by | February 17, 2011 · 12:20 pm

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotels Increasingly Going "Smoke-Free" As Guests Demand "Healthy Environments"

The American Hotel & Lodging Association says, however, that there are 50,800 lodgings of 15 or more rooms throughout the country. Many lodgings not rated by AAA are likely to be smoke-free, says AAA’s Michael Petrone.

A growing number of state and local governments have recently passed laws restricting smoking in hotels and other public places. And AAA, which annually inspects lodgings and has the most extensive list of smoke-free ones, approves and rates only about 31,000 lodgings.

  • Westin Hotels & Resorts said it was responding to guests’ demands for a healthy environment and became the first chain to go smoke-free at its U.S. hotels.
  • Marriott, the nation’s largest hotel company, made nearly all its more than 2,500 U.S. hotels smoke-free several months later.
  • Marriott subsidiary The Ritz-Carlton, Walt Disney, Sheraton, Comfort Suites and a few other chains followed with all smoke-free U.S. hotels.”

We will continue to see either properties go entirely smoke-free or increase non-smoking rooms not only in the United States but around the world,” says Joe McInerney, president of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.Hyatt Hotels & Resorts — which has two smoke-free brands, Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites — agrees.

“The smoke-free hotel trend has finally caught up with the rest of the movement,” says Bronson Frick, associate director of the Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights. “Airlines went smoke-free in 1990, and California was the first state to enact a strong smoke-free law that included restaurants and bars in 1994. It took the hotel industry until 2006 to catch on that there was public demand and support for smoke-free hotels.”

For more:  http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/story/2011/02/More-hotels-go-completely-smoke-free/43823744/1

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by | February 16, 2011 · 4:18 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: The 2012 "Americans With Disabilities Act" (ADA) Update Will Impact Hotel Ballrooms, Gyms, Spas And Employee Areas

“…the changes that are most significant to the hotel industry will affect public spaces, such as ballrooms and assembly areas, gyms, spas and employee areas…”

“…the current standards mandate that if you have six toilet compartments in a restroom, not only does one have to be a large ADA stall, but you have to have a second ADA stall that’s designed for people who have mobility issues. The second stall must be narrower and have rails on both sides…”

The new requirements take effect on 15 March 2012. Because the new rules will not be requirements for more than a year, any new development or remodeling completed before the new law goes into effect will be considered compliant.

The new standard is triggered by six fixtures, not compartments, in any combination of toilets or urinals. If the bathroom has only two stalls, one has to be the big ADA stall and the other has to be for those with mobility problems.

Other changes, according to sources:

  • The amount of counter space provided in the bathrooms of accessible rooms must be equivalent to the space provided in non-accessible rooms.
  • There is more explicit information about the acceptable depth of counters, which would apply to registration counters and counters in retail areas.
  • Swimming areas and spas are subject to expanded rules on accessible routes. Depending on the size of the pool, there may be a requirement for more than one access route into the pool, such as a ramp and stairs with handrails.
  • If there are multiple elevators that respond to the same call button, all elevators must be compliant instead of just one so that someone in a wheelchair doesn’t have to wait for the accessible one.
  • The disabled must be able to make reservations for guestrooms in the same manner as anyone else; if a hotel has an online system, they have to be able to reserve an accessible room online.
  • There are increased requirements for accessible routes within buildings.
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by | February 15, 2011 · 8:49 am

Hospitality Industry Data Security: Hotel And Restaurant Management Should Consider "Tokenization" For Credit Cards And Sensitive Data

“…tokenization is a data security model that generates surrogate values, called tokens, to replace sensitive data—credit card numbers, for example—in applications and database fields. The sensitive data is simultaneously encrypted and stored in a central data vault, where it can be unlocked only with proper authorization credentials...”

In 2011…expect to see many more mid-sized to large enterprises adopt tokenization more broadly to protect many other types of sensitive information, including electronic health records (EHR).

It does this by removing sensitive data from applications and databases, which has the added benefit of reducing scope for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) compliance audits.  Over the past couple of years, the tokenization data security model has taken its rightful place alongside data encryption, and it is well on its way to becoming a commonplace solution for credit card protection.

