23 January 2024, Hotel violence for the first week of 2024 – 28 cases, 44 casualties, 10 countries, all star rankings, 8 major brands, primary vs. secondary/tertiary markets, and more
24 January, 2024 Hotel Attacks
24 January, 2024 Hotel Attacks
1 January 2024, unnamed hotel, Timmins: A female teen argued with two other females inside a hotel room, and the teen assaulted the other two with an unnamed weapon, inflicting serious injuries on both. The alleged perpetrator was charged with “two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and carrying a concealed weapon,” says Timmins Today.
1 January 2024, unnamed hotel, Sault Ste. Marie: A man refused to check out of his hotel room at the designated time, which prompted a police response, says Soo Today. When police arrived, the perpetrator attacked them and damaged the room. Police found suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Soo Today reports that the perpetrator was charged with (direct quote):
5 January 2024, 1-star/budget, Molson Hotel, Vancouver: Police believe a person at the Molson Hotel in Vancouver, a hotel that caters to the homeless, threw a pet dog out the window from an upper floor, killing it, says The Canadian Press. Witnesses and CCTV reinforced police suspicions. An investigation is ongoing.
6 January 2024, 1-star/budget, Tooba Motel, Windsor: Authorities say a man and another person had an argument in a hotel room, and the man stabbed the victim and fled the scene, reports the Windsor Star. The victim went to the hospital with a non-life-threatening wound.
The week of 1 January 2024, 5-star, Blue Beach Resort: Israeli ground forces discovered at the Blue Beach Resort seven tunnels, an underground barracks, an armory packed with weapons such as AK-47s, drones, and explosives, plus a military command and control headquarters, says the Israeli Defense Forces and Al Bawaba. The Jerusalem Post says Israeli ground forces had engaged 30 Hamas terrorists at the resort in November 2023 and defeated them. The Israelis likely discovered the tunnels in November, but it took until January 2024 to A) clear them of enemy forces, B) disarm booby traps, and then C) take a full accounting of the structure.
4 January 2024, 5-star, Tsubaki Towers: The Associated Press says two robbers in an SUV pulled up to a married South Korean couple just 50 meters from the front entrance of their hotel and demanded their money. A struggle ensued. One of the assailants then shot and killed the husband and then drove away. The shooter was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot, and the driver was arrested.
2 January 2024, 3-star, Hotel City Point, Gurgaon: Five people conspired to kill a former model and ex-girlfriend of an Indian gangster as revenge for the model setting up said gangster for assassination in 2016. The five waited for the model to be released from prison, then lured her to a hotel, and shot her in the head, killing her, reports the Deccan Herald and the Times of India.
7 January 2024, unnamed hotel, Candolim: Indian police believe Harvard fellow and CEO of an AI startup, Suchana Seth, murdered her four-year-old son in an unnamed hotel in Goa. She allegedly committed the crime by dismemberment with an edged weapon, packed the body into a bag, and then traveled back to her hometown by car, says India Today and NDTV. Hotel housekeeping discovered blood in the room and alerted the police. Authorities believe the murder might have been to spite the husband, though the exact details of the case remain elusive. The investigation is ongoing.
7 January 2024, unnamed hotel, Metula: The Jewish Press reports that Hezbollah fired an anti-tank round at an unnamed hotel in the mostly-evacuated Israeli town of Metula. The blast damaged the building but caused no casualties. Hezbollah fired scores of other rockets at other nearby targets as well.
7 January 2024, unnamed hotel, Dutse Alhaji, a satellite town of Abuja: An armed group of gunmen raided two gated communities in a neighborhood called Sagwari Estate Layout, says Punch. They kidnapped nine people from their homes, plus two more from a hotel – a receptionist and a bartender – and took them into the hills nearby. Police were searching for the victims, says Punch. The victims included women and children. Four victims, including a little girl, were killed days later after a ransom payment was not made, reports Tori. As of 15 January, the situation remains fluid.
1 January 2024, unnamed hotel, Phuket: A male employee of the hotel in question rode up to his place of work, pulled a handmade gun, and shot and killed another employee of said hotel, says The Phuket Express. The two employees were said to be having a dispute over a woman.
