Category Archives: Management And Ownership

by | September 1, 2012 · 6:06 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Washington Restaurant Fire Caused By "Combustible Items Near Water Heater"; Over $1,000,000 In Damage

 “…the fire was most likely caused by combustible items being stored too close to the water heater…resulting in over $1,000,000 in damage…”

Investigators believe a fire at a Lynnwood restaurant this week started near a water heater, officials said Friday.
The fire broke out about 2 p.m. Wednesday at The Local Yolk at 4025 196th Street SW.

Diners and staffers got out safely, but the fire caused up to $1 million in damage, according to the Lynnwood Fire Department.

Investigators were unable to pinpoint what exactly started the fire. Most likely, it was caused by combustible items being stored too close to the water heater.

For more:  http://heraldnet.com/article/20120831/NEWS01/708319851/-1/NEWS01

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by | August 31, 2012 · 6:29 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Pennsylvania Hotels Victimized By "Con Artist" Who Checked In, Charged Meals To Room And Then Left Without Paying

“…the man who passed as a hapless hotel guest was actually a skilled  con artist who claimed he had been robbed of his wallet to persuade  receptionists to let him have a room…he promised to pay the next day, offering a phony bank  statement as proof that he was good for it…”

Larry Raymond grew accustomed to the high life during his short stays in the  city’s finest hotels, where he dined in restaurants, patronized gift shops and  enjoyed a cup of Starbucks coffee now and then. He ran up hundreds of dollars in tabs — police said he spent more than  $1,500 at the Uptown Marriott — and had it all billed to his room.

But Mr. Raymond never settled up. Mr. Raymond’s lavish run came to an end late Wednesday when police arrested  him in Room 216 of the Cambria Suites in Uptown less than an hour after he  checked in. He told a manager his wallet and credit card had been stolen.

Mr. Raymond, 55, who has no permanent address, spent Thursday in the  Allegheny County Jail. Court records show he was unable to post $50,000  bail.

“He’s a nationwide con artist,” said Detective Jack Mook of the city’s Zone 2  police station, who began investigating Mr. Raymond’s suspicious stay in  Pittsburgh last week when the security director of the Omni William Penn  Downtown told him about a guest who claimed his wallet was stolen and skipped  out on a $753 bill.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/police-arrest-man-who-skipped-several-pittsburgh-hotel-bills-651267/#ixzz258KJUWtK

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by | August 28, 2012 · 6:17 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Health Department Confirms Deaths Of Two Chicago Hotel Guests After Exposure To Bacteria Causing Legionnaires' Disease

“…Health officials said Monday that two people have died of Legionnaires’ disease after being exposed to the bacteria that causes it at the JW Marriott Hotel…”

Last week, the hotel issued a warning to all recent guests, and began the complicated process of notifying the 8,500 guests who stayed there from July 16 through Aug. 15 that they may have been exposed to the bacteria known to cause serious and sometimes fatal bacterial infections, ABC Chicago reports.

The bacteria, Legionella, spreads through the inhalation of contaminated water vapor, and can cause Legionnaire’s disease, a severe form of pneumonia, Fox Chicago reports. Symptoms include headache, chills, chest pain and fever.

The disease often mirrors regular pneumonia, and can only be confirmed by a urine test, infectious disease expert Dr. John Segreti told CBS Chicago. Dr. Kathy Ritger with the Department of Public Health told WBEZ that not all exposures lead to illness, but any recent guests experiencing respiratory problems should seek medical attention.

For more:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/legionnaires-outbreak-kil_n_1834616.html

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by | August 27, 2012 · 6:15 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Multistory Hotels Face Increased Fire Risk From "Elevator Lift Shafts" That Provide "Ready Pathway For Toxic Smoke And Fire" To Travel Upwards

“…lift shafts provide a ready pathway for smoke and fire to travel upwards in multi-storey buildings.  Buoyant fire gases in a lift shaft can quickly fill upper floors, and there is much evidence to suggest that the majority of fatalities in such fires occur on higher floors significantly removed from the seat of the fire…”

Fires involving lift shafts pose particular risk in hotels where there can be large numbers of people, some of whom may be elderly or infirm, and in an unfamiliar place.  In 2007 alone, it’s estimated that one in 12 hotels and motels in the USA suffered a structural fire. 

