Tag Archives: Theft

by master | September 29, 2015 · 8:29 pm

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “DIY Not the Answer with Hotel Technology”

For the first time, technology has become a real point of differentiation for hotel companies. As owners and asset managers become more involved and focusÂ on technology and distribution, the pressure will grow for brand companies.Â Itâ€™s great the entire industry recognizes the problem, but the question becomes, how does it get solved? Or worse, what happens if it doesnâ€™t?

After attending the summer season of hotel industry events, I was surprised to see a new found recognition from hotel brand companies that technology has become an urgent priority. It is refreshing to hear executives admitting that they have fallen behind the curve and are desperate for new solutions.

It wasnâ€™t that long ago that technology and distribution were barely mentioned at these events, but now they are often the focus of general sessions at even the biggest investment conferences like NYU. And now we even have newer events like the Revenue Strategy Summit and the Hotel Data Conference where distribution is a main topic on the agenda.

Itâ€™s remarkable to see such a transformation, but thatâ€™s where my excitement stops. In the next breath, many of the same hotel brand leaders talk about a renewed commitment to building better technology. They want to compete with Expedia, Priceline, and Google by creating their own in-house platforms.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1P4k8Lw

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

Tagged as AirBNB, Arrest, Credit Cards, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Distribution, DIY, Employees, Expedia, Google, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel, Hotel Branding, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Insurance, Internet, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Marketing, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Priceline, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, WiFi

by Ida | September 9, 2015 · 11:47 am

Hospitality Industry Conference Update: “Petra Hospitality Update: CH&LA Southern CA Conference”

Join Petra Risk Solutions atÂ CH&LAâ€™s

Southern California Hotel & Lodging Conference

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at 8:00am â€“ 5:00pm

This one-day event includes educational sessions, a trade show, and networking is free to all hotel staff. Each year over 500 hoteliers attend and take advantage of all that is offered at this very special event.Â

Petra Risk Solutionsâ€™ very own Brad Durbin, Jennifer Lisanti and Todd Seiders will be presenting at the education sessions

click here to learn more..

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/138772085 w=500&h=281]

Petra is proud to partner with CH&LA and the endorsed broker for:

InsuranceÂ Â *Â Â Employee BenefitsÂ Â *Â Â Education

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

Tagged as Affordable Care Act, AirBNB, Arrest, Credit Cards, Crime, Cyber Attack, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, educational sessions, Employees, Fraud, Guest Safety, Hack, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel, Hotel Brand, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Illnesses, Injuries, Insurance, Jennifer Lisanti, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Obama Care, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk, Risk Management, Security, Southern California Hotel & Lodging, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, Todd Seiders

by Ida | August 12, 2015 · 11:03 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Are You Ready For EMV Card Adoption?”

Current standard-issue American credit cards store personal information in a magnetic stripe on the back of the card. EMV cards, however, store information on a secure computer chip,which generates a one-time-use security code for every transaction, making counterfeiting virtually impossible, according to the EMV Migration Forum, a consortium of industry players that support EMV chip implementation across the United States.Â

Credit card security is a topic top of mind for any business that processes consumer payment data, and this October the stakes for U.S. businessesâ€”including hotelsâ€”to comply with the latest wave of payment security will get higher.

Itâ€™s all part of a continuing wave for the United States to widely adopt EMV chip credit cards, which reduce counterfeiting and card fraud, but which require hardware and software upgrades on the part of the party processing the payment.

Beginning in October, new compliance language will shift the burden of liability for some types of fraudulent credit card transactions away from banks and ultimately on to merchants. Hoteliers who know these new liability burdens and are actively implementing technology upgrades to read these new cards will come out ahead, legal and technology sources said.

Knowing the reasons behind the change and the implications of noncompliance will help hoteliers make a seamless transition, sources said.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1NavP2i

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

Tagged as Arrest, Credit Card Fraud, Credit Card Security, Credit Cards, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, EMV, EMV Chip, Fraud, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel News Now, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, Hotel Technology, hotel workers, hoteliers, Hotels, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Technology, Theft

by Ida | July 28, 2015 · 9:56 am

Hospitality Industry Conference Update: “2015 CTSSA Fraud Conference”

The 2015 California Tourism Safety and Security Conference is being held Thursday, September 17, 2015 at the beautiful Island Hotel in Newport Beach, California.Â This half day conference is centered around fraud and forgery detection and prevention at your business.Â With subject matter experts instructing in hands-on, nuts and bolts training format, you will see first hand how criminals forge fraudulent credit cards, wash checks, and take advantage of your unsuspecting business.