What’s more, a particular version of tokenization—Format Preserving Tokenization™—is equally adept at protecting personally identifiable information (PII) and electronic health records (EHR) to help organizations comply with data privacy laws like the EU Data Privacy Directive and HIPAA.

For more:  http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/201107/6818/RSAC-2011-Data-Security-Wunderkind-Tokenization

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by | February 14, 2011 · 3:48 pm

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: "Bed Bug" Workshops Planned By Hotel Industry Association And National Pest Management Association (NPMA)

http://www.npmapestworld.org/

From identifying bed bugs to inspection techniques to public relations issues and legal ramifications, nationally-recognized experts will provide management tips to help hoteliers make informed decisions and stay out of the newspaper – and the courtroom. Many of AH&LA’s partner state associations are assisting in providing local speakers to lead hotel-specific discussions. Additionally, a marketplace component enables attendees to learn latest in bed bug products and management services. And, AH&LA members can earn recertification points by attending.

“Although last year’s headlines of bedbugs have abated, our industry and others are grabbling with how to best combat this most resilient pest,” said AH&LA President/CEO Joe McInerney. “From developing a targeted action plan to having an effective media response plan in place, these workshops will provide hoteliers with invaluable resources.”

For more:  http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4050187.html

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by | February 13, 2011 · 1:56 pm

Hotel Industry Pool Safety: Two Small Boys Nearly Drown In "Extremely Crowded" Pool Conditions At New York Hotel Pool

“They were both breathing when they left the pool,” said Cheektowaga Sgt. Brian Gould. “I know the one kid was coughing up water. The other was a little more serious.”

Two boys were rushed to the hospital late Saturday night after nearly drowning at a hotel pool in Cheektowaga. The boys, ages 9 and 10, were taken to Women and Children’s Hospital after the incident in the Millennium Hotel pool on Walden Avenue. Both are expected to live, according to Cheektowaga police.

Police and emergency crews were called to the hotel at 2040 Walden Ave., near the Walden Galleria, at about 9:45 p. m. Saturday for the report of a possible drowning, police officials said. The hotel pool was “extremely crowded” when, at some point, the two boys went under water, Gould said.

Police are still trying to determine what happened and what the boys were doing at the time they went under. Gould credited some of the people at the pool for their quick action, which probably saved the lives of the two boys.

For more:  http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/cheektowaga/article340606.ece

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by | February 12, 2011 · 9:05 am

Hotel Industry Guest Issues: Hotel's Must Establish Overnight "Pet" Policies Including Fees, Deposits, Allowable Dog Breeds And Size, Vaccination Requirements, And Damage Liability (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO5Fqc5kuQc]

Consumer Reports magazine finds more hotels are making their rooms pet friendly.

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by | February 10, 2011 · 10:40 am

Hotel Industry Risks: Sprinkler System Extinguishes Fire In A Tennessee Hotel Room Caused By Criminal "Meth Lab" Operation

“…Clarksville Fire Rescue and Emergency Medical Services responded to a fire alarm at the Value Place Inn… By the time emergency crews arrived, the sprinkler system had extinguished the fire…”

“The temperature in that room had to reach at least 155 degrees for the sprinkler system to come on,” Williams said. “We suspected that it was things used to cook meth.”

 

“…This is the second meth lab bust in a hotel in the past few months…”

A search of his room uncovered a burned bathtub, a one-gallon can of camp fuel and the burned remains of a plastic Coke bottle. There was also a strong odor of camp fuel coming from the room, Williams said. The man had second- and third-degree burns on his face, neck, chest and both arms, Williams said. The man was sedated and transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s burn unit. He man has not been identified, and his condition is unknown at this time.

The Drug Task Force was called in and blocked off an entire wing of the hotel. “We found what was left of a meth lab that caught fire, and it had also injured the subject that was in the room,” said Lt. Jesse Reynolds, director of the 19th Judicial District Drug Task Force. “We removed the evidence, and a cleanup crew was called out to pick up the components.”

