Category Archives: Guest Issues

by | January 30, 2012 · 9:07 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Hotel Owners And Management Will Face Numerous Compliance And Regulatory Issues In 2012

“The biggest issue hotel managers face in the coming year vis-à-vis the law is compliance with the myriad applicable statutes, rules and duties owed…”

A hotel faces potential legal consequences for all of the following:

  • negligence in the maintenance of its premises
  • failure to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum pay, overtime pay, equal pay, child labor)
  • discrimination against employees based on minority status
  • denial of services to guests perceived as illegal discrimination
  • contending with internet reviews, disagreements with a franchisor
  • overstepping bounds with unions
  • misapplying tip pools
  • eradicating bed bugs and other pests
  • dram shop violations
  • food issues
  • security concerns
  • insufficient insurance
  • trademark and copyright violations
  • securing and maintaining necessary business licenses
  • tax obligations
  • sanitation issues in spas
  • contract disagreements with suppliers
  • guests’ rights to privacy
  • SEC mandates
  • Managing employees to ensure compliance with all of the above, and much more.

For more:  http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4054640.html

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by | January 28, 2012 · 6:33 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Risks: Florida Hotel Employee Arrested For "Grand Theft" Of Laptops And Smartphones Over Past 18 Months

After nearly a year and a half, Orange County detectives have cracked a case they said involves thousands of dollars in theft from convention-goers and exhibitors at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.

Rodney Hyppolite was arrested this week and charged with grand theft in the case. Some of the crimes he’s accused of date back to August 2010.

Police reports show Hyppolite admitted to stealing laptops, smartphones and other electronics while he was working at the International Drive-area hotel.

He’s also charged with theft from a local Lowe’s store. Cops said Hyppolite profited by selling the electronics at a variety of local pawn shops — mostly Cash America locations. Investigators even matched the suspect’s fingerprints to documents from the pawn shops before getting his confession.

For more:  http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/sheriff-employee-busted-serial-thief-rosen-resort/nHJfh/

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by | January 27, 2012 · 6:59 am

Hospitality Industry Online Risks: Minnesota Hotel Manager Assists Police In Arrest Of Man Running "Online Escort Service At Hotel"

A 34-year-old Columbia Heights man is charged with promoting the prostitution of a 17-year-old girl – after a hotel manager found information about the man’s escort service online.

Samuel Cozart was charged Thursday in Ramsey County. According to the complaint, Cozart approached a man in the Days Inn Hotel in Roseville on Tuesday and asked where he could get fake identification for a girl staying with him.

The man happened to be the boyfriend of a hotel employee. So he told the hotel manager, who went online to investigate. The complaint says the manager found information about an escort service it seemed Cozart was running, and went to police.

Cozart’s attorney was in court Thursday and did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

For more:  http://www.keyc.tv/story/16610438/hotel-manager-leads-police-to-prostitution-arrest

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by | January 26, 2012 · 11:53 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: "High-End New York Hotels" Found To Have Bed Bugs

The Ritz is just the latest swanky hotel to report finding the blood-suckers in one of its rooms. Guests have previously complained about bedbugs at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Bedbugs have been spotted at the luxury Ritz-Carlton New York, reports The New York Times. A guest reported the pesky discovery to the front desk Sunday, and hotel management subsequently called an exterminator to rid the room of the creepy crawlers.

Guests in rooms next to the infested area, as well as those above and below it, were transferred to other accommodations and hotel workers received bedbug training, reports the Times.

Scott Geraghty, the hotel’s general manager, told the paper the problem had been remedied.

“Bedbugs are inevitable,” Geraghty said. “They’re brought in by guests and come in on luggage or things of that matter.”

For more:  http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Bedbug-Ritz-Carlton-Hotel-New-York-City-Infest-138120308.html

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by | January 25, 2012 · 1:38 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Texas Hotel's Insurance Company Sues "Irresponsible Hotel Guests" For Causing Fire Sprinklers To Flood 39 Rooms On Four Floors

“…the defendants damaged the hotel by hanging clothes on a fire sprinkler head mounted to the wall…the hanger broke the glass tube component in the sprinkler, which caused it to activate and release enough water to flood 39 rooms on four floors, a workout room and four corridors…”

An insurance company is suing over claims irresponsible hotel guests in River Oaks activated a sprinkler system, causing 39 rooms to flood. Lexington Insurance, on behalf of RLJ Development, filed a lawsuit on Monday, Jan. 23 in the Harris County District Court against Al J. Mizrahie, doing business as Belladonna U.S.A., and others, citing negligence.

