ADA
208 | Surf-By Lawsuits: Hotel websites in legal crosshairs
ADA
Is your hotel’s website accessible to people with disabilities? If you don’t know the answer to that question, you’ll probably end up in court.
In this episode, we examine what’s behind the dramatic spike in website accessibility lawsuits being filed against businesses under the Americans with Disabilities Act. And why commercial enterprises found to be non-compliant are hit with tens of thousands of dollars in penalties. Experts we interviewed for this report say the reality is it’s only a matter of time before you get sued over your hotel website as drive-by litigation takes a back seat to surf-by lawsuits.
The good news is there are steps you can take to make your hotel website accessible to guests with disabilities and not only avoid your day in court but generate new business as well.
Featured in today’s episode are …
- Joe Dolson, a web accessibility consultant
- Peter Seidenberg, CEO of HEBS Digital
- Lensay Abadula, a UX designer with HEBS Digital
- Darshan Patel, a lawyer who specializes in ADA law
Resources & Links
- Joe Dolson
- Darshan Patel
- HEBS Digital
- Seyfarth Shaw report on increase in ADA Title III lawsuits
- Seyfarth Shaw report on increase in website accessibility lawsuits
- 3Play Media webinar on how ADA applies to hotels and restaurants
- For information about the Americans with Disabilities Act, visit www.ada.gov
ADA
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346 | Repositioning For Recovery: Hotel conversions to outpace new builds
Lodging Econometrics has tracked the hotel industry since 1998. Its global database includes new-hotel pipelines as well as renovations and brand conversions. Hotel franchisers once eager to launch new brands are focused on converting existing hotels because it’s a faster way to recover revenue lost to the COVID-19 pandemic than through new construction. In Episode 346, Lodging Leaders explores the increasing number of conversions in the U.S. hotel industry and what owners and operators need to consider before repositioning an asset.
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345 | ‘Rosy View of Future’: Hotel industry sees unleashing of pent-up investor demand
In the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., financiers anticipated a swell of distressed hotel businesses. Some raised rescue funds to respond to what they thought was a pending crisis. Though there are financial rescues taking place, the level of such activity is far below what industry advisers and fund managers expected. Commercial real estate investors positioned to act in the early days of the pandemic held off and are now just beginning to unleash their cash hoards totaling billions of dollars. Episode 345 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the state of capital investment in the hotel industry.