MLTA Legal Guide Soon to be Available
All members who have renewed their membership for the 2009-10 membership year will soon have access to our recently updated MLTA Legal Guide. Answers will be found to innkeeper questions such as: “Am I obligated to refund room assessment or bed tax monies in the event a guest stays more than 30 days?” (See pages 6-7) Or … “What steps must I take to legally eject or evict a short-term or long-term guest?” (Pages 44-46) The MLTA Legal Guide is searchable online and downloadable to allow members to print out a hard copy for future reference. The guide is provided free to all MLTA members.
Haven’t renewed yet? Click HERE and renew your membership and pay online now.
Want access to these and other member benefits? Click HERE and join today.
Bed Bug Reference Manual Nears Completion
Working in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Community Health, MLTA recently completed revisions to its section of a special online Bed Bug Reference Manual. The manual will offer tips, training materials and techniques to help a variety of businesses (hospitals, apartments, lodging properties, etc) to identify, eliminate and help prevent the spread of a bed bug outbreak. Not included in that manual, but offered to MLTA members only, is a draft of a suggested policy for dealing with customers who report a possible insect incident. To be available on the “Members Only” section of our website soon!
When Revenues are Down – You Must Contain Costs!
Entering a possible fifth consecutive year of having the weakest occupancy levels in the country, every lodging property owner/manager must look for ways to reduce costs. Your property’s utilities, waste removal and telecommunications costs are the target for MLTA’s endorsed benefit program with Tenurgy, Inc. Their professional staff will review past billings and if mistakes are found, arrange for refunds. Similar firms split savings 50-50 with their customers. Our Tenurgy program provides MLTA members 56% of savings, with 44% going to Tenurgy. Better still – if they don’t find you savings – you don’t pay them a dime. Click HERE to find out more.
Visit Michigan.org lately? Many properties have something that you may not!
Thirty million dollars has been invested over the past year to drive prospective travelers to Michigan.org. That investment helped Michigan.org to become the most heavily visited state tourism website in the country. However, some properties have an advantage over others. Click HERE to see something the Candlewood Suites-Lansing (and hundreds of other properties) have that most small independent properties do not. What is it? The one-click ability to book rooms online. MLTA will soon be unveiling a new program with Webervations to provide members online booking capabilities at discounted cost. Online booking is not the wave of the future – it is now. Click on Webervations to learn more and consider the possibilities.
Coming next month: Information on State Per Diem Rates you can use to put more heads in beds.