Tag Archives: Motels

by | November 23, 2012 · 9:08 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: North Carolina Motel Damaged After Meth Lab Explodes Inside Room

Agents with the State Bureau of Investigation donned chemical gear to sift through the rubble of the motel room to determine the cause of the explosion. Investigators said some of the materials used to make methamphetamine are highly flammable.

The front of a Dudley motel blew out early Friday when a methamphetamine lab inside one of the rooms exploded, authorities said. The explosion occurred at about 4:15 a.m. at the Old Goldwater Motel, 3428 U.S. Highway 117 Alternate. The Mar-Mac Fire Department responded to the motel, but authorities said the building sustained little or no fire damage.

Valentine Morales, who lives at the motel with his family, said the explosion awakened him as he slept on a sofa. He said his first thoughts were for his wife and three children sleeping in the next rooms.

Two of the people injured in the blast ran to Jeffrey Aultman’s house nearby for help.

“It scared me. I was getting ready to go out the door, and it was bang, bang, bang, and it shook me up,” Aultman said, noting that he initially thought the men at his door had been in a vehicle wreck.

Two of the injured drove themselves to Wayne Memorial Hospital in Goldsboro, authorities said. Wayne County EMS took two more people to the hospital.

For more: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9255785/

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by | October 8, 2012 · 6:24 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Missouri Motel Fire Caused By Guest Smoking In Bed; Several "Oxygen Tanks" Were In Room

“…The man (was) on oxygen, and McConnell says there were several oxygen tanks in the man’s room…Officials investigating the cause of the blaze told KSPR News the fire was indeed accidental. The fire started near the bed, and officials had warned the man before about smoking in bed…”

Fire officials say a fire that killed a man in a west Springfield motel was accidental in nature. The call to fire crews was made around 2:15 Monday morning. The flames were coming out of one room of the Cloud Drift Motel, 3601 West Sunshine Street, west of West Bypass.

An attempt was made to rescue a man who was staying in the room, but the flames were too high for anyone to get inside. Brookline Fire Chief Larry McConnell says his crew is familiar with the man who died in the fire. He says they have responded to medical calls for him.

Once tankers arrived, the fire was put out quickly. Fire crews from Brookline and Willard responded. The Greene County Sheriff’s Department is assisting with the investigation. No firefighters were hurt. The room where the victim was staying is damaged heavily. The unit next door was also burned, but no one was there when the fire happened.

For more:  http://www.kspr.com/news/kspr-fatal-fire-one-man-is-dead-after-a-fire-in-west-springfield-20121008,0,6937042.story

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by | October 1, 2012 · 6:43 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Wyoming Motel Fire Causes $14 Million In Damage; Man Indicted For Role In Starting Fire

“…The fire at the historic motel, located at 1700 W. Lincolnway, destroyed guest rooms, a restaurant, the lobby and the bar. It caused about $14 million in property damage. Lodging buildings didn’t burn. It was determined that the fire was set intentionally…”

A New Mexico man has been indicted for his alleged involvement with the Sept. 15, 2010, fire at the Hitching Post Inn here. Robert Rodriguez, 44, was indicted by a Wyoming federal grand jury Friday, according to a release from the Wyoming district of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The two-count indictment says Rodriguez maliciously damaged and destroyed the Hitching Post by means of  fire. It also says he used fire to aid and abet mail and wire fraud. It is  unclear from the release whether charges have been filed. Rodriguez is being  detained without bail.

The investigation into the fire is ongoing, the release says. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading
the investigation with help from the Cheyenne Police Department and Cheyenne Fire and Rescue.

City officials closed the motel in September 2009, citing safety concerns and code violations.

CJM Hospitality bought the property from New Jersey-based Matiff Cheyenne Hospitality in the wake of Matiff filing for Chapter 11
bankruptcy protection.

The 10.82-acre property was appraised for more than $6 million. At the time of the fire, CJM was putting in $500,000
worth of renovations. Representatives said they planned to reopen the west side of the structure and two unattached buildings.

