Hotels Think They Are GDPR Compliant, But The Truth Is There Are No Universal Compliance Standards

MIAMI, May 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect globally on May 25, introducing dramatically stronger rules on data privacy. The EU hopes to achieve a fundamental change in the way companies think about data ? its central idea is "privacy by default."  But these new regulations are the broadest ever implemented by the EU, because they are not limited to just EU member nations.  In fact, GDPR is worldwide, meaning every country must follow these new rules, or be fined up to 4% of a company's global annual revenue.

Many industries will be looking for ways to become compliant with these new laws, but they will soon discover that there are no universal compliance standards, according to the EU's own website, under the section controversial topics. The hotel industry will be the most vulnerable.

A Miami, Florida based company, Creating Revolutions, has built a groundbreaking solution to solve such a complex problem. Their multi-patented technology, uniquely solves the lack of universal compliance standards for GDPR by not attacking the liability problem, but instead removing the liability completely. 

Creating Revolution's communication technology allows smart guest to employee communication in a hotel. Unlike text messaging or SMS, private information is not used by design, while incredibly still maintaining full personalization for the guest. Rather than having to work within the scope of GDPR restrictions, Creating Revolutions does not use any private information, therefore offering zero liability to GDPR.

The hotel industry is the most vulnerable because, compared to any other industry it's very focused, with only a few companies controlling the overwhelming majority of the market. This means the EU can go after fewer players, and get the biggest bang for their buck. These penalties are set to be the largest in history, at between 2% - 4% of a company's global annual revenue. Additionally, the hotel industry has more assets within the EU, compared to any other industry, making it much easier to collect those massive fines.

Hotels are also specifically designed to attract foreigners, many of which are EU citizens. Unlike the retail or restaurant industry, when a guest checks in to a hotel, they are expected to give up personal information such as a driver's license, credit card, or even their passport. An EU citizen going into a restaurant in the US wouldn't give the hostess their passport, just the same as they wouldn't go to a retail store and hand over their credit card prior to shopping.  Due to the majority of hotels requiring guests to give their credit card at check in, it is impossible to keep their personal information to themselves.

"Are You GDPR Ready have been some of the scariest words that have come across my computer screen.  We are actively looking for innovative solution providers like Creating Revolutions, that can remove GDPR liabilities from our hotels," states Marc Lawrence, owner of The Anglers Hotel, a Kimpton Property.

Hotel loyalty tools, websites, and guest communication services such as text messaging or SMS will be the most vulnerable to GDPR. Even if a third party is used, the hotel is still liable for any issues of compliance, as stated formally by the GDPR.

Creating Revolution's technology, not only gives a hotel access to guest communication, but also offers the most advanced and immersive communication technology available to hotels today. While there is no universal standard for compliance of GDPR, using Creating Revolutions, hotels have a way of protecting themselves from what is considered the most broad and costly regulations in history.

Hotels need to be proactive and think out of the box when implementing any technology that could open up highly expensive liabilities regarding privacy laws in the near future, and that's where pioneers like Creating Revolutions are the answer.

SOURCE Creating Revolutions