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Will fines goose cybersecurity priorities for hotels?

Looming data protection fines: When recently asked when they will make a “major investment” in cybersecurity technology, 43% of companies answering said they would do so in the next three years, versus 37% making those investments now. The results from GlobalData, a data and analytics company, are surprising when considering the hefty fines announced this week for significant data breaches at British Airways and Marriott International. Take heed, hoteliers, says Divya Gupta, partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney, who is sounding the alarm: “With further fines like this one on the horizon, companies doing business in the EU should also look to their American operations. With several states imposing privacy laws in the United States, with California leading the pack with the California Consumer Privacy Act, this means possible future penalties for non-compliance now. While 30 million Europeans were impacted even if 10% of that number were California residents, Marriott would be looking at US$300 million in domestic statutory penalties at a minimum for failure to enact reasonable security practices and procedures. For companies looking for the lesson here — this GDPR penalty is a paltry sum, compared to what is looming.”—Jeff Weinstein

Diversity report card: The results are … uninspiring? … for the four biggest U.S. hotel companies in terms of their diversity hiring and promotion, according to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The organization, using government data, graded Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Hilton and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts on topics such as management, franchise ownership and supplier diversity. Marriott scored a B, the only one in the group; the rest got Cs. All the companies have expressed commitment and programs to promote diversity hires, and the whole report is worth a read to see where each company gets As and where there is room for improvement, as a tactful teacher might say, along with a broader look at where opportunities exist to be developed.—Barbara Bohn

Not-so-virgin land: When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist, so I love any story about historic artifacts being discovered by chance (although it’s pretty hard to top this one). History is the reason that the opening of the Virgin hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, has been delayed for more than a year: The site has unearthed items including a skull, jewelry and a cannonball, more than 1,000 years old. The hotel is now slated to open in 2021.—B.B.

Unique amenity: At US$92,000 to install, the ROI might be hard to achieve, but the Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu near Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport has installed a full flight simulator inside one of its guest rooms. It can be booked for a 90-minute session (with an instructor) for US$277. Booking the room for the night is an additional US$234. The hotel did not offer CNN specifics on how well sales are going, but it sure is a unique way to differentiate from the competition.—J.W.

Flight themes a thing: MCR Development may have grabbed all the attention with its TWA hotel at New York’s Kennedy Airport, but Ibis Bay Beach Resort co-owner Chris Holland has taken flight with a retro PanAm-themed suite at his Key West, Florida, hotel. Launched in concert with the 92nd anniversary of the airline, a three-bedroom suite for US$650 a night has been booking up, he said. Furnishings include wing-shaped aluminum counters; 1950s period modern furniture; an exhibit of historical artifacts, aviation equipment, and poster art from PanAm’s early days. Bedrooms are called, are you ready, Mile High Club Cabin A, B and C, while towel rails in the bathrooms are inspired by the steel cable wing structures of PanAm’s early seaplanes. The red nylon pull tags on cupboard doors and drawers are from vintage aviation equipment. The bar/kitchen counter is made from an early aluminum plane’s wing tip. Where’s the complimentary flight bag?—J.W.

The PanAm themed suite at the Ibis Bay Beach Resort in Florida
The PanAm themed suite at the Ibis Bay Beach Resort in Florida
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