Tag Archives: Housekeepers

by Ida | March 26, 2015 · 8:21 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Class Action Lawsuit Goes After Hotels That Fail to Disclose Resort Fees”

“Brian Kabateck, an attorney for Brin, said he has heard from many hotel guests who have groused about being surprised by resort fees on their hotel receipts. â€œThis is really an insidious practice,â€ he said…Although the U.S. Department of Transportation regularly imposes fines against airlines that fail to disclose the full airfare, there may be too many hotels in the U.S. for the Federal Trade Commission to enforce the disclosure law on hotels, Kabateck said.”

If you have ever glanced at your hotel receipt only to be stunned to see an unexpected $28 resort fee, help may be on the way.

A Studio City man has filed a class-action suit against a Las Vegas casino, claiming that the resort is guilty of false and misleading advertising for failing to clearly disclose a mandatory resort fee at the time that he booked the room.

The practice is not unique to Las Vegas.

Undisclosed resort fees are such a prevalent problem that the Federal Trade Commission sent out a letter to 22 hotel companies in 2012, warning that their online reservation sites â€œmay violate the law by providing a deceptively low estimate of what consumers can expect to pay for their hotel rooms.â€

For more:Â http://lat.ms/1HN6ia9

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Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as Advertising, Airlines, Class-Action Lawsuit, Credit Cards, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Federal Trade Commission, Fines, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, Las Vegas, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Los Angeles Times, Managing Risk, Misleading Advertising, Motels, Online Reservation, P3, Palazzo, Petra Risk Solutions, Resort Fees, Resorts, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Theft, U.S. Department of Transportation, Venetian

by Ida | March 24, 2015 · 10:31 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hotels Are Getting Ready for Apple Watch”

The Accorhotel Apple Watch app will work in connection with a smartphone to manage reservations, access hotel information and property maps, and notify guests when a room is ready for online check-in. IHGâ€™s Apple Watch app is a port of its popular smartphone language translator. It will convert the words a user speaks into the watch into 13 different languages and even offer phonetic pronunciation help as well as a range of common phrases.

At an event in San Francisco earlier this week, Apple released more details on its new watch and showed off a few apps. Along with displaying the weather, making calls (as long as your phone is nearby), and tracking your fitness, the watch will also support Apple Pay, a mobile payment system that processes credit card transactions without the need to swipe an actual card. Ahead of the event, Marriott announced it would be the first hotel company to use Apple Pay, and would roll it out this summer at select Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Edition properties in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago.

Apple Pay uses the near field communication (NFC) chip in an iPhone 6 or Apple Watch to communicate with specially equipped card readers, providing more security than old-school magnetic card swipers. While this could be a huge money maker for Apple, with analysts predicting that mobile payment systems will process $700 billion in transactions by 2017, it also offers hotels a new tool to measure guestsâ€™ habits and preferences.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1OwUcqT

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Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Management And Ownership, Technology

Tagged as Apple, Apple Pay, Apple Watch, Big Data, Credit Card Security, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Branding, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, Hotel Technology, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, iPhone, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Marketing, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Risk Management, San Francisco, Security, Technology, Wearable Tech

by Ida | March 19, 2015 · 10:20 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “New Security Mindset: Focus On The Interior”

“We continue to be more focused on perimeter protection than on internal controls and monitoring. It’s clear that attackers are already inside or could be anytime they want and there’s nothing you can do about it on the perimeter…You would think external attacks cause all the damage. But study after study, two-thirds of attacks are mundane insider errors, lost equipment, technology failures, or lack of oversight over vendors.”

Chief privacy officer Jason Straight shares his insights on why organizations are struggling to stop the breach wave — and manage the aftermath.

Hackers keep on hacking, breaches keep on happening. The cycle continues, as major corporations now routinely get successfully compromised. A key element of the equation now is properly and efficiently responding to an attack as well as managing its aftermath.

The same old security missteps–falling for phishing attacks, not locking down sensitive data internally, giving users too much access, for instance–keep recurring. That’s because many organizations aren’t putting their security energy in the right places, according toÂ Jason Straight, senior vice president and chief privacy officer at UnitedLex, which provides outsourcing services and support for the legal industry.

For more:Â http://ubm.io/1BTm7L2

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Filed under Crime, Employee Practices, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Theft, Training

Tagged as Arrest, Business Journalism, Credit Card Fraud, Credit Card Security, Credit Cards, Crime, Cyber Attack, Cyber Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Dark Reading, Data Breach, Employees, Guest Safety, Hacking, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Information Technology, Insurance, IT, Jason Straight, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Theft

by Ida | March 13, 2015 · 9:55 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Marijuana: An Emerging Coverage Risk”

The federal government has greeted legalization by the states with benevolent indifference. The Controlled Substance Act categorizes marijuana as contraband for any purpose, including medical use, designating it a Schedule 1 drug along with heroin and LSD. The manufacture, distribution, or possession of marijuana remains a federal crime for which, if prosecuted, state legalization laws cannot be used as a defense.

