News from Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association

American Hotel Furnishings Appoints Regional Sales Manager

Vernon Hills, IL, July 7, 2009 - American Hotel Furnishings, a division of American Hotel Register Company, has appointed Daniel Marone to be Regional Sales Manager for the state of Florida.

For more than 20 years, Dan has been providing FF&E sales experience to top-name hotels, such as Choice Hotels International, Wyndham Hotel Group, Hilton Hotels, InterContinental Hotel Group, LaQuinta Inn and Suites, and Carlson Hotels, all in the Southeast. With his expertise in FF&E design, procurement, and on-site project management for new construction and renovation projects, Dan brings extensive knowledge to his new position. He says, "The American Hotel Furnishings division represents significant power in this industry. With the combined strength of American Hotel Register Company, American Hotel Furnishings is a significant market force, and I look forward to being part of this strategy." Dan is a graduate of the College of Hotel Administration at Florida State University. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, Dan can be contacted at (904) 477-6695.

For more information on the design and procurement services of American Hotel Furnishings, contact Greg Kadens, Vice President, at 847-743-1400, or e-mail gkadens@americanhotel.com.

Is a hotel owner or operator responsible for the safety of its guests?

In many cases, the answer to this question is yes. An innkeeper has the general duty to exercise reasonable care for the safety of its guests. It is not, however, the insurer of the safety of its guests and will therefore only be responsible for injuries that occur as a result of its negligence. The standard of care that an innkeeper must meet is that which a reasonably prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances to avoid a reasonably foreseeable harm. This determination is obviously one that requires an examination of the facts in question. For example, if a hotel patron trips and falls on a piece of carpeting that is not properly secured or laid down, the trier of fact should consider whether the innkeeper acted reasonably in failing to remedy that situation and if the innkeeper was in fact aware of the condition.

In some cases, however, a code or regulation may apply, such as a fire code, which specifically sets forth the standards with which the innkeeper must comply. In those situations, the facts need to be examined in light of the particular code, but the court need not consider as closely whether the acts of the innkeeper were reasonable because the code itself often contains the answer to that query.

An innkeeper must also protect guests from personal injury caused by other individuals. For example, the general rule is that an innkeeper must take, at a minimum, reasonable care to protect guests against injuries caused by third parties while the guest is on the premises, or in come cases outside of the premises as well. The term "third parties" includes other guests as well as strangers or intruders who may come upon the property. In many cases, determining whether an innkeeper has taken appropriate steps to protect guests will include the right of a jury to examine the efforts and practices of nearby innkeepers in order to make a comparison. For example, if a hotel guest is robbed in the lobby of a hotel that does not have any security cameras, guards, or other protective systems, evidence of the use of such equipment and personnel in other hotels may be admissible in certain circumstances as indicative of the lack of adequate protections in the defendant hotel.

For additional information on how to make your inn safer, please contact Bill Pazely by phone at (847) 964-5337 or email wpazely@fgmkins.com.