Tag Archives: Motels

by | March 26, 2014 · 8:19 am

Hospitality Industry News Update: “Deadly Hotel Fire Raising Safety Concerns in New Jersey”

“…One woman, who stayed at Mariners Cove days before the fire, says the motel had battery-operated smoke detectors, but fire victims say they never went off.  ‘That’s the thing, they were battery-powered fire alarms. Once they get hot and they melt, they are not going to work,’ said Tammy Tilton…”

The deadly motel fire in Point Pleasant, New Jersey is raising safety concerns at other motels in the area.

Activity has died down at the scene, but the probe continues into Friday morning’s deadly fire at the Mariners Cove Motor Inn in Point Pleasant Beach.

The blaze killed four people, including 66-year-old Albert Sutton, formerly of Mount Laurel.

Based on surveillance footage pulled from the rubble and restored by computer experts at the Ocean County prosecutor’s office, detectives have determined the cause of the fire was careless smoking.

For more: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=9479643

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by | March 25, 2014 · 8:35 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Bed Bug Lawsuits: Reducing Your Clients’ Risk”

“…Your clients, of course, are responsible for their own actions, or lack of action, when dealing with bed bugs. But there are actions you can take to help your clients avoid these kinds of deviations, minimize their risk of lawsuits, and reduce their liability if a lawsuit is ultimately filed. Of course, by doing so, you also reduce your own liability and risk from any bed bug litigation. But you must be proactive…”

Until they experience a bed bug crisis first hand, property managers usually can’t comprehend the full impact on their property. Most fail to appreciate just how difficult it is to control bed bugs once they have spread and become established.

That’s why property managers often address bed bug complaints with the same casual approach as complaints about cockroaches or ants. They typically do not respond aggressively, at the first sign of trouble, and before the bed bugs become entrenched and spread to other areas of the building. And property managers often resist investing the time, money and effort necessary to control a bed bug outbreak. That puts both of you at risk of a lawsuit.

For more: http://www.pctonline.com/pct0314-bed-bug-lawsuits.aspx

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by | March 20, 2014 · 8:32 am

Hospitality Industry Liability Update: “Palm Springs Hotel Guest Died of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Coroner Says”

“…’There was a dangerous condition that posed an immediate and grave risk to the health of any customer,’ Kaufman said. Image‘It’s remarkable to me that a condition this dangerous could be allowed to persist for not days, but almost two weeks, and take the life of a successful, caring and wonderful man.’…”

An Ohio attorney whose body was found in a Palm Springs hotel room in November died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the Riverside County coroner’s office said Wednesday.

The Palm Springs Police Department has been investigating the death and will present its findings to the Riverside County district attorney’s office for possible criminal charges, said Palm Springs Police Lt. Mitch Spike.

For more: http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-palm-springs-hotel-guest-died-from-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-coroner-says-20140319,0,5611674.story#axzz2wW6yGmmP

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by | March 19, 2014 · 8:45 am

Hospitality Industry Social Media Update: “10 Social Media Strategies For 2014”

“…Marketers can’t simply create a Google+ account and be done with it, however, she said. Similar to Facebook or Twitter, the platform needs a constant stream of fresh contentImage…Online marketing should be as transparent as possible, Gutman said. Better to be honest and upfront than to fool guests at point of purchase and have them tweet their discontent when they arrive on property…”

GLOBAL REPORT—With the new year comes new strategies, and the evolving arena of social media is no different.

 The ultimate goals of those strategies, however, remains the same, said Daniel Edward Craig, founder of online reputation management firm Reknown and moderator of the webinar “Top social media strategies for 2014,” hosted by ReviewPro.

The first of those objectives is to increase brand awareness. The second is to enhance guest satisfaction. Last but not least is to drive revenue.

To help hoteliers reach them, Craig and his panel shared 10 social media strategies to adopt in 2014.

For more: http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/12811/10-social-media-strategies-for-2014

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by | March 18, 2014 · 8:39 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Stamford Hotel Worker Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Guest”

“…Police say that Oyola-Bandara knocked on the woman’s door at the Super 8 motel at 32 Grenhart Road at about 3:30 a.m. and told the woman, who has been a resident of the motel for some time, that he is there to fix something. ImageThe woman recognized the man as a hotel worker and let him in. Oyola-Bandara then pulled out a bottle of liquor and put two glasses on the table and began pouring the liquor into the glasses…”

A West Side hotel maintenance worker who talked his way into a 60-year-old woman’s room early Saturday morning and tried to force himself on her was arrested after police found the man asleep in the woman’s hotel room.

Carlos Oyola-Bandera, 35, of 501 West Main St., Stamford, was charged with attempted rape, unlawful restraint, criminal trespass, fourth-degree sexual assault and breach of peace. He was held over the weekend by police in lieu of a $50,000 court appearance bond and is being arraigned at the Stamford courthouse Monday.

