Hotel and Hospitality Property Accidents: What Every Guest Should Know About Their Rights
October 28, 2025
Hotels are meant to be places of comfort, safety, and rest.
But accidents in hotels and resorts happen far more often than most guests
realize — from slip-and-falls in bathrooms to injuries at pool areas
or recreational facilities.
When those accidents occur because of unsafe conditions or
poor security, the hotel may be legally responsible under New York’s premises
liability law.
Here’s what every guest — and their family — should
understand about property accidents in the hospitality industry.
Guest Room Hazards
Hotel owners have a legal duty to keep rooms and hallways reasonably safe for guests.
Common hazards include:
- Loose carpeting or uneven flooring
- Faulty furniture or collapsing beds
- Electrical or fire hazards
- Poor lighting in walkways
Under New York premises liability law, property owners must inspect and maintain their premises. If they knew — or should have known — about a dangerous condition and failed to fix it, they can be held liable for any resulting injuries.
Even something as simple as a broken handrail or a wet tile floor can lead to serious injuries such as fractures, concussions, or spinal damage.
Bathtub and Shower Falls
Bathrooms are one of the most common sites for hotel accidents, especially among older guests.
Slippery tiles, missing bath mats, or lack of safety bars can turn a quick shower into a serious fall.
Under New York law (Restatement (Second) of Torts § 343), hotels must take reasonable steps to protect guests from foreseeable hazards — including those in private rooms.
If a guest slips in a shower that lacked basic safety measures, or if staff failed to respond to a reported leak, the hotel may be responsible for negligence.
Pool Deck and Recreational Area Accidents
Hotel pools, gyms, and recreation spaces can quickly become dangerous when safety standards aren’t enforced.
Common hazards include:
- Slip, trip, and fall accidents in rooms, hallways, lobbies, and stairs. These are the most frequent cause of guest injuries.
- Falls down stairs or escalators causing serious injury.
- Accidents involving elevators, such as malfunctions or getting stuck.
- Drowning or near-drowning incidents in hotel pools or hot tubs.
- Injuries from broken or defective furniture or fixtures in guest rooms or public areas.
- Food poisoning or illness from contaminated food or unsanitary kitchen conditions.
- Burns from hot water, irons, kitchen fires, or other sources.
- Assaults or attacks due to inadequate hotel security.
- Cuts, bruises, and fractures resulting from these hazards.
Hotels are required to comply with New York State Sanitary Code (10 NYCRR Part 6) for pools and spas, which includes maintaining safe surfaces, posting warning signs, and preventing overcrowding.
If those standards aren’t met, guests may have grounds for a premises liability claim.
Premises Liability vs. Negligent Security
Some hotel injuries do not result from physical hazards — but from lack of proper security.
Guests may face assaults, robberies, or other crimes in areas where hotels failed to provide adequate lighting, locks, or surveillance.
In these cases, the claim shifts from general premises liability to negligent security.
Hotels can be held accountable if they failed to:
- Hire and train security staff properly
- Maintain functioning door locks or cameras
- Warn guests about known criminal activity nearby
Courts in New York have ruled that hotels must take reasonable steps to protect guests from foreseeable harm, including criminal acts on or near the property.
Your Legal Rights After a Hotel Accident
If you are injured in a hotel or resort, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical bills and rehabilitation
- Lost income or time away from work
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress or trauma
Proving liability often requires evidence like maintenance logs, witness statements, and security footage — which can disappear quickly.
That’s why it’s important to contact a premises liability attorney as soon as possible after an accident.
We’re Here to Help
At LFK Law Practice, P.C., we help injured guests hold negligent property owners accountable.
Our firm works with trusted medical professionals and safety experts to document injuries, investigate conditions, and build strong cases for recovery.
Whether your injury happened in a guest room, bathroom, pool, or parking lot, we’ll help you understand your legal rights and get the care you need.
Contact us today for a free consultation
We’ll review your case, explain your options, and connect you with resources for medical treatment and legal support — so you can focus on healing while we handle the rest.