1 January 2024, 5-star, Donbas Palace, Donetsk Oblast: The Ukrainian military struck the Donbas Palace, reportedly with artillery, shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day. They apparently were targeting Russian forces, plus their partners and allies. The blast killed 13, wounded four, and caused heavy damage to the hotel, according to Newsweek and Daily Kos. Photos and video of the incident did not demonstrate heavy and widespread structural damage, however.
1 January 2024, 3-star, The Bannville Hotel, Banbridge, Northern Ireland: Just after midnight on New Year’s Day, there was a brawl between a group of men in front of the hotel. A stolen van then slammed into the front of the hotel, causing extensive damage to the entrance, says Armagh I. Police said five people were wounded, presumably from the fight and possibly from the car crash. The driver escaped. Police are investigating.
1 January 2024, 4-star, Meldrum House Country Hotel and Golf Course, Inverurie, Scotland: A lawyer allegedly physically assaulted his girlfriend at the hotel just after a plush dinner celebration, says Muckrack.
1 January 2024, 3-star, ibis Stevenage Centre, an Accor property, Stevenage: A man allegedly committed arson at the hotel, whose guests were sponsored by the UK Home Office, meaning it was possibly a hotel-turned refugee or homeless shelter, says the BBC. The perpetrator allegedly set the fifth-floor laundry bin on fire at 11:53 am, causing a partial evacuation of the hotel. Three guests were treated for smoke inhalation. Guests were allowed back into the hotel by 3:00 am, indicating minor damages, reports The Comet.
1 January 2024, 3-star, Embassy Suites by Hilton Washington DC Chevy Chase Pavilion, Washington, DC: A man shot multiple rounds through a hotel room door, striking and killing a woman after being asked to leave a party, says DC News Now. The alleged perpetrator was arrested shortly after the attack. It was DC’s first homicide of the year.
1 January 2024, 2-star, Days Inn by Wyndham Manassas Battlefield, Manassas, VA: A masked man walked into a hotel room party and had a scuffle with another man, says WUSA 9. He then shot and wounded the man and fled. Police were investigating.
2 January 2024, 1-star, Hot Springs Village Inn, Hot Springs Village, AR: A 33-year-old woman physically assaulted her 76-year-old boyfriend in the lobby of the hotel and was arrested on felony battery charges, says The Sentinel Record.
2 January 2024, 2-star, Holiday Inn Express Philadelphia Airport, an IHG Hotel, Essington, PA: There was a brutal stabbing in the parking lot of the hotel. The victim made his way into the lobby and collapsed, reports 6 ABC Action News and Fox 43.
4 January 2024, 2-star, Holiday Inn Express Somerset, an IHG Hotel, Somerset, PA: A man was standing by his car in the parking lot of the hotel when a vehicle pulled up, and an argument ensued with someone inside said vehicle. Then someone in said vehicle pulled a pistol and shot the man in both legs, wounding him, says 6 WJAC.
4 January 2024, 4-star, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV: A guest reportedly at the Fountainbleau in Las Vegas recorded a fight between a woman and a man in the lobby of the hotel and posted it on Twitter, asserting: “First time at Fountainbleau (NO SECURITY) I saw a brawl…” No serious injuries were apparent in the video.
5 January 2024, 4-star, Hotel Indy, Indianapolis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, a Marriott property, Indianapolis, IN: A man was shot at the Julia Carson Transit Center across the street from the hotel, says 93.1 FM WBIC. The victim then entered the hotel lobby, where he collapsed. He later died.
5 January 2024, 3-star, Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Elmhurst/Oakbrook Area, Elmhurst, IL: An allegedly intoxicated man fired at least two rounds from a Glock 9mm handgun at the hotel from a vehicle, says the Daily Herald. One round hit the hotel’s exterior wall, and the other penetrated a room window and impacted a bed’s headboard.
6 January 2024, 2-star (estimate), River View Lodge, Lowville, NY: Two men were sharing a room and got into an argument. Then one of the men strangled the other to death with a sweatshirt, says 7 News WWNYTV.
7 January 2024, 3-star, AmericInn by Wyndham Windsor Ft. Collins, Windsor, CO: Police swarmed the hotel over reports of an armed person on the property, while at the same time, the fire department also descended on the hotel over someone pulling a fire alarm. Police exchanged fire with the gunman before he surrendered. There were no injuries, says the Coloradoan. There was presumed bullet hole damage on the hotel’s façade from the short firefight.