For more: http://blog.ctnews.com/stamford411/2014/03/17/stamford-hotel-worker-arrested-for-sexually-assaulting-guest/

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by | February 13, 2014 · 9:01 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “The Hotel of the Future”

“…’The cookie-cutter in-room experience has to die,’ says internationally recognized keynote speaker Dr. Lalia Rach, associate dean, UW-Stout School of Hospitality Leadership, Menomonie, WI…timthumb‘We’ve talked about customization for a long time now,’ she notes. ‘We’ve talked about the colors of the room changing, about what’s on the walls changing to be more reflective of the person who is in the room. But it’s not just the physical, it’s the intangible.’…”

At the YOTEL New York, a towering robotic arm takes guests’ luggage and stores it in bar-coded storage bins. The Nine Zero Hotel in Boston uses iris-scan technology that opens the door to its presidential suite, while the Hotel Éclat in Taipei, Taiwan, has toilets with lids that open automatically. The hotel experience is changing, and the future will be here faster than you think. We asked planners, hoteliers, and hospitality experts to make some predictions on what the guest experience will be like; what follows are 20 features that are already here, or will soon be here before you even know it.

For more: http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Event-Planning/Technology-Solutions/Articles/The-Hotel-of-the-Future/

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by | February 7, 2014 · 8:12 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Issues: “Can You Legally Smoke Marijuana in a Seattle Hotel Room?”

“…According to the Washington Lodging Association, there are no universally enforced protocols within the hospitality industry as to smoking marijuana inside the hotels for medical or recreational purposes. Image Because of this, it is completely up to the hotel owners whether to allow marijuana use in the designated smoking rooms or not…”

With legal recreational pot shops set to open for business at some point in the spring, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes and others have been pushing the state to okay places where marijuana tourists in Seattle can smoke up. (So far to no avail.)

Their fear is that our streets will be crowded with tourists smoking in public and annoying everyone, as well as breaking the law against public “display” of weed. The fine is only $27, but the backlash could be bigger with too many puffers wandering around.

But in a state where it is illegal to smoke anything inside or around public places, things can get tricky for these tourists wanting to exercise their newfound freedom in hotel rooms.

For more: http://blog.seattlepi.com/marijuana/2014/02/05/answered-can-you-legally-smoke-marijuana-in-a-seattle-hotel-room/#14194103=0&20036105=0&20340101=0

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by | February 5, 2014 · 8:30 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “Mission Valley Travelodge Owners Agree to Increase Security Measures to Thwart Prostitution”

“…Tourism is one of San Diego’s largest industries, guests to our city should feel safe and secure during their stay,” said City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.Image “Our office will continue to combat illegal activity such as prostitution and will work diligently to hold business owners accountable and clean up neighborhoods…” 

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The owners of the Travelodge motel in Mission Valley have agreed to increase security measures to thwart prostitution activity, the San Diego City Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Mission Valley Travelodge Joint Venture and WW Lodging Ltd. are to hire onsite security guards and reimburse the city of San Diego more than $18,000 in investigative costs, according to the deal reached last week.

The partnership that owns and manages the motel at 1201 Hotel Circle S. already have installed more security cameras, posted signs to deter criminal activity and improved registration policies to include the photocopying of all guest and visitor identification cards and registering of all guest and visitor vehicles, the City Attorney’s Office said.

For more: http://www.sandiego6.com/story/owners-of-mission-valley-travelodge-agree-to-increase-security-measures-to-thwart-prostitution-activity-20140203

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by | January 31, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Health Risk: “The Bed Bugs Rise Again”

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For the full size image: http://visual.ly/bed-bugs-rise-again

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by | January 10, 2014 · 8:12 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: “Costa Mesa to Slap Hotels With Fines For Too Many Police Calls”

“…Under the ordinance approved Tuesday, motels and hotels could incur fines of hundreds of dollars if they generate above an average 0.4 calls per room per month for recurring “nuisance activities.” Those activities were defined as including persistent noise, gang-related crime,Image illegal use of a firearm, disturbing the peace, illegal use or sale of fireworks, drug possession or sale, underage drinking and loud parties. Violent felonies are also covered…”

Costa Mesa hotels will have to pay a fine if they attract an “excessive” amount of police attention under a new law aimed at properties run by what one City Council member referred to as “slumlords.”

Under the ordinance approved Tuesday, motels and hotels could incur fines of hundreds of dollars if they generate above an average 0.4 calls per room per month for recurring “nuisance activities.” Those activities were defined as including persistent noise, gang-related crime, illegal use of a firearm, disturbing the peace, illegal use or sale of fireworks, drug possession or sale, underage drinking and loud parties. Violent felonies are also covered.

Reporting domestic violence and summoning fire or ambulance services, however, are not considered nuisance activities under the ordinance, the Daily Pilot reported.

For more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-costa-mesa-hotels-fines-police-calls-20140109,0,1005916.story#axzz2q0jOZxiH

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