We all know that hotels, restaurants, and the rest of the hospitality and service industry players have suffered most from the late Pandemic. But only the owners know that there is another threat that endangers every hotel and bar every year and has devastating consequences for the business, its owners, and sometimes customers. This threat is floods.
Floods can be equally dangerous extensive big hotel networks and small family-owned guesthouses. Water damages any hospitality business. The danger to the guests, ruined reputation, and massive lawsuits can help bury your small business or nationwide hotel chain equally fast.
Depending on your business's location, floods can happen once a year or once in a decade. But because waterfront and coastal areas are traditionally much more lively and "touristic," about 300,000 American hospitality businesses of all sizes are likely to get flooded at least once during the next 5-10 years.
In this article, we shall talk about how every hospitality business owner should prepare their properties for floods and give an example of how one hotel in Miami has ensured its safety and the safety of guests while being located in one of the most flood-prone areas in the United States.
Estimate the risks
Before getting down to flood plans and buying the necessary flood control equipment, it is essential to really understand the flood risks of your private hotel.
Seek information from all the available sources on the Environment Agency website to experience and advise your fellow business owners in the areas.
How often do the floods happen in the area, and when was the last one? How big this the flood damage to properties and infrastructure? Does the severity of floods increase with every new case?
This information will help you understand the likelihood of your hotel being affected by flooding and how it can affect the business.
Do you have flood insurance?
Many business owners think that as long as they have an insurance policy, it automatically covers all the possible damage to the business and the building. Unfortunately, in most cases, it is not true. Even worse, many owners find out that their business is not covered by floods when they already face severe and costly water damage.
The thing is that most policies avoid automatic flood coverage. It is mainly because floods are happening more and more often, and there is a bigger chance that your business will get flooded than robbed or set on fire.
That is why it is essential to make sure that flood events are included in the policy when you purchase it and insist on adding this paragraph if it is not.
By the way, if the building of your hotel is located in a floodplain area, there is a big chance that you do have flood insurance as otherwise, no bank would approve any business loan for your enterprise. However, it is always best to be safe and sorry and call your insurance company right after you finish reading this article.
Get down to a flood plain.
By creating a flood plan for your hotel, you don't only estimate and eliminate most of the flood damage risks but also save the lives and well-being of your employees and guests.
It is more than an emergency routine; but a huge reputational factor that may, in the future, play an essential role in the development of our business.
Every detail counts at this step, from creating thorough and readable escape plans and placing them in every room and shared space to training personnel to act in case of flooding. It is a good idea to hold emergency drills once in a while, especially right before the flood season starts in your area.
The most important part of your flood plan is, of course, purchasing flood control equipment and teaching all personnel to operate it.
It is always best to address efficient and user-friendly solutions like flood barriers or flood gates to protect your hotel rather than choosing more traditional but demanding solutions like sandbags.
For example, Jade Ocean Hotel, located in Miami, one of the most flood-prone areas of the United States, chose to use flood barriers to protect the entire building complex, including underground parking lots, elevators, and public areas.
Today they report that the flood damage and losses connected with it have decreased to their historic minimum since the hotel was established.
Compared to the cost of damage repairs, compensations, and lost bookings that inevitably come after floods, investment into flood barriers is the investment into the future of your hospitality business, its ability to go ahead in the competition and literally stay afloat during the most severe flood seasons.
Do you want to learn more about flood barriers for your hotel and other modern flood control solutions for your hospitality and service business?
Contact Dam Easy today and get a thorough consultation and an estimate from our experts, who will help you evaluate the flood risks for your enterprise and offer all the necessary solutions that will help you mitigate the damage and losses.
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