7 January 2024, 3-star, Holiday Inn Chicago – Tinley Park, an IHG Hotel, Tinley Park, IL: Two masked gunmen wearing all black carjacked two persons out of their rented Alpha Romeo in the parking lot of the hotel, followed by the perpetrator’s chase car, a black Chevy Tahoe, reports Patch.
7 January 2024, 2-star, Rey Inn Hotel Laredo, Laredo, TX: A woman said she was smoking a vape pen outside a hotel and passed out, which somehow started a grass fire. Police charged her with arson, a second-degree felony, reports the Laredo Morning Times.
7 January 2024, unnamed hotel, West Melbourne, FL: Police observed a man pulling his car into a hotel parking lot, where he then donned a mask and gloves and proceeded to set a white Nissan SUV on fire. He then fled the scene but was arrested shortly thereafter. Police discovered multiple firearms in the man’s car, says Click Orlando.
The week of 1 January 2024*, 3-star, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Rome, GA: A man kidnapped and repeatedly cut, beat, and raped a woman over several days, which also caused damage to the hotel (two doors were damaged, plus blood on the carpet), reports WSB TV. *Exact dates unknown, but the perpetrator was arrested around 6 January 2024, indicating the crime happened the first week of January 2024.
There are 12 takeaways. First, with 28 cases of mostly significant violence in a single week – statistically, four a day for that beginning week of January 2024 – it remains evident that hotels are the world’s most violent business sector.
Second, the US, according to open sources, continues to be the world’s most violent hotel country.
Third, the above casualty tally (44 people total) demonstrates that hotel violence casualty rates can be high in both killed and wounded categories. The frequency in the first week of January 2024 was also high – statistically, about six people wounded or killed every day for the week. And aside from the human tragedy aspect, such casualty rates mean negligence lawsuits, insurance payouts, and brand damages.
Fourth, shootings and physical assaults – including stabbings – continue to be the main types of violence experienced at hotels. Having said this, arson, kidnappings, and group violence (brawls, plus strikes, riots, and civil commotion, or SRCC in insurance vernacular) are common as well. Muir Analytics believes hotel sexual assaults continue to be massively underreported. Military violence against hotels is becoming increasingly common as war zones expand, internationally.
Fifth, hotels face a wide array of violent risks and perils/tactics. Advanced hotel risk/threat intelligence is required to achieve more effective security.
Sixth, the unknown hotel star ratings most likely came from lower ranked hotels. (It is difficult to keep high star hotel violence out of the press). As such, Muir Analytics believes the low star ranking violence percentage in this report is an estimated 52%, which is not surprising.
Seventh, violence at the higher ranked hotels is not surprising, either, and reflects higher lawsuit potential.
Eighth, violence at branded vs. independent hotels is a clear indicator that the well-known brands and more monied brands are not at all safe from copious hotel violence.
Ninth, hotel insurance covering violence is not a simple thing. For the 28 cases listed above, there are multiple insurance risk categories that can be applied. Advanced hotel risk/threat intelligence is required to negotiate this complex sector.
Tenth, war insurance for hotels is becoming more necessary as conflict zones continue to open up all over the world.
Eleventh, hotel violence sometimes impacts secondary/tertiary markets more than primary/urban markets. This is critical for hoteliers to understand because many hotel companies build and operate hotels in the latter type markets, erroneously claiming they are safer than urban/primary markets. Clearly, this is not the case.
Twelfth, not every act of hotel violence results in damages, and even severe acts of violence do not necessarily mean heavy damages. That said, the minor and medium damage events add up and can result in millions lost every year for a brand and/or insurance companies.
Muir Analytics runs the world’s largest, most sophisticated hotel violence database – the SecureHotel Threat Portal – with over 3,000 hotel attacks (and growing). We can provide the hospitality, insurance, and law enforcement/government sectors with intelligence that facilitates full-spectrum risk reduction, which helps hotels protect guests, staff, buildings, brands, and revenues. Contact us for a consultation: 1-833-DATA-444.
“Man accused in Lowville murder pleads not guilty, held,” 7 News WWNYTV, 22 January 2024.
“Husband responsible for his death”: CEO accused of killing son to cops,” NDTV, 15 January 2024.
“Kidnappers kill another young girl abducted in Abuja after family failed to pay N50M ransom,” Tori, 15 January 2024.
“Suspect charged with arson in Laredo fire at Rey Inn Hotel,” Laredo Morning Times, 10 January 2024.