Together with several California law enforcement, security, and tourism industry organizations, the Association plans and hosts the nationâ€™s largest training conference dedicated to issues of safety & security for visitors and visitor venues.Â Â The annual conference features timely new training topics each year, presented by experienced practitioners and subject matter experts.Â Â Content and logistics are planned and coordinated by a committee of CTSSA volunteers, chaired by Dave Wiggins.

The event includes a full day of training, plus the Tech Expo which showcases emerging tools & technologies, as well as a keynote address, and hosted luncheon and cocktail reception.Â Â The conference has been praised for itsÂ timely and relevantÂ â€œnuts-n-boltsâ€ training content, as well as its valuable networking opportunities. Â The conference has been held at various locations throughout California.Â Participants come from all across the United States.Â Â Participation is by pre-registration, and is openÂ only to qualified working professionals.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1Mt3G6e

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Filed under Conferences, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Theft

Tagged as Arrest, California, California law enforcement, California Tourism Safety and Security Conference, Conference, Credit Cards, Crime, Criminals, CTSSA, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Death, Employees, Fraud, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Injuries, Insurance, Island Hotel, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Newport Beach, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Safety and Security, Security, Southern California, Surveillance, Technology, Terrorism, Theft, Tourism, Wash Checks

by Ida | July 22, 2015 · 9:40 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Northwest Dallas Hotel is â€˜hub for drug use, prostitution and violent crime,â€™ Says City Hall”

The city of Dallas has had enough, and late Thursday filed suit against the owners of the motel that looks decent enough on the outside but is anything but on the inside,Â according to the City Attorneyâ€™s Office.Â The city wants the court to order the owners to clean it up immediately or face thousand-dollar-a-day penalties until the laundry list of problems are remedied.

In early December, two men were shot and another man was injured (after he jumped out a window to escape being shot) at the Orange Extended Stay Motel on Finnell Street in Northwest Dallas, near Northwest Highway and N. Stemmons Freeway. Several residents told our Naheed Rajwani at the time they feel unsafe at the Orange and that, perhaps, it was time to move away from the crime-ridden (and poorly reviewed) hotel. Said one woman, â€œIâ€™m scared, and I donâ€™t want to end up losing my life being in this area.â€

She had good reason to be concerned: On May 30, someone was shot to death at the hotel.

The city of Dallas has had enough, and late Thursday filed suit against the owners of the motel that looks decent enough on the outside but is anything but on the inside, according to the City Attorneyâ€™s Office. The city wants the court to order the owners â€” Carrollton-based Dynasty Hotel Group â€” to clean it up immediately or face thousand-dollar-a-day penalties until the laundry list of problems are remedied.

â€œThe relatively well kept facade of this business belies the abhorrent physical conditions, habitual drug offenses, and violent crime that have pervaded its interior and for which the property has become known,â€ says the suit, signed by Assistant City Attorney Melissa Miles.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1KkzKtx

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

Tagged as Arrest, City Attorney, Credit Cards, Crime, Dallas, Dallas Hotel, Drug Use, Employees, Fire, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Illnesses, Injuries, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Motels, Northwest Dallas, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Police Department, Property Damage, Prostitution, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Surveillance, Texas, Theft, TripAdvisor, Violent Crime

by Ida | July 10, 2015 · 10:09 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Patel v L.A. and What it Means for Hotel Operators”

â€œIt was being used to circumvent case law and proper court procedure to obtain privacy information,â€ Seiders said. â€œThe police were using these local laws to avoid having to go through judicial review. I think thatâ€™s where it became abusive.

More than a decade ago, a group of hotel owners sued Los Angeles. Now their actions have caused reverberations in hotels throughout the country.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 22 in City of Los Angeles v. Patel that the police practice of asking for a hotelâ€™s guest registry without a warrant is unconstitutional.