Carpets, padding, drywall, baseboards, bedding, furniture and fixtures were damaged during the incident, the plaintiff claims.

For more:  http://ultimatemontrose.com/stories/315610-guests-accused-of-flooding-39-rooms-at-river-oaks-hampton-inn

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by | January 22, 2012 · 8:39 pm

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Wisconsin Hotel "Stairwell Pipe Bursts" On Seventh Floor Damaging Eight Rooms

“… a pipe broke in a stairwell. Water poured out for at least ten minutes and ended up in the basement of the hotel.  Eight guest rooms had water logged carpets which will have to be torn out…”

The Pfister Hotel is dealing with a mess after a pipe burst and several rooms flooded Saturday. Clean up crews spent the day at the historic hotel in downtown Milwaukee Saturday.

Fans were brought in to help dry out other areas. The hotel itself is still open.  But the burst pipe foiled Tammy Spoek’s day at the hotel’s spa.  “I was down at the spa and i was hearing that there was water. Water’s coming from the ceilings. So she came to me and said Tammy, I’m really sorry but we’re going to have to cancel your appointment,” Tammy said.

Spoek says it appeared the pipe broke somewhere near the seventh floor.

Hotel management says they believe the burst pipe is due to the cold temperatures the last few days.

The Pfister’s computer system apparently went down.  But the hotel and its restaurants did remain open.

For more:  http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/137827354.html

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by | January 21, 2012 · 1:56 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Missouri Hotel Fire Started By "Overloaded Electrical Cord"; 80-Year Old Building "Still Had Original Wiring"

The fire is believed to be electrical, but Noah said he doesn’t expect to determine the exact cause of the fire because the room “flashed over” during the fire. This can produce heat as high as 930 degrees.

“The building was built in 1927, and it still has the original wiring in the building,” Orgeron said. “We ask them not to, but you can’t be in everyone’s room all the time. People do break the rules.”

The fire at the Missouri Hotel started in the room of a resident who was using multiple electrical appliances, an official said. Fire marshal Philip Noah said a 48-year-old woman in room 221 had a box fan, stereo and cell phone charger plugged into an electrical cord.

Being able to pinpoint it becomes very difficult,” Noah said. “Really it would take an lectrical engineer”.

For more: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120120/NEWS01/301200068/0/blogs/?odyssey=nav%7Chead

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by | January 20, 2012 · 1:18 am

Hospitality Industry Food Risks: Mexican Restaurant Chain Is Source Of "Salmonella" Outbreak; Food Contamination "Likely" Occurred Prior To Reaching Chain

Investigative efforts were unable to identify a specific food associated with illness, but data indicate that contamination likely occurred before the product reached Restaurant Chain A locations.

CDC collaborated with public health officials in multiple states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections which was associated with eating food from a Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain, Restaurant Chain A. This outbreak now appears to be over.

Public health investigators used DNA “fingerprints” of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, or PFGE, to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. They used data from PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories that performs molecular surveillance of foodborne infections.

For more:  http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/multi-state-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-unnamed-mexican-restaurant-chain/

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by | January 19, 2012 · 6:47 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: "Class-Action Lawsuit" Filed Against New York Hotel And Water Park For "Norovirus Outbreak" Stemming From "Contaminated Food And Pool Water"

“…The state Department of Health documented more than 600 cases of norovirus in March 2008, apparently stemming from contaminated food and pool water at the park’s hotel complex…”

“…alleges that Great Escape, and its parent company Six Flags Inc., failed to maintain proper sanitary conditions and didn’t warn guests once the outbreak became known…”

Attorneys representing more than 100 people filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday in state Supreme Court in Warren County against the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark over a 2008 norovirus outbreak.

“Here, many people, especially children, suffered brief but violent periods of illness,” said Don Boyajian, one of two attorneys representing those who were infected.

Those infected experienced brief but violent fits of vomiting and diarrhea.

Dozens of people filed lawsuits following the incident. Those claims were consolidated into a single case — the class-action lawsuit, which has been in the works since 2009.

Boyajian did not specify the amount of damages being sought. He said damages would depend on the virus’ impact on each individual.

Attorneys representing Great Escape were not available on Wednesday for comment.

Read more: http://poststar.com/news/local/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-great-escape-over-norovirus-outbreak/article_997adaa2-4226-11e1-8bea-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1juoN2fka

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by | January 17, 2012 · 1:40 am

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Hotel Power Outage Checklist” Presented By Director Of Risk Management Todd Seiders Of Petra Risk Solutions (Video)

[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’. 

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.

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