How Hoteliers Should Handle Law Enforcement Requests
April 19, 2019 via Hotel News Now
When police come to a hotel looking for guest information without a warrant, front-desk employees and GMs who feel intimidated or who don’t understand the law are likely to comply.
In 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case City of Los Angeles v. Patel, the justices decided 5-4 that the Los Angeles law that required hoteliers to turn over any requested guest information to police on request, even without a warrant, violated the Fourth Amendment, said Charles Spitz, co-chair of Post & Schell’s Hospitality & Retail Practice Group, at the 2019 Hospitality Law Conference.
"It was seen as a huge victory for privacy rights," he said.
Following this decision, hotels generally can’t give up guest information without a warrant, he said. What happens, though, if a front-desk clerk doesn’t know about this decision and shares the information with police?
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Lessons For Hoteliers From Continuing Cyber Threats
April 17, 2019 via Hotel News Now
As data thieves continue to target the hotel industry, an attorney at the 2019 Hospitality Law Conference shares takeaways from recent hotel data breaches.
Report: Two-Thirds Of Hotel Websites Leak Guest Booking Details
April 16, 2019 via Hotel Management
New research from Symantec shows that a majority of hotels—from small independent properties to large five-star resorts and chains—routinely leak detailed guest booking data through third-party advertisers, social media websites, data aggregators and other partners.
In light of the tragic terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, at places of worship and hotels that left over 300 people dead and over 500 others injured, all public places around the world should reflect on how they should mitigate similar risks. Here is a checklist:
