Hotel Insurance 2023: Check In with Your Security

Insurance policies that cover organizations in the hospitality industry are known as hospitality insurance. Food catering insurance and hotel insurance are some types of hospitality insurance.

More than a hundred thousand businesses function within the hotel industry, as reported by IBIS World. Hotels and motels are susceptible to many mishaps and accidents that are wholly unexpected and unpredictable making a case for hotel insurance undeniable.

Food-related establishments are another part of the hospitality sector that is equally important. When people organize a banquet or festivity, they seek catering services provided by caterers and restaurants. These businesses are at risk of any misfortunes arising from food services while they participate in such events. The caterers are liable for any damages from unforeseen circumstances, which is why they obtain catering insurance.

What Are the Risks in the Hospitality Industry?

Cover Fire hazards With Hotel Insurance

Damages due to fire-related accidents can potentially cause a large number of property damages. Kitchens are fire danger zones due to oil ignition, gas leaks, and defective wiring. According to the National Fire Protection Association, fires in non-residential establishments caused $4.3 billion in direct property damage in 2019. Fire-related injuries had increased by 9 percent, and direct property damage had increased by 55 percent from 2018 to 2019.

No More Drowning With Hotel Insurance

Hospitality establishments with swimming pools can possess dangerous risks. Even with onboard safety personnel, guests can suffocate and drown in mere moments. A study done by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention found that drowning is the fifth leading cause of unintentional deaths. Additionally, it is also the second leading cause of death in children aged 1 to 14 years.

Dram shop liability Covered by Hotel Insurance

Casinos are hotspots for activities such as drinking and gambling. When guests are drunk and intoxicated, casinos can be liable for damages due to their actions. Dram shop liability originates from the custom of offering complimentary drinks as well as the layout of most hotels and casinos.

Who Needs Hotel Insurance?

Some of the businesses that require hospitality insurance coverages are as follows:

• Hotels
• Motels
• Resorts
• Caterers
• Casinos
• Cruise ships
• Bed and Breakfasts

What Policies are Available in the Hospitality Industry?

Mentioned are some of the coverages for the hospitality industry.

Business Owners Policy (BOP)

A business owners policy is an unquestionable requirement for any business. It is typically a blend of different insurance policies such as business interruption policy, commercial property, and general commercial liability.

BOP could be a significantly valuable policy that covers a large portion of the dangers and risks inside your place of business since it covers:

• Business personal property
• Income loss due to business property damage
• Bodily harm and injury
• Equipment malfunction

Workers Compensation Insurance

This insurance coverage covers lost wages reimbursements or medical expenses for an employee due to an injury sustained. Employees can face accidental slips, knife cuts, and other unpredictable situations during events. The business is liable to pay for the costs and reimburse lost wages to the employee in such cases. Thus, having a workers compensation insurance policy for your business is a necessity.

Commercial Auto Insurance

If your business utilizes vehicles for day-to-day operations, then having commercial auto insurance is very important. This insurance policy covers claims associated with property damage and bodily injuries centered around vehicles.

Businesses in the hospitality industry use their vehicles for numerous purposes, such as transporting goods, receiving guests, and dropping them off. In case of an accident, the business will be liable for any damage caused to the people or other businesses involved.

Commercial Property Insurance

Properties owned and operated by businesses can be subject to fires, vandalism, explosions and theft. The commercial property insurance policy covers such damages. This policy coverage covers the malfunction of gears and equipment.

Hospitality establishments such as hotels and casinos are prime targets for robbers and thieves. As per HG claims, there are more cases for theft in such locations than any other crime. Hence, proper commercial property insurance is essential for your hotel business insurance.

Commercial General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance is a type of insurance policy covering third-party damages caused by any operations within the business premises. This policy covers claims related to bodily injuries, damage of property, and defense against legal actions.

People involved in the catering business frequently operate in hotels and event locations. Damages caused by the employees during such events could have the company facing some lawsuits. For example, if a server accidentally breaks or damages any property at an event location, CGLI would help cover the damages.

Additionally, event insurance coverage can also be a viable option for damages CGLI excludes.

Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Employment practices liability insurance is an insurance policy covering claims associated against a business for illegal practices such as sexual harassment, unfair termination, and discrimination. Alternatively, this insurance policy is also known as employer’s liability insurance.

There can be situations where possible events or misunderstandings can lead to employees filing a case against your business for illegal practices. EPLI helps in covering claims in such settings.

Commercial Cyber Liability Insurance

Cyber liability insurance includes all the associated technology usage risks such as cyber theft, crimes, and data breaches.

The hospitality industry businesses such as hotels, motels, casinos, and caterers all depend on technology to assist in keeping track of guest information, accounts, and payment details. As per Deloitte, from 2009 to 2017 the US hotel industry’s gross bookings saw growth from $116 billion to $185 billion. With such high figures, it is no surprise that the businesses are the target for cybercriminals. For this reason, adding a cyber-liability policy to your list of insurances is a smart move.

Umbrella and Excess Liability

Commercial umbrella insurance can be considered an addition to the hotel insurance coverages associated with conventional liability policies, such as property, commercial auto, and general liability.

For example, suppose there is a guest with a disability who gets injured within your business premises. In that case, the claim can exceed the limit of the already existing commercial general liability. Basically, in situations where the claim exceeds the policy limits, having an umbrella insurance coverage is helpful as it covers the excess claim charges.

Liquor Liability Insurance

As per the dram shop law, all businesses that sell alcohol are accountable for damages or injuries caused by drunk patrons. Liquor liability coverage is required for businesses in such scenarios.

According to Chron, many Las Vegas restaurants earn the majority of their income from alcohol sales. Given the high revenue probability, liquor liability can possibly be a significant risk for your hotel business.

Pollution Legal Liability Insurance

The owning, developing, construction of any facility comes with various environmental dangers as well. For such cases, pollution liability insurance can cover the claims by the involved third parties against injuries and property damage during business operations

Establishments such as hotels, motels and casinos frequently purchase pollution liability insurance to protect themselves from claims related to air quality, leaks, molds, etc. This policy covers the overall costs of investigation, remediation, interruption of business, and legal claims.

How Much Will Hotel Insurance Cost?

The cost of hotel insurance is affected by a few elements that are related to your business. They are as follows:

• Location of the business
• Business type
• Size of the business premises
• Services provided by the business
• Number of employees
• Annual revenue
• Valuation of assets

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