Safety & Security Risks + Cybersecurity Insurance + Business Interruption Coverage + Floor Safety + Protecting Guest Data

The extent of liability to the owner, operator, and insurer of a hotel for any injury to a guest on the premises must always be determined on a case-by-case and state-by-state basis. However, there are some general principles that can be helpful in mitigating risk for each of the aforementioned parties when a guest is injured. It is always important to note that there is, generally, no liability of one party for the criminal acts of another, unless, of course, there is a special relationship. A long-time and widely accepted special relationship exists between an innkeeper and its guest. Another separate, but similar relationship exists between a property owner and an invitee (someone who has come to the property for the benefit of the landowner).

Gone are the days of a single owner/manager of a hotel. There are many fragments to operating, owning, managing, franchising, and insuring hotels and motels with all of the aforementioned tasked with some form of safety and well-being of their employees, guests, and visitors. The handling of each of those fragments is normally contracted away to the person or entity that can most efficiently handle the task.

As the line between hotel operations and hotel technology grows ever blurrier, tech suppliers are looking to assuage any fears their hospitality clients may have about the security of guest data. These concerns are well-founded: A number of hotel companies have had to pay millions in breach-related expenses in recent years.

With everything from property-management systems to reservation systems to in-room entertainment requiring guests to share personal information, hoteliers have to ask their tech partners what kind of security is available—and be sure they’re using the systems correctly.