Stephen Barth Of HospitalityLawyer.com (Video)
In the second episode of Hospitality Law Insider, Stephen Barth covers some essential items to consider when adapting your travel risk plan to meet duty of care obligations. Learn more about how to deal with medical issues, evacuation considerations, and civil unrest.
Comments Off on Hospitality Law Insider: “Duty Of Care” That Businesses Owe To Mobile Employees From Stephen Barth Of HospitalityLawyer.com (Video)
Filed under Employment Practices Liability, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology
Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: California Hotel Employee Files “Racial Discrimination And Harassment” Lawsuit; Painter “Unjustly Fired”, Exposed To Unsafe Working Conditions
“…The suit claims (the plaintiff) was unjustly fired from his position after he was instructed to complete tasks typically subcontracted to outside vendors. The 
court filing also claims two of the hotel’s buildings had serious water damage and mold issues, but management failed to properly train employees or equip them with the right safety equipment, exposing Tobin to unsafe working conditions…”
Ronald Tobin, a former employee at Fess Parker DoubleTree Hilton, is suing the joint resort company and three of its supervisors for alleged discrimination and unfair business practices while he worked there as a painter for nearly three years.
Tobin, who’s African-American, claims he was subjected to discrimination and harassment at the DoubleTree because of his race, and that the human resources department neglected to investigate or address his complaints. During an event at the hotel, the lawsuit reads, one of Tobin’s supervisors talked about the chicken and watermelon being served, and used the phrases “you people†and “your food.†“[The supervisor] continued to state that he does not know why African-Americans refer to themselves that way when white people do not say ‘Caucasian-Americans,’†the filing reads. The lawsuit also states another employee regularly used the “n-word†without being reprimanded.
For more:Â http://independent.com/news/2013/nov/21/discrimination-doubletree/
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: California Hotel Employee Files “Racial Discrimination And Harassment” Lawsuit; Painter “Unjustly Fired”, Exposed To Unsafe Working Conditions
Filed under Employment Practices Liability, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership
Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: California Hotels Settle Federal “Wage Violation” Investigation For $60,000; Management Used Separate Payrolls For 53 Workers To Avoid Overtime Pay
Investigators determined that Miracle Springs Resort and Spa, and the nearby Desert Hot Springs Spa and Hotel, were under the same 
management, but they recorded employee hours on separate payrolls. When the affected employees’ hours were combined, the hours often totaled more than 40 per week, entitling the employees to overtime compensation for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Additionally, the employer would automatically deduct a 30-minute lunch break from some employees’ work hours, even when employees did not take the break.
The hotel Miracle Springs Resort and Spa of Desert Hot Springs has agreed to pay $59,790 in back wages to 53 employees, including maintenance and housekeeping employees, following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. The investigation found violations of the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
“Hotel owners and operators must ensure that their employees are properly compensated for all work hours,†said Kenneth Morrison, director of the Wage and Hour Division’s San Diego District Office. “We are pleased that these workers will be paid their rightful overtime wages and that the employer has agreed to make the appropriate changes to prevent future FLSA violations.â€
The employer, along with paying the full back wages to the affected employees, will maintain future FLSA compliance by agreeing to combine the hours for employees who work at both hotel locations. The employer will deduct lunch breaks only when employees take the 30-minute break.
The hotel and motel industry employs many low-wage workers who, due to a lack of knowledge of the law or an unwillingness to exercise their rights, are vulnerable to disparate treatment and labor violations. The Wage and Hour Division is concerned about the noncompliance in this industry and is concentrating its resources on identifying and remedying violations, informing workers of their rights and providing compliance assistance to employers.
For more: http://www.dol.gov/whd/media/press/whdpressVB3.asp?pressdoc=Western/20131118.xml
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: California Hotels Settle Federal “Wage Violation” Investigation For $60,000; Management Used Separate Payrolls For 53 Workers To Avoid Overtime Pay
Filed under Employment Practices Liability, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership
Hospitality Industry Social Media Solutions: National Hotel And Restaurant Chains Using Twitter To “Attract A More Stable Following”
“…The idea stemmed from a conversation in which the company suggested one of their properties, and turned a Twitter user into a paying 
customer. In an age when so few people have allegiances to certain companies, Loews are also hoping to attract a more stable following…The chain will launch “social reservations†at 16 of its 19 properties from November 19th, which opens another interesting channel for online users to book their next hotel stay with only a few clicks…”
Following in the wake of a recent tweet-a-coffee initiative from Starbucks, Loews Hotels and Resorts have made the decision to allow social media users to book a room through Twitter.
With 34% of hotel room revenue comes from online and mobile app bookings, the chain is hoping to give people in their 20s and 30s another way to book their stay without having to pick up the phone.
Here’s how the process works: Send a tweet to @Loews_Hotels with the hashtag #BookLoews to show you’re interested, after which a Loews travel planner will join in the conversation. Once all the details are taken care of, the planner will tweet a link to a secure chat conversation where you can process your payment information.
For more:Â http://www.psfk.com/2013/11/twitter-hotel-bookings.html
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Social Media Solutions: National Hotel And Restaurant Chains Using Twitter To “Attract A More Stable Following”
Filed under Guest Issues, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology
Hospitality Industry Employment Risks: New Mexico Hotel Settles EEOC “Religious Discrimination” Lawsuit For $100,000; Housekeeper Fired After Refusing To Remove Head Covering
 “…The EEOC lawsuit charged the employer with failing to allow Abdullah to work unless she removed her religious head covering, and fired her 
when she declined to do so…the consent decree includes: an injunction prohibiting future discriminatory practices; institution of policies and procedures to address religious discrimination and retaliation; training for employees of MCM, and managers and human resource officials of both defendants on religious discrimination; and posting a notice advising employees of their rights under Title VII…”
704 HTL Operating LLC and Investment Corporation of America, doing business as MCM Elegante Hotel in Albuquerque, has agreed to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $100,000 and other relief.
The EEOC, in a news release, said the settlement resolves an EEOC lawsuit filed in September for alleged religious discrimination against Safia Abdullah, who was hired for a housekeeping position at the hotel. The hotel owners denied the allegations in the EEOC’s lawsuit and said in court papers they settled the case to avoid the risks and expenses of continued litigation.
For more: http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/11-18-13.cfm
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Employment Risks: New Mexico Hotel Settles EEOC “Religious Discrimination” Lawsuit For $100,000; Housekeeper Fired After Refusing To Remove Head Covering
Filed under Employment Practices Liability, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training
Hospitality Industry Wireless Technology: Hotels Offered Free Wi-Fi At 64% Of Properties In 2013 With Guests Expecting Speeds Up To 5 Mbps
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Wireless Technology: Hotels Offered Free Wi-Fi At 64% Of Properties In 2013 With Guests Expecting Speeds Up To 5 Mbps
November 16, 2013 · 11:34 amHospitality Industry Insurance Risks: Workers’ Compensation Fraud Accounts For 25% Of All Insurance Fraud, Costing $5 Billion Annually
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Insurance Risks: Workers’ Compensation Fraud Accounts For 25% Of All Insurance Fraud, Costing $5 Billion Annually
November 14, 2013 · 9:05 amHospitality Industry Safety Solutions: Hotel And Restaurant Kitchen “Safe Work Practices” To Prevent “Slips, Trips And Falls” Of Young Employees
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Safety Solutions: Hotel And Restaurant Kitchen “Safe Work Practices” To Prevent “Slips, Trips And Falls” Of Young Employees
Filed under Health, Injuries, Labor Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training
