Hospitality Sector Insurance

Hotel Insurance Quotes

• MoreThan
• Directline
• AXA
• Gauntlet
• Norwich Union
• Endsleigh
• Premierline Direct
• Simpson & Parsons
• Towergate

No two hotel or accommodation businesses are alike and finding the best business insurance package is a minefield to the uninitiated, which is why most businesses go through an independent insurance broker for advice.

Independent insurance broker can guide you through the insurance maze, and identify the type of policy that's most appropriate for your business.

It may be a single policy would be right for you, or a package of policies combined in a single policy document would give you the most comprehensive cover. You can find a broker from:

• The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) website.
• The Institute of Insurance Brokers (IIB) website
• Or contact the Institute of Insurance Brokers Enquiry Line on 01933 410 003.

Before you buy insurance for a business get quotes from several insurers or ask your broker to do this for you.

Questions to ask when buying insurance for a business:

• what it will cover
• what it won't cover
• service
• cost
• whether there is a no claims bonus
• whether there is a 24-hour legal advice/emergency helpline
• the level of excess - the amount of each claim that you will have to pay

What will an insurer want to know before I can get a hotel insurance quote?

When you take out hotel insurance, your insurer will want to know certain basic facts about you and your business so they can assess your risk. These include:

• Details of your start-up date
• Business location and activities (eg seaside resort hotel, guest house, tavern with rooms) and whether you offer gym, spa, oudoor activities, etc.
• Number of letting rooms
• Security details (eg lock systems, alarms, CCTV)
• Value of trade contents (machinery & plant) and stock (food, wines, spirits, household contents)
• Rent if applicable
• Rebuild value of your property if you need buildings cover
• Sum insured for gross income
• Gross annual turnover and gross annual payroll
• Date and circumstances of any previous losses
• Whether you've previously had an insurance application denied
• It is vital that you answer all questions honestly and disclose all relevant facts, regardless of whether specifically asked for.

If your premises, or business vehicles, have been broken into, disclose it.

It's possible that your premises will be inspected before cover is given. If there are obvious shortcomings - poor security, say, or insufficient lighting - then you'll need to sort these before you can get cover.

Once accepted you'll receive a policy document setting out the extent of cover and exclusions and conditions.

With motor and employers' liability insurance you must display the relevant certificates on your premises.

Things that could stop you getting insurance:

You'll pay higher insurance, or could even be refused cover, if:

• You've been declared bankrupt
• You've been charged or convicted with a criminal offence (other than a motoring offence)
• You've previously had an application for renewal or transfer of a liquor licence refused
• You intend to apply for the transfer of a liquor licence in the next 12 months
• You've been prosecuted or served with a prohibition order under Health & Safety law in the last five years
• You've had 3 or more claims in the last five years
• Customs and Excise or the Inland Revenue have taken out recovery action against you
• You've had a previous insurance application cancelled or denied
• Your premises aren't self contained with their own lockable front door, or are used for other purposes
• Your premises are closed in low season, partially closed or unoccupied for long periods
• Your premises are poorly maintained

Quotes from Hotel Insurance Companies

MoreThan Business

Part of the RSA (Royal & SunAlliance) Group, More Th>n Business sells hotel insurance direct to small businesses by phone and via the internet.

As you'd expect from one of the biggest companies in the insurance market, their site is one of the most comprehensive.

As well as a Knowledge Centre with up-to-the-minute business news there's good advice on all aspects of risk management, from fire safety through to intruder alarm systems.

You can also download a free risk management guide.

As well as all that, there's the My Watercooler website. Free to policy holders, it lets you network with other small businesses, pick their brains and exchange ideas, knowledge and contacts.

For those of you who are completely new to the world of commercial insurance products, there's a quick at-a-glance product chooser which gives a good outline of what type of cover you'll need for your kind of hotel premises, and a quote comparison to give you an idea of cost.

Policy features

The More>Than Business Small Hotel insurance policy is aimed at hotels, guest houses and B & Bs with 20 bedrooms or less, and with stock and contents of £500,00 and under.

The standard policy offers all the usual covers, including:

• Business interruption - £500,000 for a 24-month period
• Loss of licence - up to £100,000
• Free seasonal stock increase of 50% for November and December and for 31 days before Easter Day

If you take out hotel insurance with them, you'll get up to 15% off the premium which you can pay in interest-free monthly instalments, and you'll qualify for a 10% discount on business car insurance.

There's a further a discount if you have CCTV or alarms maintained by approved installers.

Benefits include a free helpline on legal and health & safety issues and stress counselling. MoreThan also offer advice on VAT, PAYE and tax issues.

There's no filling in forms with More Than - you call them up and they take your details over the phone.

Online Hotel Insurance Quotes

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Direct Line

Direct Line, the UK's leading direct car insurer, are making inroads into the commercial sector. They guarantee to beat your hotel insurance renewal quote, so you have nothing to lose by putting them to the test.

Both licensed and unlicensed bed and breakfast establishments, guest houses or hotels with a bar or restaurant and up to 12 guest rooms can apply for Direct Line's hotel insurance policy.

Annual income can't be greater than £375,000, and Direct Line won't consider you if you provide spa, gym or health club facilities, or arrange excursions for guests.

Grade1 listed buildings are also excluded.

If you only let out up to 4 bedrooms and your main business is selling food or drink, their Pub & Restaurant policy is more appropriate.