That was certainly true in 1980 MGM Grand Hotel fire in Las Vegas which claimed 84 lives, the worst disaster in Nevada history.  In that incident, while the fire primarily only damaged the second floor, most of the deaths occurred on the upper floors, with elevator shafts and stairwells allowing toxic smoke to spread upwards.

It’s hard to overestimate the impact this fire had on both our understanding of vertical fire movement and on the building regulations to mitigate against fire risk.  The fire in a garment factory in a tall building claimed 146 lives, and directly led to new laws on building access and egress, fire proofing requirements, the availability of fire extinguishers, the installation of alarm systems and automatic sprinklers.

Under current fire safety legislation it is the responsibility of the person(s) having responsibility for the building to provide a fire safety risk assessment that includes an emergency evacuation plan for all people likely to be in the premises, including disabled people, and how that plan will be implemented. Such an evacuation plan should not rely upon the intervention of the Fire and Rescue Service to make it work.

For more:  http://www.glassonweb.com/news/index/16822/

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by | August 26, 2012 · 6:45 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Hotel And Resort Pool Drain Covers Must Comply With Federal Laws (Video)

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by | August 25, 2012 · 7:38 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Missouri Hotel Roof Fire Results In "Severe Smoke Damage"; Costs Estimated At $20,000

“…(there was a) significant amount of smoke throughout the building…and damage in the lobby…estimated preliminary damage costs to be $20,000, according to the news release…”

A roof fire caused severe smoke damage at the Quality Inn in north Columbia on Tuesday afternoon. Kasey Ryan, a general manager and director of sales at the Quality Inn, said she thought the fire started between noon and 1 p.m.

“We noticed smoke in the lobby,” Ryan said. Guests lingering after a lunch meeting in the motel were asked to evacuate. Columbia Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene shortly after. Firefighters requested a second alarm roughly 20 minutes after their initial arrival, according to a news release. A dozen firefighters, five fire trucks, one ambulance and four police vehicles were present about 2:30 p.m.

Everyone safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.  “We’re just going to go through the process of cleaning up,” Ryan said. Ryan said she hopes the motel will be open in 24 hours, but a reopening date has not been set.

For more:  http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/08/21/fire-department-responds-fire-quality-inn/

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by | August 24, 2012 · 6:15 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: "Tornado-Damaged" Missouri Hotel Reopens After Spending Millions Of Dollars Repairing Windows And Structure

The tornado caused millions of dollars in damage, but no one was seriously injured…even the landscaping was dug up because of fallen glass.

The Hilton Hotel at Branson Landing will officially reopen September 15, more than six months after it was damaged by the Leap Day tornado. Since the February 29 EF-2 twister, 3,400 energy-efficient replacement windows have been installed at the hotel.

Nearly every piece of furniture and nearly all the carpet in the 12-story hotel will be new. The outside of the hotel will have a new look, too.

The Hiltons of Branson say new thermostats in all the guest rooms have a motion-detector system, allowing the room temperature to return to a pre-set level when the room is not occupied.

The temporary closure cost some team members their jobs. There are plans to rehire staff once the hotel reopens this fall. The Branson Convention Center, which sustained less damage than the adjacent hotel, reopened in the late spring.

For more: http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=691972

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by | August 23, 2012 · 6:05 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Wisconsin Restaurant Owners Sued For $550,000 For "Negligence" In Alcohol-Related Shooting Death Of Patron

“… the defendants (are accused) of violating the Illinois Wrongful Death Act… were negligent for failing to take reasonable actions to protect customers, allowing a patron with weapons to be on the premises and allowing people inside the restaurant who were “quarrelsome, disorderly, hostile and vicious.”

