Tag Archives: Housekeepers

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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Filed under Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Labor Issues, Management And Ownership

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by | June 26, 2014 · 9:09 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Hot-Sheets Bronx Motel Kept Bloody Mattress in Room Years After Customer Died of Overdose on Bed”

“…A room attendant who photographed the soiled mattress in room 230 weeksbronx hotel before the inspection told an arbitrator it had been in use up until April, 2014…The firm also found that hotel management had failed to properly train staff on how to handle sheets and towels contaminated with human waste and other substances…”

Working in this Bronx motel is a bloody hell.

The owners of a hot-sheet motel where union laborers have been protesting wage and benefits cuts failed to replace a bloody mattress two years after a dead man was found on the bed, workers claim.

Owner Ankoor Naik has also ignored two independent reports that found inadequate training and protection for employees at the 94-unit flophouse despite hazardous conditions and bedbug infestations, workers and safety experts attest.

For more: http://nydn.us/1qL4QQD 

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Filed under Bed Bugs, Claims, Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Health, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Training

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by | June 11, 2014 · 9:02 am

Hospitality Industry Bed Bug Update: “How to Search Your Hotel Room for Bed Bugs”

“…I also found “joke” apps pretending to be bed bug detectors for the purposes of freaking your friends out,bedbugs2 and some highly bogus “ultrasonic repelling” apps that suggest they turn your phone into a sonic threat to bugs of all kinds. There is no evidence that bed bugs or mosquitoes are repelled by ultrasound. Don’t waste your money…”

You’re packed for your trip, your boarding passes are downloaded… and then that little moment of terror hits. What if the hotel you’re going to stay in has bed bugs? It’s a real concern, but by being vigilant, you can reduce your chances of bringing home some unexpected souvenirs.

I don’t put a lot of trust in online hotel bed bug ratings or reports; infestation status can change from day to day, and there is no reliable way to verify that reviews are not fake.

Here’s how I search for bed bugs when I arrive at a new hotel. I can’t promise this is foolproof, but knowing how one slightly-paranoid entomologist deals with the threat of bed bugs might be useful to some readers.

For more: http://wrd.cm/1odGOha

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Filed under Bed Bugs, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership

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by | June 6, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Union Fight Divides Workforce at DoubleTree”

“…Organizers have been walking picket lines with workers and visiting employees at their homes,Double Tree and guests have been approached by union supporters in the lobby and have had fliers slipped under their doors. Over one weekend in early May, a push to get groups to cancel room reservations accounted for more than $30,000 in lost business, according to workers who reject calls for a union…”

An effort to organize employees at Hilton’s DoubleTree Suites has turned the hotel near the Charles River into a workplace that is sharply divided. On one side are housekeepers and other staff members fighting for more affordable health care and a collective voice. Resisting their efforts are administrative workers, restaurant servers, and others who don’t want to lose benefits offered by Hilton, which they say is a generous employer.

Both groups say they are in the majority.

For more: http://bit.ly/Sgavz6

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by | June 3, 2014 · 7:54 am

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Front Desk Best Practices” Presented by Loss Control Manager Marco Johnson of Petra Risk Solutions (VIDEO)

[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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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

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by | May 23, 2014 · 8:24 am

Hospitality Industry Bed Bug Update: “Suit: Calumet Park Hotel Infested With Bed Bugs”

“…The one-count lawsuit claims the hotel negligently and carelessly failed to provide guests with safe and sanitary rooms; Imagefailed to take steps, including inspections and extermination, to keep its premises clean and free of infestations; and, among other things, failed to train staff appropriately to recognize signs of bed bugs…”

A woman suffered from bed bug bites after she stayed at a hotel in Calumet Park, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.

Bridget Flowers rented a hotel room Feb. 14 at the Magnuson Hotel, 12800 S. Ashland Ave., and slept on the bed and used the sheets that the hotel provided, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court.

For more: http://bit.ly/1gWJaOj

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Filed under Bed Bugs, Claims, Guest Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

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by | May 22, 2014 · 8:12 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Lincoln City Hotel Sues for Defamation After Anonymous Person Posts Scathing TripAdvisor Review”

“…In March, the Oregon Court of Appeals for the first time took up the issue of whether Oregon business owners can sue people who post scathing reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List, Facebook or elsewhere.Image In its March ruling, the appeals court said the owners of an outdoor wedding venue could sue a wedding guest who posted a Google Review that included the statement that attending the event was ‘The worst experience of my life!’..”

Less than a month after an anonymous TripAdvisor.com user posted a very unflattering review of a Lincoln City hotel, the hotel has filed a $74,500 defamation lawsuit in an attempt to stop the reviewer from posting again and driving away business.

For more: http://bit.ly/Ty1L8Z

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by | May 8, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risk: “Environmental Heat Solutions Warns That Bed Bug Cases Could Rise Due to Increase in Travel and Lack of Awareness”

“…One of the most important places to check for bed bugs, according to experts, is in hotel rooms. This is because of the amount of movement through them. Bed bugs can ‘hitchhike’ on clothing and take up residence in mattresses. Image From there, they can attach to new hosts and ‘hitchhike’ out...Individuals who are dealing with bug infestations should consider methods like bed bug heat treatment and canine bed bug detection to remedy the problem...”

Environmental Heat Solutions is spreading awareness about the rise of bed bug infestations and the reasons behind them.

There’s a silent epidemic that is sweeping the United States, and that epidemic is bed bugs. Due to a number of circumstances and a lack of proper education, more and more businesses and families are struggling with getting rid of bed bugs.

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

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by | May 7, 2014 · 9:11 am

Hospitality Industry Customer Service Update: “The Future of How Travelers Evaluate Hotels”

“…Currently, TrustYou’s Meta-Reviews have a broad reach, with more than 50 million monthly impressions from more than 120 intermediaries, OTAs, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), Convention & Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) and GDSs. As this number grows, more and more travelers are able to make more informed, Image smarter travel decisions in the shortest amount of time…”

Ten years ago, travelers had to base their booking decisions on traditional advertisements and marketing. This was the only available information to go off of when booking. Then, user-generated content came along and changed everything, introducing user-generated content to the travel industry. Travelers could turn to the opinions of their peers to get an inside look at what the hotel was really like.

For more: http://bit.ly/1lYA2Z1

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by | April 30, 2014 · 8:38 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Three Fired Workers Sue Comfort Inn in South Portland”

“…Parker’s lawsuit alleges she was closely scrutinized and was falsely accused of wrongdoing after reporting the harassment. She was fired in February 2011 for violating the hotel’s confidentiality policy. Image The lawsuit alleges she was discriminated against because of her age, which is now 69…”

Three former employees have sued the Comfort Inn in South Portland, alleging they were fired after reporting sexual harassment by a hotel maintenance worker.

The women allege in three separate lawsuits that they faced discrimination and were subsequently fired, all in 2011, after reporting that one of them was repeatedly sexually harassed by the male worker.

For more: http://bit.ly/1koKgyP

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