When Hospitality Clerks Must Refuse Accommodations

You're a desk clerk at a respectable hotel and you aim to please every guest. But there are certain times when you simply have to turn guests away. We're talking about call girls and their clients. Sometimes, it's pretty hard to tell them apart from respectable guests.

But if you take them in, you could be an accessory to a crime—in California, that would be Law 316 PC, which states: “Every person who keeps any disorderly house, or any house for the purpose of assignation or prostitution, or any house of public resort, by which the peace, comfort, or decency of the immediate neighborhood is habitually disturbed, or who keeps any inn in a disorderly manner; and every person who lets any apartment or tenement, knowing that it is to be used for the purpose of assignation or prostitution, is guilty of a misdemeanor.”

Most states in the U.S. have pretty much the same law, which makes it a crime to knowingly allow prostitution inside your establishment.

As a hotel clerk, you've got to be vigilant and be on the lookout for certain tell-tale signs. Like guests who insist on paying cash, instead of a credit card. In some cases, the person paying for the room may even blatantly admit that he is with a call girl, offer a bribe and a wink, and ask for the key to a room. In this case, you must directly refuse. This protects you and the hotel, since undercover vice officers often pose as call girl/client to look for violations. Saying "no" in these situations saves you from costly and time-consuming legal proceedings, court appearances, and possible embarrassing negative press.

For more guidance and information on this subject, you might want to refer to "Human Relations for the Hospitality Industry," an insightful book by Robert J. Martin available from Amazon.

For more information on hospitality jobs, check out:
http://www.hospitalityjobsiteblog.com/


Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.