â€œItâ€™s certainly providing privacy protection and extending it to companies, both to the company owner and the guests that are there. Itâ€™s certainly a win for the hotels,â€ Attorney Dana Kravetz said.

â€œThis is going to have widespread impact â€“ and already has had widespread impact â€“ on a host of cities and really the industry at large. Itâ€™s a powerful decision. It really sets it out pretty clearly as to what the police can or cannot do.â€

This ruling goes beyond Los Angeles as so many other U.S. cities have similar ordinances, said Kravetz, managing partner of Michelman & Robinson and chair of the law firmâ€™s hospitality group.

â€œItâ€™s really a great day for the hotel industry,â€ said Frank Weiser, the attorney for the group of hotel owners (Patel). â€œItâ€™s a great day for businesses throughout America.â€

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1L35AJP

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

Tagged as AAHOA, Arrest, CH&LA, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Fourth Amendment, Fresh Pursuit Law, Google, Guest Safety, Harassment, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Operators, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotelier, Hotels, Injuries, Insurance, Judicial System, Law Enforcement, Lawsuit, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Municipal Code, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Patel v L.A., Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Security, Supreme Court, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, Todd Seiders, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Warrant, Warrantless Searches

by Ida | June 18, 2015 · 8:34 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hoteliers Need to Own Their Property Website”

While low cost and minimal fees are an appealing draw, rental websites are a classic example of a scenario in which one gets what one pays for, but in this case, possibly even less since the ownership of the site and what hoteliers are putting funds toward is not theirs at the end of the day. This doesnâ€™t even take into account the additional shortcomings seen from rented hotel websites such as no search engine optimization, little service or support following the initial set-up, a limited number of site pages, photos or content and so on.

The hospitality industry has seen a number of agencies offering hoteliers a low-cost, low-budget website that they can rent. It has been widely noted that these agencies, which promise all of the bells and whistles associated with investing thousands of dollars and development resources, often leave hoteliers in the lurch after the deal is done.

Why? A number of reasons, but perhaps the most important is that agencies that rent hotel websites do not provide hoteliers with true ownership of their content which becomes problematic as explained below.

It should come as no surprise that a hotelâ€™s digital assets should be owned by the property, however, the subject of digital ownership seems to be overlooked by hoteliers doing business with rental agencies. Hoteliersâ€™ ownership should reach past the physical ownership of their property to include their digital content and here is why:

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1FoRs6F

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Tagged as Credit Cards, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Digital Branding, Digital Marketing, 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 websites, hotel workers, hoteliers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, Online Marketing, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, search engine optimization, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Theft

by Ida | June 16, 2015 · 10:16 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Protect Your Property from Common Industry Scams”

To prevent any type of scam, Bragiel suggests that hoteliers establish reliable contacts within banks, businesses, and the hotelâ€™s credit card processor. That way, if questions of authenticity arise, the front desk staff can turn to trusted sources. â€œWhen in doubt, we always encourage our members to check with the folks they have relationships with,â€ says Bragiel

It could be disguised as a typical guest interaction: Someone checks in under a corporate account that does not require a credit card, only for management to later realize the guest was not an employee of the company. Or, it could be someone whose credit card fails to go through, so he or she provides the clerk with a false authorization code. Both of these scenarios are common lodging industry scams, pulled by con artists who exploit front desk protocols to get a free stay, and oftentimes managers donâ€™t even know what happened until the guest is long gone.

Fraud is a growing issue in the United States, with retailers losing $32 million in 2014 to credit card scamming, up from $23 million in 2013, according to a recent Business Insider report. For hoteliers to avoid becoming a victim of one of these cons, it is important that they not only recognize the signs of common industry scams but also learn how to be proactive in protecting a property from vulnerability.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1GKYRTh

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

Tagged as Arrest, Credit Card Scam, Credit Cards, Credit Fraud, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Employees, Fraud, Guest Safety, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Scams, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Lodging Magazine, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Scams, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Scams, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Theft

by Ida | June 11, 2015 · 9:14 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “3 Ways the Hotel Industry is Changing”

â€œWeâ€™re under attack right now,â€ he said. â€œWeâ€™re under direct attack. Weâ€™ve got Expedia and Orbitz planning a merger. They have 75% of the online marketplace. This is like the Klingons and Romulans teaming up together.”…David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western International, said he is not surprised to see consolidation among online travel agencies considering that some hotel companies are consolidating, too.

