Industry Update

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Business travelers want nicer treatment, survey finds

October 27, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

From The Los Angeles Times:

While the cost of business travel continues to climb, executives say airline and hotel workers need to treat them with respect if they want to keep their business.

A survey released last week found that business executives rank rude hotel staff, intrusive security procedures and “steerage-like treatment” on crowded commercial planes as the worst parts of traveling for business.

Asked to pick the things they hate most about travel, 86% of executives said airport security screenings, 76% chose tiny, dirty commercial planes and 74% said impersonal treatment by hotel staff, according to the survey of about 3,000 business executives by Vitesse Worldwide, an executive travel firm in Connecticut.

Read more from The Los Angeles Times here.

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WH&LA Advisory: Widespread New Patent Infringement Notices

September 30, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments


Recently, many hotel properties have received a Patent Infringement Legal Notice related to a company known as Innovatio IP Ventures. A law firm has acquired “the controlling patents in the area of WLAN (Wi-Fi) and mesh networking.” They are actively pursuing all hotels, restaurants and other Wi-Fi offering companies, mandating the purchase of a license to use such equipment and continue to offer free or charged wireless. They are charging $2,300 for a onetime fee.

Read more from AH&LA Legal Counsel on ways to deal with so-called “patent trolling,” here.
This link is password protected for lodging members only. If you need help logging in, email Michelle in the WH&LA office or call 262/782-2851.

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WH&LA Advisory: State Sales Tax Info for Lodging Updated

September 28, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

The state Department of Revenue just released a September 2011 update to its former 2009 publication about how lodging property operations are affected by sales and use taxes.

This publication is a handy reference for the lodging industry, covering everything from sales tax exemptions on sleeping room rentals to what charges and purchases are taxable, and so much more. The full issue of this WH&LA Advisory is available here by clicking the September 28. 2011 link.

The above link is password protected for lodging members only. If you need help logging in, email Michelle in the WH&LA office or call 262/782-2851.

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Health Officials Warn Against ‘Do-It-Yourself’ Bed Bug Pesticide Application

September 17, 2011 in Free Webinars, Industry Update | No comments

There were 111 cases of acute illness confirmed from the use of insecticides to control bed bugs in seven states from 2003 to 2010, U.S. officials say. A report, published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, said 93 percent of the cases occurred among people living in private homes where the pesticides were applied by do-it-your-selfers. The ailments most frequently involved nervous system, respiratory and gastrointestinal effects, the report said.

“Frequently contributing factors included excessive insecticide application, failure to wash or change pesticide-treated bedding, and either a lack of notification or ineffective notification of pesticide application,” the report said.

If pesticides are warranted, certified applicators should do the application, health officials said.

WH&LA and Wil-Kil Pest Control have hosted several online webinars on treating and preventing bed bugs in lodging properties. Lodging members of WH&LA can access the webinar archive here.

The above link is password protected for lodging members only. If you need help logging in, email Michelle in the WH&LA office or call 262/782-2851.

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WH&LA Advisory: Non-Profit Appeals for Assistance

September 2, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

WH&LA occasionally is contacted with appeals for charitable assistance. Rather than sending frequent communications, we plan to accumulate requests to send out twice annually as appropriate. Several that may be of interest include appeals for rooms of furniture needed for veterans, fitness equipment needed for a Wisconsin-based youth program, hotel rooms needed for cancer patients and more.

The entire text of this WH&LA Advisory can be found here by clicking the August 29, 2011 link. (This link is password protected for lodging members only. Email Michelle in the WH&LA office or call 262/782-2851 if you need help logging in.)

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B&B Owners May Qualify for State Income Tax Credits

August 26, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

Owners of historic homes in Wisconsin may qualify for state income tax credits for repair and rehabilitation expenses through a program administered by the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Division of Historic Preservation.

To qualify, an owner’s personal residence must be one of the following (click to continue reading):

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WH&LA Advisory: Recent EEOC Harassment Decision

July 5, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

Recently, a company in Racine that owns several IHOP restaurants in Wisconsin, has been found to have violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for engaging in sexual harassment. The focus of the lawsuit was the allegations of sexual harassment at one of the company’s restaurants. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requested and obtained an injunction to stop further acts of sexual harassment.

Today’s WH&LA Advisory, submitted by Barry L. Chaet, Esq. of Beck, Chaet, Bamberger & Polsky S.C. in Milwaukee, discusses the decision in the harassment lawsuit and what it means for companies that own multiple facilities in Wisconsin that use one management company, central personnel office or general manager to provide personnel services and implement EEOC policies at all of its facilities.

The full text of today’s WH&LA Advisory can be found here by clicking the July 5 link. This link is password protected for lodging members only. Email Michelle in the WH&LA office or call 262/782-2851 if you need help logging in.

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WH&LA Advisory: CPSC Pool Drain Cover Recall

May 27, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency responsible for oversight of the Virginia Graeme Baker Act (VGBA) relating to pool entrapment protection regulations, has released a recall of certain drain covers mistakenly rated as acceptable in protecting against entrapment under the VGBA. It is projected that this recall will affect approximately 5% of drain covers currently in use.

More about the pool drain cover recall can be accessed here by clicking on the May 27 link. This link is password protected for lodging members only – contact Michelle in the WH&LA office if you need access to your password or help logging in.

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WDT Releases 2010 Economic Impact Research

April 29, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

Last year, Wisconsin’s travelers spent $12.3 billion making tourism big business for the state and is a significant contributor to Wisconsin’s high quality of life.  The full details are available for download in the 2010 Economic Impact of Traveler Spending on Wisconsin report.

The full state report is available at the link above, as are a highlights report, 2010 report county-by-county, 1997-2010 county-by-county expenditure summary, and total impact county-by-county report 2010 vs. 2009.

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WH&LA Advisory: Small Business Tax Credit

March 2, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

Included in the “Affordable Care Act” passed in March 2010, some small employers will be able to take advantage of the small business health care tax credit when filing tax year 2010 income tax returns. According to the IRS, the credit is generally available to small employers that contribute at least half the cost of single coverage health insurance for their employees.

For tax years 2010 to 2013, the maximum credit is 35% of premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 25% of premiums paid by eligible employers that are tax-exempt organizations. Beginning in 2014, the maximum tax credit will go up to 50% of premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 35% of premiums paid by eligible tax-exempt organizations for two years.

To determine your company’s eligibility, download the form to calculate the credit and find answers to frequently asked questions about the tax credit, read the February 28 WH&LA Advisory, available here. This page is password protected for WH&LA lodging members only. If you need help accessing your user ID and password, contact Michelle in the WH&LA office.

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