Hotel & Motel Management - February 4, 2008 - (Page 45)

www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition HotelMotel.com | H&MM February 4, 2008 News 45 Guests’ sticky ﬁngers Continued from page 1 cluding pillows, bed linens, iPod docking stations, lapboards for laptop computers, wineglasses, coat hangers, mini-refrigerators and even ﬂat-screen TVs, to name just some of the items sources said periodically come up missing. “Periodically” is the key word, however, and most operators called the loss to guests “insigniﬁcant.” “There isn’t much of it … I’m not just saying that to be clever or be positive. We don’t have a lot of guest thefts,” said Gerald Chase, president and c.o.o. of New Castle Hotels, citing increased security post-9/11. He said hotel operators now have standards and policies to get identiﬁcation at checkin, and most hotels take credit cards, which takes away the veil of anonym- Brasseur ity from the BEST WESTERN guest. “When they know we know who they are, they don’t seem to take a lot of stuff,” Chase said. Not all hotels charge guests’ credit cards, nor do they charge for every item taken. Most sources said the items taken were almost negligible losses, and it could cost more to charge the credit card than to purchase a replacement. “That way, instead of getting something used, they get something new for the price they’d pay if they stole it,” said Scott Henning, g.m. of the 255-room hotel. The policy to charge or not is questionable, because it’s difﬁcult to determine whether a guest or employee takes Ellis an item. If people are LPMI wrongly charged, there is “the potential for litigation [and] the potential for losing a guest,” said Ray Ellis, director of the Loss Prevention Management Institute at the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston. employees,” said Vince Vittatoe, senior director of safety and security for Red Roof Inns. “They act as the eyes and ears.” Taking back the towel More than 60 years ago, a woman stole a towel from The Mayﬂower Hotel in Washington as a keepsake to commemorate the wedding night she spent alone. Her ﬁancé had been sent to Japan during World War II, but because they were not yet married, she couldn’t accompany him, said Keith McClinsey, sales manager and unofﬁcial Mayﬂower Hotel historian. She lived at The Mayﬂower for ﬁve days, which, under District of Columbia law, made her a legal resident of Washington and allowed her to be married to her ﬁancé over the phone, according to McClinsey. Her story and the corresponding snatched item, along with others from pilfering guests, are being collected by The Mayﬂower, a Renaissance Hotel, as part of its amnesty program. Guests from the hotel’s more than 80-year history can return the snagged amenities and tell their story for a chance to win a stay at the hotel. The hotel will display the returned items and their stories in a historical exhibit on the mezzanine level, McClinsey said. Items that have walked back through the door of the hotel include silver spoons with The Mayﬂower logo etched into them, cups and saucers, dinnerware and even two chairs that date to 1925—the year The Mayﬂower opened its doors. This is not the ﬁrst instance of a hotel pardon. Holiday Inn also had an amnesty program: Guests Tableware from a bygone era is who “borrowed” the towels part of The Mayﬂower’s exhibit of could relieve their guilt and stolen and returned items. take home a limited-edition towel on Towel Amnesty Day in 2003. But absolution of guilt came with a price tag, much like at The Mayﬂower: Stories were collected from the one-time, casual and habitual towel-grabbers and then input into a coffeetable book. BETSY SPRUILL Protecting assets In some cases, items such as ﬂat-screen televisions and art might be best protected by an alarm. “If they start to remove it, it sounds an alarm [so] you know [the guest is] ﬁddling with the screen,” Ellis said. While some opt to bolt items down to prevent theft, others, including the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown, prefer to leave them free. “[Nothing] in our rooms is bolted down because you’re trying to present a residential image,” said the hotel’s g.m. Jeff McLaughlin. “Our members [hotel owners] take precautions when they have more expensive items, but you also don’t want it to look like you’re in an area where you need extra security,” said Ric Leutwyler, Best Western International’s senior v.p. of brand quality and member service. “Thankfully there’s only a small percentage of the population that’s going to be led down that path [of theft].” ehanna@questex.com Security The housekeeping staff plays an integral role not only in reporting items removed from rooms so chargLeutwyler es can be made BEST WESTERN accordingly, but also by being watchdogs. “We’ve got training, training, training. That’s the basis for good security,” said Cindy Brasseur, g.m. at the 113-room Best Western Kirkwood Inn in St. Louis. “At our properties, our major [theft] deterrent is going to be our ehanna@questex.com Charge it There is a consensus that towels and other small-ticket products, such as alarm clocks and pillows, are losses for which most hotels won’t charge the guest. But higher-priced goods, such as bathrobes, iPod docks and artwork, generally will end up on the customer’s credit card. To encourage guests to purchase—and sway guests from pilfering—bathrobes, hotels including the Radisson Hotel Roseville (Minn.), place cards on the hanger showing guests the price of the robe—whether they want to purchase it or suffer the ﬁnancial loss when the hotel discovers it missing. Some also offer an amenity catalog in the guest directory that lists most things found in the guestroom for sale. “Aercon AAC. As a building material, these concrete blocks are worth their weight in gold.” When I was introduced to Aercon AAC, I had a hard time believing a masonry product with half the weight of AAC cinder blocks could be as strong. But I came to see that in addition to being lighter and stronger, Aercon AAC has superior energy and sound insulation, is virtually impervious to pests, and has an excellent fire rating. Building with Aercon has helped me reduce maintenance and insurance costs and keep more money in the bank. Keith Rockman Keith Rockman Owner/Operator of Mainstay Suites Owner/Operator of Mainstay Suites Panama City, Florida Learn more at www.aerconaac.com or call toll free 1-800-830-3171 CIRCLE NO. 103 http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.aerconaac.com http://www.aerconaac.com

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Hotel & Motel Management - February 4, 2008 Contents Murray, Keltner to Keynote Atlanta Event ABVI Approves Per-room Fee Hike Growth, Guest Loyalty on Lexington’s Plate Perspective Legally Speaking AAHOA Update Marketing Matters Consultant’s Corner On Finance Training Trends HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Outdoor Furniture Limited-service-hotel-chain Report Energy-management System Provides Link to Savings Upgraded Bedding Program Cost Comes Due Less Hot Water Equals Less-costly Bills Events Learn to Take Advantage of Lower Insurance Costs Brokers Will Remain Unscathed in 2008 Transactions Ad/Edit Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - February 4, 2008

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