Running a hotel means juggling a lot—guests, staff, maintenance, suppliers, the works. But one area that often gets overlooked (until it’s too late) is legal liability. As a lawyer working with hospitality clients, I’ve seen the same mistakes pop up over and over again—some of them small, others seriously expensive.

Here’s how you can avoid them.

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Mistake #1: Ignoring Health & Safety Basics

You’d be surprised how many claims come from things like loose carpets, wet floors, or dodgy electrics.

The fix:
Have a simple checklist system in place—daily, weekly, and monthly. Think of it as preventative housekeeping, but for your legal risk.

Check	Frequency	Notes
Fire exit clearance	Daily	Make sure nothing’s blocking the way
Slip hazards	Daily	Wet floor signs are a must
PAT testing	Annually	For all electrical equipment
Legionella testing	Monthly	Especially if water tanks are rarely used

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“But I’m Just a Small Hotel…”

Doesn’t matter. The law doesn’t care about size—it cares about duty of care. If someone slips, trips, or gets hurt on your premises, you’re in the frame unless you can show you did what was reasonable to prevent it.

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Mistake #2: Zero Training (or No Proof of It)

Your staff might know how to handle complaints or serve drinks—but do they know how to react when someone has a fall? Or how to complete an incident report?

What you can do right now:

1. Run short training sessions—record them.
2. Create a central log of who’s been trained and when.
3. Update your employee handbook with a section on legal responsibilities.

Even a basic log of who’s done what training can be the difference between winning and losing a claim.

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Real Case: The Uneven Tile That Cost £17,000

One client had an uneven tile at the hotel entrance. Guests had tripped before, but nothing came of it—until one broke her wrist and sued. No inspection log. No maintenance notes. No defence.

Lesson?
Document everything—even if it feels minor at the time.

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Mistake #3: No Contracts (or Relying on the Wrong Ones)

Too many hotels run on handshake deals. That works—until it doesn’t.

Here’s where contracts matter:

• Suppliers: Who’s responsible if their staff damage your property?
• Events/Bookings: What if someone cancels last minute?
• Cleaning/Maintenance teams: Are they insured? Are you covered if they aren’t?

📌 Tip: Have every third-party agreement reviewed, even the short ones. Especially the short ones.

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Don’t Wait for a Problem to Get Legal Advice

Honestly, most hotel owners only reach out after something’s gone wrong. But fixing a problem after the fact is more expensive (and stressful) than preventing it.

Here’s what I usually recommend:

• Legal health check once a year (think of it like a boiler service, but for your risk exposure)
• Clear written procedures for staff
• A review of contracts and policies, especially if you’re expanding or changing suppliers

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Last Word

Avoiding liability isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing you took reasonable steps to keep people safe and followed through on your responsibilities. Keep it simple, stay consistent, and don’t leave your legal stuff until it’s too late.

If you want a quick review of your current setup or a legal walkthrough tailored to your hotel, happy to chat.

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