J. Allen Smith has a problem.

â€œI keep feeling: â€˜What should I be worried about?â€™â€ the president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts said Tuesday during a general session â€œThe leaders forumâ€ panel at the 37th annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference.

â€œYouâ€™re mindful of a plethora of risks. None of them seems to be materializing in a way that seems to be disrupting anything, but you have to be mindful of them,â€ he said

Smithâ€™s comment succinctly summed up the sentiment on Day Two of the NYU Conference. With the industry hitting on all cylinders, it can be difficult to find things to be concerned about.

Difficult, but not impossible it turns out, as top leaders from around the industry discussed their biggest concerns in this part of the cycle. One of the recurring themes throughout the three-hour long series of morning general sessions had to do with how the hotel industry itself is in transition.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1MsNG1s

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

Tagged as Best Western International, Credit Cards, Crime, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Digital Branding, Digital Marketing, Employees, Expedia, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Guest Experience, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, hotel companies, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Industry, Hotel News Now, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Injuries, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, Online Branding, Online Marketing, Online Marketplace, online travel agencies, Orbitz, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Property Damage, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Surveillance, Technology, Theft, TripAdvisor

by Ida | June 1, 2015 · 11:51 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Is Your Hotel Properly Collecting and Preserving Incident Related Evidence ?”

Videos can make or break a case. For example, in one case, video footage clearly showed that the plaintiff initiated the fist fight that was at the heart of his lawsuit. The video would have absolved the hotel from all liability, but the hotel failed to properly preserve this key piece of evidence.As a result, the case had to be settled instead of vigorously defended. Further, as digital surveillance systems continue to become the industry standard, judges have been less forgiving when it comes to claims that the pertinent footage was either lost or never preserved.

By the time a case reaches an attorneyâ€™s desk, all too often pertinent evidence either has been lost â€” or was never collected in the first place. Californiaâ€™s statute of limitations for a personal lawsuit is two years; consequently, an attorneyâ€™s first involvement in an incident on your property usually happens more than two years after the incident has occurred. If your hotel or resort has not properly gathered and preserved evidence, it becomes very challenging to recreate what transpired. Hence, it is imperative that; your hotel have formal written evidence retention policies; that first responders and security teams are properly trained on how to gather the evidence; and that hotel staff take steps to ensure that this evidence is preserved. Failing to collect and preserve evidence can turn a defensible case into a major settlement.

For more:Â http://bit.ly/1FPnjkz

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Filed under Crime, Employee Practices, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Insurance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as Arrest, Credit Cards, Crime, Crisis Management, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Death, Document Retention, Employees, Evidence, Fire, Guest Safety, Health Hazards, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Lawyer, Hospitality Risk Solutions, Hotel Employees, Hotel Guest, Hotel Incident, Hotel Industry, Hotel Safety, Hotel Security, Hotel Staff, hotel workers, Hotels, Housekeepers, Illnesses, Incident Report, Injuries, Insurance, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, Legal Risks, Liability, Managing Risk, Mobile Technology, Motels, P3, Petra Risk Solutions, Pool and Spa Safety, Property Damage, Restaurant Employees, Restaurants, Risk Management, Security, Spoliation of Evidence, Surveillance, Swimming Pools, Technology, Theft, Videos

Tag Archives: Theft

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “DIY Not the Answer with Hotel Technology”

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Are You Ready For EMV Card Adoption?”

Hospitality Industry Conference Update: “2015 CTSSA Fraud Conference”

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Northwest Dallas Hotel is â€˜hub for drug use, prostitution and violent crime,â€™ Says City Hall”

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Patel v L.A. and What it Means for Hotel Operators”

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Hoteliers Need to Own Their Property Website”

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Protect Your Property from Common Industry Scams”

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Is Your Hotel Properly Collecting and Preserving Incident Related Evidence ?”

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