The emerging legal marijuana economy will see explosive growth in the coming years. Insurers should be prepared to adopt policies that spell out coverage for legally grown marijuana plants and medical marijuana property. The cannabis industry is expected to grow to nearly $15 billion over the next four years. In states where manufacture, sale and use is legal for recreational purposes, legalization will have a profound impact on not only personal lines insurance, but also commercial coverage, workersâ€™ comp, product liability, healthcare insurance and more.

Currently, 27 states have either decriminalized or legalized marijuana use in some form. Four states: Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, and the District of Columbia allow recreational use. In addition, recreational marijuana initiatives are expected to appear on the 2016 ballots in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada. According to a recent Gallop poll, 51% of Americans now support full legalization. In 2014, Oregonians voted to legalize marijuana by a 56 to 44% margin. More Oregonians voted to legalize cannabis than voted to retain their incumbent Democratic governor or senator in the same election.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1Mybsbq

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Filed under Crime, Hotel Industry, Insurance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as Arrest, Coverage Risk, Employees, Federal Law, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Injuries, Insurable interest, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Marijuana, Legal Risks, legalization, Liability, Managing Risk, Marijuana, Mature, Medical Marijuana, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, possession of marijuana, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, State Law

by Ida | March 12, 2015 · 10:01 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hoteliers Readying for Wearable Tech”

The Apple Watch will be available in early 2015. In the meantime, Starwood Hotels has developed a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone app that allows customers to unlock their rooms with a simple swipe. The company upgraded 30,000 room locks across nearly 150 hotels, and in November the app went live at Starwoodâ€™s Aloft, Element and W brands.

Technology giant Apple made a splash with a 9 March keynote address providing more detail about the much-anticipated release of its new venture in wearable tech, which will be available for purchase on 24 April.

Several hotel companies are getting in front of that launch date with news of their own tailor-made apps for the device.

Accor announced an iOS app for Apple Watch shortly after Appleâ€™s webcast presentation. Available in 10 languages, the app will promotes top hotels and destinations and allows users to manage bookings on Accorhotels.

Marriott International, meanwhile, announced it would be the first global hotel company to accept Apple Pay, which allows guests to use their iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or Apple Watch to pay at check-in as opposed to via cash or credit card. The phased introduction this summer in the United States will include brands in popular locations, such as The Ritz-Carlton, Edition, Renaissance Hotels and Marriott Hotels.

For more: http://bit.ly/1ED7a3g

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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Technology

Tagged as Apple, Apple Pay, Apple Watch, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Digital Branding, Digital Marketing, Employees, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel News Now, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, Keyless Entry, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Marketing, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Social Media, Starwood Hotels, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, Wearable Tech

by Ida | March 10, 2015 · 10:13 am

Hospitality Industry Marketing Update: “Trends and Budgeting For 2015” (Infographic)

Click above to view the whole image!

1. Mobile Presence

2. Local Presence

3. Social Presence

4. Content Marketing

5. User Experience

6. Paid Search Presence

7. ROI Analysis – Cross Channels

8. Understanding Your Customer Journey

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1Bnw44D

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Filed under Finances, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Tagged as 2015, Budgeting, Content Marketing, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Employees, Fire, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Net, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Infographic, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Local Presence, Managing Risk, Marketing Trends, Mobile Presence, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Marketing, P3, Paid Search Presence, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, ROI Analysis, Security, Social Media, Social Presence, Surveillance, Technology, User Experience

by Ida | March 9, 2015 · 9:27 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Engaging Todayâ€™s Connected Travelers”

To improve the overall guest experience, hotels should leverage their unique position as a supplier, said Bernard Ellis, vice president of industry strategy at Infor Hospitality, a software provider. â€œYou know more about your property than anybody else, so you can maximize that with things like early check-in and late checkout, room type, food and beverageâ€”all based on looking at the guestâ€™s past preferences,â€ Ellis said.

Hotels that establish meaningful relationships with guests can maximize revenue opportunities and increase customer satisfaction, travel industry experts said during the Digital Marketing Strategy Conference, which was hosted by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International in Manhattan last week. Here are some best practices panelists shared for using technology to engage with guests before, during, and after their stays.

