[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/52513104 w=500&h=281]
Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders , offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Hotel Power Outage Checklist’.Â
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.
Comments Off on P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Hotel Power Outage Checklist†Presented By Director Of Risk Management Todd Seiders Of Petra Risk Solutions (Video)
Filed under Guest Issues, Insurance, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij1BHdG4N-8&feature=player_embedded]
HospitalityLawyer.com
HospitalityLawyer.com, in coordination with the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau, will host the 3rd Global Congress on Travel Risk Management, September 30 to October 1, 2013, in Houston, Texas, at the Galleria Omni Hotel. The Global Congress focuses on solutions enabling businesses and governments to meet their Duty of Care to mobile employees and protecting mobile data.
The travel, tourism and hospitality industries are a $3.5 trillion global economic powerhouse encompassing transportation, lodging, and venues and events. Governments around the world spend trillions on infrastructure and travel support systems. Disruptions are costly, both financially and in customer goodwill. The Global Congress’s objective is to facilitate the delivery of safe, secure and uninterrupted travel via an all-encompassing public-private dialogue dedicated to the sharing of best practices for issues faced by the global travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
For more:Â http://www.hospitalitylawyer.com/?post_type=gc&p=565
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Filed under Conferences, Guest Issues, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training
 “Items are not exposed to people walking through hallways so theft of amenity items or towels is greatly reduced…there’s a safety issue, too…Housekeeping staff would park the larger carts outside and keep the door open while they cleaned…not so with the 
smaller version…the guest comes back and sees the door wide open (and would) think anyone can get in the room…”
“Linen closets (are now) situated closer to the rooms for easy access, eliminating the need for the larger carts. The housekeeping staff has been more productive with the smaller carts because they can move around more quickly, he says. They’re also less prone to injury as the larger carts were heavy to push around…”
Big, rolling housekeeping carts are disappearing from many hotel hallways, just like the floral polyester linens they used to carry. Hotels say they’re replacing cumbersome carts with smaller ones sometimes akin to golf caddie bags out? of necessity, in addition to convenience and even appearance.
Among those saying goodbye to the hall-blocking carts: The Staybridge Suites Times Square in New York, The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte and the Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel.
Hotel general managers say there are a number of reasons why smaller is better.
For more:Â http://www.usatoday.com/story/hotelcheckin/2013/05/10/hotels-housekeeping-carts/2146993/
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Filed under Guest Issues, Injuries, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Risk Management, Theft
“…special flood prevention equipment (was installed) at the McDonald’s after the 2008 flooding; including shutoff valves for the sewer lines, and 
rubberized door dams… only about a half an inch seepage (from this flood) in the building through penetrations in pipes, and stuff like that, unlike 2008, (when there was) 27 inches…(the owner estimated there was)Â as much as $700,000 on cleanup from the 2008 flood, but only several hundred dollars this year…”
Two eateries next door to each other in northwest suburban River Grove were in very different stages of cleanup on Tuesday, as flood waters from the Des Plaines River slowly receded. WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, next door at the famous Gene and Jude’s Red Hot Stand, a big flood cleanup was underway on Tuesday. Workers were seen donning respirators while cleaning up inside on Tuesday, and tossing out flood-damaged debris, while the McDonald’s next door was getting ready to open for business.
It’s not that the flooding wasn’t as bad at the McDonald’s, it was the result inside the two restaurants.
“It’s money well-invested,†Karayanes said.
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Filed under Flood Insurance, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management
Comments Off on “2013 Hospitality Law Conference”: Petra Risk Solutions To Host The “Convergence Of Risk Management, Legal Compliance And Loss Prevention” Workshop On Feb 11
Filed under Conferences, Guest Issues, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management
By Todd Seiders, CLSD
http://www.petrarisksolutions.com/
As many of you may have heard, the computer “hacking†community has made a small device that can open Onity hotel guestroom door locks. It costs approximately $50 in readily available electronic parts, and the device has been concealed in an iPhone case and a Dry Erase marking pen body (yes, the felt tipped dry erase pen used on whiteboards).
The hacking device plugs into the door locks, and opens the door. It shows up on the lock readout as a “portable programmer†use, but no serial number for the portable programmer is noted.
**We are now experiencing actual guestroom burglaries and guest thefts by use of these devices in Texas. Multiple rooms have been hit at several hotels. An arrest was made in Houston on some of these burglaries, so I hope to have additional info on that very soon.
**I am also receiving reports from hotels in Florida that a similar “hacker†has been seen carrying a laptop computer and using a key card (possibly connected to the laptop) to open guestroom door locks. There have been several guestroom burglaries and actual witnesses who saw the suspect with his laptop, using a key card to access locked guestrooms.
