Tag Archives: Lodging Magazine

by | May 27, 2014 · 9:47 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Protect Your Online Presence”

“…Hoteliers can take a proactive approach to dealing with spammers by regularly checking their information is correct on major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and BingImage…Once hackers identify an easy target, they can install their own codes on the back-end of the hotel website. For instance, they may switch the booking widget so that it brings customers to a copy of the hotel’s website and then the booking is subsequently made through a third party…”

In January, spammers hijacked official website links for thousands of hotels listed within Google+ Local, rerouting visitors to third-party booking services. Since these listings feed results into Google Search, Maps, and Hotel Finder, Google worked quickly and quietly behind the scenes to correct the links. And despite the irritation of this hack, there are key takeaways for hoteliers that can help them protect their online presence.

For more: http://bit.ly/1jXwANU

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Protect Your Online Presence”

Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Social Media, Technology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | May 19, 2014 · 8:32 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Your Hotel”

“…When working with contractors, make sure to check references and ensure that the company has the proper permits before starting construction on a project, says Stephen Barth, the founder of HospitalityLawyer.com and professor of hotel law at the University of Houston…ImageNew requirements from the International Code Council (ICC) for the International Building Code and the International Fire Code state that carbon monoxide alarms should be installed in any location that includes a device that could potentially produce carbon monoxide…”

Last spring, three people died from carbon monoxide poisoning after staying at the Blue Ridge Plaza Best Western Hotel in Boone, N.C. The victims—elderly couple Daryl and Shirley Jenkins and 11-year-old Jeffrey Williams—visited the property seven weeks apart and all stayed in room 225.

Though the initial investigation following the Jenkins’ deaths was inconclusive, toxicology reports eventually revealed that the deadly gas was to blame for the tragedies. The pool heater’s exhaust pipe, which ran directly under room 225, was the source of the lethal leak.

For more: http://bit.ly/1khYBQb

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Your Hotel”

Filed under Claims, Guest Issues, Health, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Pool And Spa, Risk Management

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | May 1, 2014 · 8:27 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hotels Continue to Invest in People and Technology”

“…Given the increasing use (and cost) of third-party resellers and intermediaries, the expanding influence of technology, and the growth of regional shared-services, on-site sales and marketing departments are under scrutiny. Image Like they have in the past, hotel operators will need to adapt to these external and internal influences in order to define the proper role for unit-level sales and marketing personnel…”

The introduction of technology has influenced the duties of on-site hotel sales personnel over the years. The Internet, sophisticated revenue management programs, and social media provide marketing professionals with an array of new tools. Investment in technology is often justified by increases in productivity and reductions in labor costs.

However, at U.S. hotels, investment in technology within the sales and marketing department has led to shifts in marketing strategies, with only slight increases in salaries, wages, and benefits.

For more: http://bit.ly/1n6YEhJ

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hotels Continue to Invest in People and Technology”

Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | April 8, 2014 · 8:08 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “5 Factors to Consider When Courting Spring Breakers”

“…Local ordinances and zoning laws could affect your business. ‘There comes a point when residents, business owners, and politicians no longer want those students there, and theyImage will start passing laws like in Daytona Beach or Fort Lauderdale to curb or even eliminate behavior,’ Laurie says. ‘Students will then go to a place where those rules don’t exist.’…”

From March through mid April, hundreds of thousands of college students flock to warmer climates for a weeklong escape from the winter doldrums and pressures of academic life. And while this time of year can bring a spike in hotel occupancy to popular vacation destinations across the country, the traditional spring break party does come with its fair share of challenges and risks for owners. John Laurie, director of the destination marketing and tourism practice at Bond Public Relations and Brand Strategy in New Orleans, shares five factors to consider when determining whether to court the next generation of spring breakers.

For more: http://www.lodgingmagazine.com/5-factors-to-consider-when-courting-spring-breakers/

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “5 Factors to Consider When Courting Spring Breakers”

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

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | April 3, 2014 · 8:58 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Protect Your Online Presence”

“…Starkov suggests that franchisees put pressure on the brands to gain access to their own listings so they can better manage their online reputation. Image ‘If there is no ownership of the listing and no responses from the property, even the positive reviews don’t sound credible,’ he says. ‘And negative reviews without a response sends a signal that the hotel doesn’t care’…”

In January, spammers hijacked official website links for thousands of hotels listed within Google+ Local, rerouting visitors to third-party booking services. Since these listings feed results into Google Search, Maps, and Hotel Finder, Google worked quickly and quietly behind the scenes to correct the links. And despite the irritation of this hack, there are key takeaways for hoteliers that can help them protect their online presence.

For more: http://www.lodgingmagazine.com/how-to-protect-your-online-presence/

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “How to Protect Your Online Presence”

Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | April 2, 2014 · 9:03 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “The Accessibility Puzzle: Navigating ADA Requirements”

“…In new construction and renovations, architects often fail to provide an appropriate variety of accessible rooms that would offer guests with disabilities options comparable to those available to non-disabled guests, Vu says. Image ‘This can be a very expensive mistake. Oftentimes hotels are purchased without a thorough ADA review so that the new owners are unaware of the issues present at their new hotel’…”

In the years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the lodging industry has faced many hurdles—and many opportunities—in implementing the far-reaching civil rights law. The past two decades have been a mixed bag of regulatory enforcement, litigation, and gradual recognition of the roles ADA and accessible design play in our industry. Since 1990, hoteliers have spent billions of dollars making their facilities accessible to individuals with disabilities in compliance with the ADA, not only because it’s the law but also because it’s their mission to make all guests feel comfortable and welcome.

“ADA compliance for new properties is easier than older ones since new hotel compliance standards usually come from the brands,” says Raj Shendge, COO of Ohio-based SAP Hotels. ADA compliance for older properties is trickier. He notes that when rules change in the middle of the game it becomes much more difficult. “No lawyer, city official, fire marshal, brand manager knows what is happening.”

For more: http://www.lodgingmagazine.com/the-accessibility-puzzle-navigating-ada-requirements/

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Management Update: “The Accessibility Puzzle: Navigating ADA Requirements”

Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,