Before They Arrive
Googleâ€™s industry head for travel, Tiffany Miller, said that during the pre-booking period, consumers visit 18 travel-related sites. â€œYou have two and a half weeks to inspire the traveler to book your property,â€ she added. To make an impact, marketers should take creative approaches, like using celebrities or YouTube stars to boost engagement or allowing consumers to spread the message through self-generated videos.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1NACu5k

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Filed under Employee Practices, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Tagged as Connected Travelers, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Digital Marketing Strategy, Employees, Guest Experience, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Marketing, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Revenue Opportunities, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Social Media, Technology

by Ida | March 6, 2015 · 10:40 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Reducing the Spread of Contagious Illnesses” (Video)

A supplement to frequent hand washing is to use hand sanitizer. To encourage use of hand sanitizers by employees and guests, place labeled hand-sanitizer dispensers at the front desk, restaurant areas, back offices, public restrooms, and elevators. Check and refill the dispensers daily.

Winter months bring an increase of cold, influenza, and other communicable illnesses to the workplace. To reduce the spread of germs and cross contamination, housekeeping departments should focus on common contact points.

Sanitize Hard Services. Most hard surfaces, such as doors, drawers, telephone receivers, TV remote controls, light switches, toilet handles, and in-room directories, can be disinfected with a commercial disinfectant cleaner on a daily basis. Returned guestroom keycards should be placed in a separate bin for disinfecting. All guestroom glassware must be thoroughly washed with hot water and detergentâ€”in a dishwasher or three-compartment metal sinkâ€”before being placed back into service. Improperly sanitized glassware and utensils can transmit mononucleosis, herpes, E. coli, salmonella, hepatitis A, influenza, and even staph infections. Hotel glassware should never be washed in a guestroom sink.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1E0wrBS

And for more on industry best practices, check out the video below from Petra’s own P3 Risk Management Team.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/98741016Â w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutionsâ€™ Loss Control Manager, Matt Karp, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report â€“ â€˜Preventing Norovirus at Your Propertyâ€™.Â

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions â€“ America â€™s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visitÂ petrarisksolutions.comÂ or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under Employee Practices, Food Illnesses, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as Death, Employees, Guest Safety, Hand-washing, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Illnesses, Injuries, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Measles, Motels, Norovirus, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Pool and Spa Safety, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Division, Risk Management Update, Training, Virus, Virus Outbreak

by Ida | March 4, 2015 · 10:27 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Cyber Security”

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/121258482Â w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutionsâ€™ Loss Control Manager, Marco Johnson, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report â€“ â€˜How to Help Protect Your Hotel’s Computer Network and Information Systemsâ€™.Â

For more information on Petra and P3 visitÂ petrarisksolutions.comÂ or call 800.466.8951.

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Filed under Crime, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Training

Tagged as Arrest, Credit Cards, Crime, Cyber Crime, Cyber Risk, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Facebook, Fraud, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Report, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Loss Control Manager, Managing Risk, Marco Johnson, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Division, Risk Management Update, Security, Social Media, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, Videos

by Ida | March 2, 2015 · 10:25 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Prepare Your Hotel for Smart Payment Systems”

Biometrics (voice recognition, fingerprint or retina scanning) is quickly becoming another methodÂ of user authentication…Actual credit card data is exchanged only within the bank and payment network, not directly tied to the customerâ€™s interaction with the merchant, removing the merchant from handling that data.

By the end of this year, itâ€™s estimated that 70 percent of all credit cards and 40 percent of all debit cards (about 1.1 billion in total) worldwide will be EMV capable. This payment system, also known as chip and pin, adds dynamic data to the transaction stream that renders replay of payment transactions impossible. And since every card contains its own microprocessor chip, EMV (which stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa) cards are nearly impossible to counterfeit.

Thereâ€™s no need for the card to leave the customerâ€™s sight, and thereâ€™s no swiping. The credit card number isnâ€™t exposed on a screen. Though not entirely fail-safe, the technology is a global standard and makes transactions hundreds of times more secure. In Europe, which has had EMV for years, reports indicate that card fraud has fallen as much as 60 percent over the last decade, whereas here in the United States, itâ€™s increased about 50 percent over that same time period.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1B2Dzwd

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Filed under Crime, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Tagged as Counterfeit, credit card data, Credit Card Fraud, Credit Card Security, Credit Cards, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, EMV, Facebook, Fraud, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Identity Theft, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Risk Management Update, Security, Technology, Theft

Tag Archives: Housekeepers

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Class Action Lawsuit Goes After Hotels That Fail to Disclose Resort Fees”

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hotels Are Getting Ready for Apple Watch”

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “New Security Mindset: Focus On The Interior”

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Marijuana: An Emerging Coverage Risk”

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Reducing the Spread of Contagious Illnesses” (Video)

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Prepare Your Hotel for Smart Payment Systems”

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