For more: http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2012/09/29/news/01top_09-29-12.txt

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by | September 26, 2012 · 6:17 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: "Strong Smell" Leads Police To Meth Lab In Florida Motel Room

“…It’s  a huge public safety issue. The chemicals involved are volatile, can be volatile especially when mixed together. People that don’t know what they’re doing, even people who are experienced at cooking, still cause fires, explosions…”

Two men are accused of setting up a meth lab in a Tallahassee motel. It happened at the Super 8 motel on North Monroe Street.  Deputies say a tip led them to room 229 and the strong smell led them to a meth lab inside.

Jack Peppers and Kevin Smith – both of Thomasville – are accused of trafficking in meth, manufacturing meth and having the ingredients to make more. Deputies say one batch of the meth was ready and divided up for use.  Another batch, they say, was being chemically cooked upstairs.

“The dry product, we had about 16 grams which is worth about $1600 on the street which is pretty significant for what they consider a small lab,” said SGT Ed Cook with LCSO’s Vice and Narcotics Unit. “They also had another 500 grams of product that was still cooking.”

Deputies had to ventilate the room for hours before going inside to clean it up.  They say all of the adjoining rooms were vacant so they did not have to evacuate any other motel guests.

For more:  http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/Meth-Bust-at-Tallahassee-Motel-171177501.html

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by | September 15, 2012 · 6:18 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Missouri Motels "Non-Compliant" For Failing To Install Manual Fire Alarms With Specific Decibel Levels; Cost Of New Systems Estimated At $10,000

“…The problem at each motel was either a lack of manual fire alarms or an insufficiently loud fire alarm…the specific fire code, chapter 4603.6.5.1, specifies that hotels or motels with 20 rooms or more must install manual pull systems with specific decibel levels…the cost of installing fire alarm systems at $10,000-$15,000…”

The city of Columbia charged two motels — The Deluxe Inn and America’s Best Value — on Aug. 30 for failing to install manual fire alarms. They are among seven motels found non-compliant with the international fire code after an inspection last year, said Columbia Fire Marshal Brad Fraizer. The motels were given one year after Aug. 25, 2011, to make the necessary adjustments.

Two of the original establishments cited, Super 7 and Motel 6, have since complied, but the other five are currently in violation of a city ordinance related to fire code non-compliance.

They are misdemeanor violations of two city ordinances (sections 9-21 and 9-22), which also violate Chapter 46 of the International Fire Code. According to City Prosecutor Steven Richey, the other three motels are being reviewed for compliance.

The state then makes a sentence recommendation to the judge, who will apply it based on motel and fire department statements about what they’re doing to comply. The city ordinance violations carry fines of between $1 and $1,000 and/or up to 90 days imprisonment.

The fire department was unable to specify which of the motels in question did not have fire alarms and which simply had alarms without the proper noise level.

“There was a range of violations with some hotels not possessing the systems and others that didn’t have the proper decibel levels,” Fraizer said.

For more: http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/09/14/columbia-hotels-lacking-fire-alarms-working-towards-compliance/

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by | August 4, 2012 · 8:47 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Texas Motel Sued By Maid Injured After Slipping Near Leaky Faucet In Break Room

She was walking near the break room area when she slipped and fell in water that had been leaking from a faulty sink…The plaintiff is suing for his alleged past and future medical expenses, mental anguish, pain and lost wages, plus all court costs.

Alleging a company failed to post a warning sign of a known danger, a maid is suing the owners of a Super 8 Motel, claiming a leaky faucet near the break room caused her to slip and fall two years ago. Port Arthur local Gricelda Gutierrez filed suit against Triangle Hospitality Inc. on July 27 in Jefferson County District Court.

According to the lawsuit, on July 27, 2010, Gutierrez was working at Triangle Hospitality’s Super 8 Motel in Port Arthur as a housekeeper. Gutierrez claims she was injured in the fall, although the suit fails to state her alleged injuries.