For more:  http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20110210/NEWS01/102100309

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by | February 9, 2011 · 8:36 am

Hospitality Industry Health Issues: Hotel Management Must Recognize The Growing Importance Of Having "Smoke-Free" Rooms And Public Spaces As Publicized By Websites Such As "FreshStay.com"

“…FreshStay.com will only list hotels that are 100% smoke-free as part of its industry-leading directory of  non-smoking hotels…”

“…members of FreshStay.com have eliminated smoking not just in guest rooms, but also all meeting rooms, restaurants and other public spaces…”
 

“The difference between a non-smoking room and a 100% smoke-free hotel can make all the difference to a health conscious traveler, or to the growing number of Americans who suffer from allergies, asthma and other sensitivities,” says Ray Burger, Founder of FreshStay. “Members of FreshStay.com consistently receive outstanding feedback from their guests, which is why we always say Frequent Breathers prefer FreshStay. Those guests are then more likely to return because they know their room will be clean and smoke-free every time – guaranteed.”

Below are states with smoke-free laws and the percentage of rooms that must be “smoke-free”: 

  • 100 percent: Michigan, Wisconsin
  • 80 percent: Arkansas (only if there are more than 25 units), Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska (see story), New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio
  • 75 percent: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington
  • 65 percent: Montana
  • 50 percent: Arizona, Louisiana (casinos and gaming centers excluded), Rhode Island
  • 35 percent: California 

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article52093.html

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by | February 8, 2011 · 10:29 am

Hotel Industry Pool And Spa Risks: Michigan Hotel Faces Legal Issues After Guests Develop Skin Rashes From Bacterial “Accumulation Of Growth” After Pool And Spa Not Properly Backwashed And Chlorinated

A hockey team and parents from Illinois stayed at the hotel Jan. 18 and 19, and all 11 boys who went in the water developed a rash within 24 hours, said …a mother of one of the boys.

“…the health department inspected the pool Jan. 20 and told hotel managers that the pool and spa had to be backwashed. Managers were told to change the method used to chlorinate the water…”

“…she is retaining an attorney to compel the hotel to reimburse the traveling party for its rooms and medical bills…”

The hot tub at Holiday Inn-Southgate Banquet & Conference Center was closed for one day recently after several 7- and 8-year-old boys got bumpy, red rashes. According to Wayne County Department of Public Health documents, the tub and pool were inspected after a parent’s complaint and health officials told hotel management to close the tub for maintenance.

The investigation found a bacterial “accumulation of growth” on the hot tub and pool filter, and the hotel also had to sanitize those. The hot tub also was drained.

According to the health department, the hotel followed all of the changes and recommendations, and the hot tub was reopened the next day.

LoPresti said the hockey group received a gift certificate for one night’s stay free at the hotel for its inconvenience, but she doesn’t find that acceptable. “We wanted answers, (and) corporate and (the) local manager will not return the team’s calls,” she said. LoPresti said she did receive an e-mail from hotel management explaining its cleaning procedures and apologizing for any discomfort.

LoPresti said she is retaining an attorney to compel the hotel to reimburse the traveling party for its rooms and medical bills.

For more:  http://thenewsherald.com/articles/2011/02/08/news/doc4d4c7aeb6802b829841452.txt?viewmode=fullstory

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by | February 7, 2011 · 7:29 pm

Hotel Industry Security Risks: Importance Of Security Cameras And Securely-Locked Doors Seen In Robbery And Assault Of Louisiana Hotel Guests

It’s believed the two men by-passed the front desk and slipped into the hotel through the back door as someone else was leaving. Security cameras show they went directly to the elevator and proceeded to the 6th floor.

The Sleep Inn Hotel in Kenner is where police say three guests were terrorized inside their 6th floor hotel room. Security cameras are posted in all public areas of the hotel.

That’s how detectives obtained pictures of the men they say robbed the victims at gunpoint and took off. “We know there was some property taken but we don’t have a whole lot of information about that right now,” says McInnis.

WGNO Reporter, Darian Trotter says, “The fact that there were other guests on the 6th floor, but no other robberies reported, leads investigators to believe the victims may have been targeted.”

Lt. McInnis says he showed the victims pictures from security cameras. “They said these are the two individuals who burst into the room carrying firearms and robbed us,” McInnis says. He says the victims had never seen the gunmen before, and therefore did not know their names or any information that might help police identify them.

For more:  http://www.neworleans.com/news/local-news/559140.html

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