“Divya Pahuja: Former model Divya Pahuja shot dead at Gurgaon hotel,” Times of India, 9 January 2024.
“Who is Suchana Seth, CEO of AI start-up, Harvard fellow, arrested for alleged murder of 4-year-old son at Goa hotel?” India Today, 9 January 2024.
“11 residents, hotel receptionist kidnapped in Abuja estate attack,” Punch, 9 January 2024.
“Man charged with shooting at Elmhurst hotel,” Daily Herald, 8 January 2024.
“Israel Defense Forces invite to visit a luxury hotel in Gaza Strip,” Al Bawaba, 8 January 2024.
“Police say dog may have been thrown to its death from downtown Vancouver hotel,” The Canadian Press, 8 January 2024.
“Suspect sought after Windsor motel stabbing,” Windsor Star, 7 January 2024.
“Brevard deputies find weapons during traffic stop of alleged arsonist, sheriff says,” Click Orlando, 7 January 2024.
“Carjacking at gunpoint outside Tinley Park hotel: PD,” Patch, 7 January 2024.
“Heavy law enforcement descends on Windsor hotel after shots fired at first responders,” Coloradan, 7 January 2024.
“Hezbollah bombs Metullah hotel in Northern Israel,” The Jewish Press, 7 January 2024.
“Dispute between two men at bus depot led to a downtown shooting,” 93.1 FM WBIC, 6 January 2024.
“Floyd County man locked woman in hotel room for days while attacking, raping her, deputies say,” WSB TV, 6 January 2024.
“Hamas terrorist tunnel located under Blue Beach Hotel in the Gaza Strip,” Israeli Defense Forces, 5 January 2024.
“Las Vegas woman arrested for alleged attack on boyfriend, 76, at local hotel,” The Sentinel Record, 5 January 2024.
“Guam investigates fatal shooting of Korean visitor and offers $50,000 reward for information,” Associated Press, 5 January 2024.
“Police: Man shot twice outside Somerset Co. hotel,” 6 WJAC, 4 January 2024.
“Suspect in Delaware County stabbing apprehended in Harrisburg, police say,” Fox43, 4 January 2024.
Tweet, AreaCodes Basketball @areacodes • 20h, 4 January 2024, This didn’t look any better than my rooms I’ve stayed in @PHVegas where everyone is the star. First time at Fountainbleau (NO SECURITY) I saw a brawl and nobody has better mid strip things to do than Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino 8 2 Y 1 bg 44 * Planet Hollywood all-day, https://twitter.com/areacodes/status/1743356937394405620
“Ex-model Divya Pahuja, accused of gangster Gadoli’s murder, killed in Gurugram hotel,” Deccan Herald, 3 January 2024.
“Extensive damage caused to Banbridge hotel following New Year’s Day altercation,” Armagh I, 3 January 2024.
“Man accused of shooting, killing woman at DC hotel on New Year’s Day denied bond,” DC News Now, 3 January 2024.
“Stevenage hotel resident charged with arson after laundry bin fire,” BBC, 3 January 2024.
“Stevenage: Man charged with arson after fire at Ibis hotel,” The Comet, 3 January 2024.
“Ukraine invasion day 679: Airstrikes continue at a high level,” Daily Kos, 3 January 2024.
“Man arrested for fatal New Year’s Day shooting at Phuket hotel,” ASEAN Now, 2 January 2024.
“Masked man walks into gathering at hotel, shoots victim and runs away, police say,” WUSA 9, 2 January 2024.
“Stabbing in hotel lobby at Delaware County Holiday Inn Express,” 6 ABC Action News, 2 January 2024.
“Suspect facing assault and drug charges after refusing to leave hotel: police,” Soo Today, 2 January 2024.
“Teen charged after assault in hotel room: Police,” Timmins Today, 2 January 2024.
“Aberdeen lawyer accused of New Year assault on partner at luxury hotel,” Muckrack, 1 January 2024.
“Man dies from gunshot wound in front of hotel in Phuket on New Year’s Day,” Phuket Express, 1 January 2024.
“Ukraine strike hits party of Russian elites at Donbas Palace Hotel: Reports,” Newsweek, 1 January 2024.
“IDF makes progress in Gaza, killing 150 Hamas terrorists in one battle,” Jerusalem Post, 12 November 2023.
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