The family says they have lost their means of support while also suffering a loss of society, consortium, guidance and companionship. The Ortizes ask to be awarded more than $550,000 in damages plus courts costs.

A Pontoon Beach restaurant is accused of causing the death of a Granite City man who was shot and killed there last year. Brenda Ortiz, as special administrator of the estate of Jesus Ortiz-Flores, and Luis F. Ortiz filed a lawsuit Aug. 15 in Madison County Circuit Court against La Mexicana Inc., also known as La Mexicana Restaurant Inc., Orlando Gudino, Berzain Gudino and Oscar Guidno. Choteau Properties Inc. is also listed as a defendant.

The 37-page lawsuit stems from a shooting that happened at La Mexicana on Chouteau Trace Parkway in Pontoon Beach on August 19, 2011, the suit states. According to statements made by police to media immediately following the incident, Jesus Ortiz-Flores, 20, was shot once in the head in the parking lot of the La Mexicaca restaurant and died immediately. Plaintiff Luis Ortiz, who was 18 at the time, was allegedly shot multiple times during the incident but survived.

Brenda Ortiz and Luis Ortiz accuse La Mexicana restauraunt, the owners and managers and Choteau Properties, the owner of the building, of directly contributing to the shootings. The Ortizes contend the restaurant served alcohol to the alleged shooter, Fernando Gallegos, 17, allowing him to become intoxicated and then attack Ortiz-Flores, causing his death. They say the defendants’ actions constitute a violation of the Illinois Dram Shop Act.

For more:  http://www.madisonrecord.com/news/246266-la-mexicana-restaurant-in-pontoon-beach-sued-over-shooting-death

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by | August 22, 2012 · 6:56 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Chicago Hotel Is Confirmed As Source For Three Cases Of Legionnaires' Disease

The city and the hotel are notifying the 8,500 guests who stayed there from July 16 through Aug. 15. Authorities say they’ve identified the source of the bacteria and there’s no ongoing health risk.

Health officials say they are investigating three confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ (LEE’-juh-nares) disease among people who stayed at a Chicago hotel. The Chicago Department of Public Health and the JW Marriott Chicago Hotel issued an advisory Tuesday. They say guests with symptoms who stayed at the Adams Street hotel should contact their doctors.

Symptoms include headache, high fever, chills, cough, chest pain and shortness of breath.

The bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease grow in water and can spread through vapor in air-conditioning ducts or mist from a whirlpool spa.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/21/4745192/legionnaires-disease-linked-to.html#storylink=cpy

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by | August 21, 2012 · 6:12 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Illinois Hotel Sued For "Failing To Recognize Signs Of, Inspect And Exterminate Bed Bugs In Guest Rooms"

“…(the lawsuit) is against…Marriott and the former Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Hotel for failing to provide guests with a sanitary rooms, failing to inspect and exterminate rooms and failing to recognize signs of bed bug attacks, among other claims…”

Two women filed a lawsuit Monday in Cook County Circuit Court againstMarriott International Inc.and a now-closed Lisle Marriott Conference Center after claiming they and their respective children received numerous bed bug bites while staying at the hotel last August. April, Safford and the two children stayed at the suburban hotel from Aug. 6 to Aug. 15, 2011, according to the lawsuit.

During her stay at the hotel, April noticed bumps and bites all over her child’s “arms, hands, back, legs and scalp” while helping him get dressed, according to the lawsuit. She brought this to the attention of the manager, who asked if April had made a request for clean sheets, the lawsuit says.

The two women and both children were diagnosed as having “numerous bed bug bites from a significant infestation,” according to the lawsuit.

For more:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/lisle/chi-women-sue-hotel-chain-over-bed-bug-bites-20120820,0,3322080.story

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