She accuses the defendant of negligently failing to provide her with a safe work area, alleging that the company knew of the leaky facet and did nothing to remedy the unsafe working conditions.

The suit states the defendant failed to post a warning sign of a known danger.

For more: http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/245756-leaky-sink-causes-maid-to-slip-motel-sued-for-not-posting-warning-sign-of-known-danger

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by | July 6, 2012 · 6:56 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Florida Motels To Work With Police To Identify And Avoid Meth Lab Operations In Guest Rooms

At the end of the month … police will have a training program to educate hotels on how to identify potential meth dealers looking for a temporary base to cook. In the last three months there have been three drug lab busts in two Motel 6 locations in Jacksonville.

The problem of meth labs in local motel rooms seems to be growing, but there is a renewed focus on stopping the spread.

Fred Pozin, General Manager of the Ramada in Mandarin, tells WOKV they work directly with the Sheriff’s Office to try and seek out the users.

For more:  http://www.wokv.com/weblogs/morning-news-recap/2012/jul/06/stopping-mobile-meth-labs/

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by | June 22, 2012 · 11:59 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: West Virginia Motel Fire Caused By Manager Frying Food In Room; Structural And Electrical Repairs Delay Reopening

“…(the street) was closed for about four hours because of the fire, and electricity had to be cut to the motel because of damage to the wiring…the Red Cross was called to find places for the few motel guests to spend the night…”

No one was injured in a fire that broke out early Friday at the Jefferson Motel. Kanawha County Fire Coordinator C.W. Sigman said a manager at the MacCorkle Avenue motel was frying some food at about 12:45 a.m. when the grease caught on fire and set fire to the room. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the manager’s area, he said.

Sigman said the motel will not be allowed to reopen until repairs are made and the electrical system is fixed and inspected.

For more:  http://wvgazette.com/News/201206220029

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by | May 3, 2012 · 8:02 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Tennessee Motel Surveillance Video Identifies Suspects In Front Desk Register Theft

“…The clerk noticed the money missing, called police and a quick check of the surveillance video showed the two suspects running back to their room in the very same hotel…”

Cookeville Police said two men were arrested after burglarizing the motel where they were staying. Surveillance video led police to the men who robbed the motel on Interstate Drive on Wednesday night.

The desk clerk left the front office to begin preparing breakfast for guests. That’s when one suspect kept an eye on him, while the other cleaned out the register of more than $200.

Both men, whose identities were not released, were booked Thursday morning on theft charges.

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by | April 22, 2012 · 7:20 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Texas Motel Damaged By "Wind-Fueled Fire" That Momentarily Traps Firefighters; Firewall Proves Useless In Windy Conditions

“With the winds, even if you have firewalls, if somebody puts a cable hole — every little breach of a firewall for cable, electric, whatever is going to be a void. That firewall’s not intact anymore.”

San Antonio firefighters had a close call Friday afternoon when the rear of a burning motel collapsed on them. Crews responded to the fire reported at the Studio 6 motel at Highway 281 and Rhapsody to find flames shooting through the structure, according to WOAI-TV.

The wind-fueled fire originated on the first floor of the hotel, extended to the attic and then spread to a neighboring building. Fire Chief Charles Hood said that his firefighters had to rely on their training when the blaze quickly became out of control and a Mayday was called.

“That’s one of those moments when your heart just goes to your feet because we have reports of firefighters trapped,” he told the news station. Luckily, all of the firefighters made it out safely and no injuries were sustained.

Hood said that winds played a big role in helping the fire grow, and that if the building did have firewall, they wouldn’t have stopped it. Around 100 firefighters were on the scene and after the collapse, crews switched to a defensive fire attack to put out the blaze.

For more:  http://www.firehouse.com/news/10704188/san-antonio-firefighters-have-close-call-at-motel-blaze

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