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Why 100’s of thousands of tourists are vulnerable to theft or worse.
Category Archives: Guest Issues
Hospitality Industry Security Risks: "Hacking Hotel Locks In Seconds With Cheap Tools" (ABC News Video)
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Filed under Guest Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Theft
Hospitality Industry Security Risk Management: Hotels Face Increased Risk Of "Guestroom Burglaries" From Electronic Door Lock Hacking Devices
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
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Filed under Guest Issues, Insurance, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Theft, Training
Hospitality Industry Health Risks: North Carolina Restaurant Settles "Food Contamination" Class-Action Lawsuit For $375,000; Hundreds Had To Be Vaccinated For Hepatitis Virus
“…the lawsuit alleged that the restaurant chain exposed customers to potentially contaminated food or people, cost them wages and medical expenses, and caused fear and physical pain…a $375,000 fund has been set up by 
the restaurant’s parent company… to settle a class-action lawsuit…”
A lawsuit has been settled involving hundreds of people who had to be vaccinated after eating at a Fayetteville restaurant last year. The Fayetteville Observer reported those who were immunized after eating at the Olive Garden restaurant are eligible for payments of up to $250.
Hundreds of people got vaccinations after learning that one of the restaurant’s workers had tested positive for the virus, which causes liver inflammation.
Florida-based GMRI denied any wrongdoing but said it wanted to settle to end the litigation.
For more:Â http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/174592761.html
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Filed under Food Illnesses, Guest Issues, Health, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership
Hospitality Industry Property Risks: North Carolina Hotel Fire Caused By "Electrical Short In Air Conditioner"; 18 Rooms And $15,000 In Damage
“…Officials said 18 rooms were destroyed after an electrical short in an air conditioner unit caused a fire in a 
room on the third floor…about $15,000 in property damage and about $30,000 in content damage was reported…”
Fire officials said 18 adults were displaced and one injury was reported after a hotel fire Tuesday night in Winston-Salem. Authorities said 24 firefighters from various units had the situation under control within about 30 minutes.
Authorities said the Red Cross responded and the victims were moved to the Quality Inn in Winston-Salem and the Village Inn in Clemmons. Details on the reported injury were not released.
For more:Â http://myfox8.com/2012/10/17/officials-18-adults-displaced-in-winston-salem-hotel-fire/
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Filed under Claims, Fire, Guest Issues, Insurance, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership
Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Texas Hotel Sued For "Negligence" After Man Slips And Falls Down Flight Of Stairs; Failure To Post Warning Of Wet Carpet
“…According to the lawsuit, the hotel had washed, shampooed or cleaned its carpets prior to Steele’s arrival and left them in a wet and slippery condition without any warning to Steele…”
The defendant is accused of negligence for failing to inspect its premises to be sure that they were free of unreasonably dangerous conditions, dry its floors after cleaning, limit access to areas in which the floors were not yet dry, warn its invitees of the existence of the wet floors, select and hire competent contractors in such a way as to ensure that they were not creating an unreasonable risk of harm to invitees.
A Louisiana man has filed a lawsuit against the owners of a Comfort Inn claiming that they failed to warn him that the carpet was wet, which caused him to fall down an entire flight of stairs. Walter Steele filed suit against Laxmi Lodging Inc. on Oct. 12 in the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.
The incident occurred on Sept. 9, 2012 as Steele was attempting to exit a Comfort Inn in Palestine, Texas, owned by the defendant by the way of the staircase when his foot slipped on the wet flooring causing him to fall down an entire flight of stairs and onto the concrete floor. Â The fall caused Steele serious and permanent disabling injuries to his back and spine.
The plaintiff is seeking damages for medical expenses, lost earnings, physical impairment, pain, suffering, mental anguish, and lost earning capacity.
For more:Â http://setexasrecord.com/news/275705-hotel-owner-sued-after-patron-falls-down-flight-of-stairs
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Filed under Claims, Guest Issues, Injuries, Insurance, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management
Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Washington Restaurant Closed Down By Health Department After Confirmation Of Salmonella Poisoning
“…(the Health Department) closed the restaurant this morning as a further precaution to reduce the risk of Salmonella spreading to others. Our staff is interviewing employees and patrons to learn more about the 
possible source of this outbreak, such as a contaminated food source.â€
The Clark County Public Health Department is closing the On the Border Mexican restaurant in Vancouver, Washington after an outbreak of Salmonellaamong patrons. The restaurant is located at 1505 SE 164th Avenue. So far, there are 11 confirmed cases and 5 probable cases associated with this outbreak. Public health officials are asking that anyone who ate at the restaurant between September 20 and October 8, 2012 and experiencing symptoms of salmonellosis contact a health care provider.
The symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include diarrhea, which may be bloody, fever, chills, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. People usually become ill one to three days after infection. Attorney Elliot Olsen said, “facilities that sell food are supposed to ensure that their product is safe. Food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria is not fit to eat.â€
Since Salmonella infections can spread person-to-person, government officials are stressing the need for thorough hand-washing after using the bathroom, and before and during food preparation. Anyone who is ill should stay home and not prepare food until their symptoms have disappeared.
For more:Â http://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2012/vancouver-wa-mexican-restaurant-on-the-border-closed-after-salmonella-outbreak/
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Filed under Food Illnesses, Guest Issues, Health, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management
Hospitality Industry Fire Safety Risks: South Carolina Hotels Implement "Preventative Maintenance" Program Including Housekeeping Checking Smoke Detectors After Guests Depart
“…the resort says it follows a detailed preventative maintenance program with a 300 item checklist, ensuring that everything from electric outlets to appliances inside guest rooms are safe to use…upon the departure of 
each guest, housekeeping is instructed to check the smoke detector for safety to make sure it’s still in working condition…”
Studies show that working smoke detectors cut your chance of dying in a fire by half.
When it comes to hotel fire safety, Springmaid Beach Resort on Ocean Blvd learned just how important smoke detectors are, after a small electrical fire broke out in the boiler room this past summer.
“We had to clear all those rooms out of people that were right around it and move them to a different property,” says Donald Hovis, the marketing manager for the establishment.
It’s a safety measure more hotels are starting to do. In Georgetown, the fire department has teamed up with hotels requiring cleaning staff to check smoke detectors after each guest checks out of the room. The staff also leaves a card stating the test has been done for the next occupant to see.
While Myrtle Beach doesn’t require it, the fire department says it’s been working with hotels for years on getting housekeeping to check the devices, and the fire marshal says he’s confident Grand Strand hotels are ensuring guests’ safety.
Several hotels we checked with along Ocean Boulevard say they check them regularly. Hovis says following this summer’s small fire, they learned another valuable lesson.
For more:Â http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/19806893/grand-strand-hotels-reveal-fire-safety-plan
Filed under Fire, Guest Issues, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training
Hospitality Industry Employment Risks: High Hotel Employee Turnover Rates Increase Operating Expenses While Lowering Customer Service Experience And Guest Loyalty
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Filed under Guest Issues, Risk Management, Training
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.
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Filed under Fire, Guest Issues, Injuries, Insurance
Hospitality Industry Information Security Risks: Hotel's Guest's Credit Cards Are Targets For "Identity Thiefs" From "Mulitple Charges" During Stay
“…hotels have lots of employees — and many of them have access to the credit card and other personal information of guests. No matter how well trained and supervised, more personnel correlates to greater risk. The 
fact that low-level employees typically have access to key guest information, and that there is, historically, a high turnover in hotel employees, exacerbates the problem…”
Hotels are obvious targets for identity and financial theft for many reasons. Hotels transact business through credit cards, and those credit cards are kept on file and can be accessed multiple times during a guest’s stay. The possibility that a credit card charge will be recorded occurs with each night’s room charge, room service, bar or restaurant bill, spa charge, and so on. Every charge is another opportunity for an identity thief to access the information using sophisticated computer hacks and other malicious software, generally without the hotel’s knowledge.
The need to respond to guest demands is another source of insecurity. The Identity Theft Resource Center noted, “The ability to connect to the Internet is an integral part of many individuals daily life. This has led to the increased demand for public WiFi.” As a result, hotels find themselves compelled to offer wireless internet, and that service is almost always unsecured. But an unsecured wireless network is “just as dangerous as leaving files of your most important personal documents on a street curb for all to see. Hackers can easily get into an unsecured wireless network and get financial information, business records or sensitive e-mails.” (PC World, “Got Wireless Security”, http://www.pcworld.com/article/125040/got_wireless_security.html). At the same time, hotels have little say in the matter. Guests demand wireless internet service.
Some security researchers have described a wave of attacks against the hospitality industry. In 2010, the cybersecurity consultant Trustwave found that in 38% of its investigations, hotels and resorts were the victims of successful cyber intrusions, despite those firms only representing 3% of its customers. Hotels represent a disproportionate number of security breaches.
For more:Â http://hotellaw.jmbm.com/2012/10/liability_for_guest_information_.html
Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Theft