Please TRAIN and notify your hotel staff that these burglaries are spreading across the country. Hotel staff should be vigilant while they are on the guest floors and paying attention to guests walking through hallways. Take time to watch guests walking through your hallways to ensure they are going to a room and entering it. Be very suspicious of someone carrying a laptop or small bag wandering the hallways. Greet guests and ask them if they need assistance. If they appear nervous, or cannot tell you what room they are looking for, escort them to the lobby, or escort them to where a security camera is, so you can get a picture of them. If they leave the hotel, follow them and try and write down a vehicle license plate on their vehicle. Your hotel staff has to be more active on your guest floors when they see people walking around.
Onity locks is not accepting liability for the defect in their hotel locks, and have offered a software fix for the problem. Onity is charging hotels to supply the fix.
I’m sorry to say that this burglary issue will only get bigger as the hackers share their tales and their build your own device details in the future.
I’ll keep you posted on this topic…..
Todd Seiders, CLSD
Director of Risk Management
Email: ToddS@PetraRiskSolutions.com
Phone: (800) 466-8951 ext 207
Direct: (562) 623-0976
Fax: (800) 494-6829
Lic #0817715
Â
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Filed under Guest Issues, Insurance, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Theft, Training
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/52513104 w=500&h=281]
Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders , offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Hotel Power Outage Checklist’.Â
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.
Comments Off on P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Hotel Power Outage Checklist†Presented By Director Of Risk Management Todd Seiders Of Petra Risk Solutions (Video)
Filed under Guest Issues, Insurance, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training
“…an infected email attachment (was) sent to some Marriott employees to install malicious software on the company’s system that gave him a “backdoor” access to proprietary email and other files…”
“…Nemeth sent an email to Marriott staff on November 11 last year, informing them that he had been accessing Marriott’s computers for months and had obtained proprietary information… He threatened to reveal the information if Marriott did not give him a job maintaining the company’s computers…”
A Hungarian citizen has pleaded guilty to stealing confidential information from the computers of Marriott International, and threatening to reveal the information if the hotel chain did not offer him a job maintaining the company’s computers, the Department of Justice said.
Attila Nemeth, 26, pleaded guilty in a US court, according to a statement by DOJ. He was detained after he travelled to the states on a ticket purchased by Marriott for a fictitious job interview.
As he had not received a response from Marriott, Nemeth sent another mail on November 13 containing eight attachments, seven of which were documents stored on Marriott’s computers. The documents included financial documentation and other confidential and proprietary information, the DOJ said.
A US Secret Service agent, using the identity of a fictitious employee of Marriott, communicated with Nemeth on November 18, who continued to call and email the undercover agent demanding a job to prevent the public release of the documents, according to the plea agreement. Nemeth emailed a copy of his Hungarian passport as identification and offered to travel to America, according to the DOJ.
For more:Â http://news.techworld.com/security/3320672/marriott-hotel-chain-hacked-by-disgruntled-job-seeker/
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Filed under Crime, Labor Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Privacy, Risk Management, Technology, Theft
â—Š Green certified coverage. For a loss to a green certified building, coverage available from AGPOM will apply to rebuilding and additional expenses driven by regaining green certification.
â—Š Green upgrade coverage. This coverage pays the extra expense when a non-certified building opts to go green after a loss. Added costs might result from use of Energy Star equipment; eco-friendly lighting, paint and carpet; or water-efficient plumbing fixtures.
â—Š Green commissioning expense. This coverage provides for a commissioning engineer to inspect a newly built or repaired system after a covered loss to confirm operation at peak performance and expected efficiency.
For more:Â http://ventureprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/articles/Hope%20For%20Hospitality.pdf
“…authorities believe that Mohammad and Rowhani stole about $17,000 from roughly 19 employees who thought the money was being put into an account to pay for insurance…”
A trial date has been set for two Hagerstown Hotel and Convention Center senior managers who prosecutors allege stole about $17,000 from employees during an insurance scam.
Hassan Mohammad, 56, and his wife, Yasamane Rowhani, 47, both of 2142 Cathedral Ave. in Washington, D.C., were indicted by a Washington County grand jury on one count each of theft/scheme over $500 and conspiracy to commit theft/scheme over $500, according to Washington County Circuit Court documents.
For more:Â http://articles.herald-mail.com/2011-08-02/news/29844890_1_trial-date-scheme-insurance-scam
Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Employee Theft Risks: Maryland Hotel And Convention Managers Indicted For Theft In Employee Insurance Scam
Filed under Crime, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Theft
