Ask the Expert: "Can You Legally Guarantee a High Level of Service?"

As part of our ongoing Ask the Expert program, a meeting planner submitted the question:

"For contracting with hotels, what language do we need to guarantee level of service at venues without being charged?"

To get an answer, we reached out to Jonathan Howe, president and senior and founding partner of Howe & Hutton Ltd. He shared this insight:

"Previously, questions of performance were based upon reasonable expectations as to the quality and representation made by the property itself. Today, however, we are finding that since post-Covid, hotels have cut back on many services and have not been able to necessarily achieve the quality of service that was anticipated. Thus, contracts should include those areas where performance is expected. For example, changes in the convention services such as time for a room turn.
 
"Another example is housekeeping: Is housekeeping limited? Are there other services that have changed since pre-Covid? If there are five restaurants in the hotel, will those restaurants be available during the time of your event? If not, what concessions can be made to overcome that reduction?
 
"It is important to ask what you have changed in terms of services and amenities since pre-Covid.

"We are also seeing that some hotels are now charging additional fees to provide what were basic services in the past.  If something is of essential need for the success of the program, the terms of what those needs are need to be spelled out in the Agreement."

See more videos from Jonathan and other experts, answering top questions from planners by clicking the button below.

And be sure to register for the upcoming webinar, "Ask the Attorney: New Trends in Hotel Contracts," in which Jonathan will answer planner questions live!

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