Policy features

• Business contents - £250,000, including guests' and employees' personal effects and goods in transit. All sums are indexed linked to keep in line with inflation Employers' Liability - £10,000,000
• Public and product liability - £2,000,000
• Business interrupion - up to £500,000 over a 24-month period

You can increase most of these amounts, plus there's also cover for loss of money, personal accident assault, equipment breakdown and glass, fixed signs and sanitary ware.

Optional extras

• Buildings - up to £2,000,000
• Portable equipment used away from the business (UK, Europe or worldwide)
• Loss of liquor licence
• Personal accident to specified business personnel
• Home contents if you live on the premises

Policyholders can also take advantage of free helpline services - health, medical and legal advice, emergency services assistance, and even stress counselling.

www.directlineforbusiness.co.uk

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AXA

AXA, one of the world's largest insurers to small and medium-sized businesses, offers a Hotel Insurance package specifically for hotels, motels, inns and guest houses.

They won't consider you for insurance if you:

• offer golfing, gym or conference facilities
• provide accommodation for students or DSS claimants
• haven't carried out a Health & Safety risk assessment of the workplace

Sums insured for contents (and buildings, if included in the policy) can be automatically adjusted to keep in line with inflation so you don't lose out, which will also cut down on admin.

There's also the attraction of a free extra 25% cover for stock during busy seasonal periods - December and January and 8 days before and after Bank Holidays.

If cashflow's a problem, you can opt to pay the annual premium by monthly direct debit as opposed to a one lump sum payment upfront. But you could be charged for this.

There are free helplines for Legal & Tax Advice, Glass Replacement and a 24-hour Emergency Helpline.

As well as up to 10% discount off your premium, as an AXA policyholder you can access the AXA Plus website for free business advice and discounts on services and products such as car hire and hotel bookings.

Policy features

• Contents and stock - you decide the amount. Replacement is on a market value basis, with limits on specfied items, eg:
  • For wines and spirits - up to £1,000, ditto cigarettes and tobacco. You can increase cover for an extra premium
  • Guests personal effects - £1,000 for personal effects and £10,000 per vehicle, max £50,000 per claim
  • Employees' property - £500 per employee, £1,000 if they permanently live in
• Loss of liquor licence - Up to £100,000. But there are a lot of exclusions, so read the small print
• Business interruption - £250,000 or three times the sum insured for contents sum - whichever's greater - for 12 months, but you can extend this to 36 months.

Cover also includes:

• Damage to signs (exc. neon signs) - £1,000
• Goods in transit - £2,000 (you can increase this to £4,000 max)
• Loss of money - up to £5,000
• Loss of freezer coontents - £2,000
• Legal expenses - £50,000 for each claim. Max. £500,000 in any period of insurance
• Public liability - £2million with option to increase to £5million
• Product liability - £2million with option to increase to £5million
• Employer's liability - £10m
• Employee assault - £10,400 max for 1 iincident
• Loss of books - £10,000
• Loss of licence - £100,000
• Employers liability - £10m
• Public liability - £2m (can increase to £5m)
• Products liability - £2m (can increase to £5m)
• Legal liability for guests' property deposited for safekeeping inc motor vehicles in hotel's garage or car park which is locked overnight - up to £25,000

Optional extras

You can mix and match cover to suit from a variety of optional extras, including:

• All Risks cover for buildings
• Subsidence
• Terrorism
• Computer Breakdown
• 'All Risks' on specified items lost/damaged away from the premises
• Theft by Employees
• Terrorism
• Personal Assault

For a quote, apply online or by phone. You can also request a callback online, or arrange a personal visit by one of their reps. http://www.axa-insurance.co.uk

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Gauntlet

Based in London with offices in Edinburgh and Yorkshire, Gauntlet - the trading name of Landau Manson Ltd. - was first set up in 1982.

They claim to be the UK's leading supplier of hotel insurance, covering both large and small hotels. The prestigious Stobo Castle is among their 500+ clients.

Gauntlet simplify things by offering one all-inclusive product in the shape of their flagship Five Star policy to suit all sizes of establishments, from a 6-bedroomed guest house to a modern purpose-built 600-plus roomed hotel.

Policyholders can access their award-winning website for online support on H & S and personnel issues.

You can register with them and get 30 days' free access to the website before you buy.

They also offer a hands-on risk management consultancy service.

You can buy online, by phone or face to face.

For an online quote you simply fill in a short form and you'll receive a no-obligation quote.

You can pay premiums monthly or annually and take advantage of interest-free monthly payments if you agree to keep your insurance with Gauntlet for three years.

We particularly like the fact that if you are unhappy with the service you can call managing director David Noble direct on his mobile no.

Policy features

We couldn't access full policy details - you have to register with them first, but the broad outline of covers featured appears comprehensive:

• Loss of or damage to property
• Business Interruption
• Loss of Money (including money in vending machines)
• Personal Accident benefits for assault
• Equipment Breakdown
• Legal Expenses cover for employment disputes, tax issues, etc.
• Product & Products liability (£5 million each)

Loss of or damage to property cover provides All Risks cover for Buildings, Contents, Plant & Machinery and Stock, and includes some covers other insurers offer as optional extras.

Included here are:

• personal effects of hotel customers and employees
• goods in transit
• "walk in" theft
• loss of rent payable
• locks replacement if keys are stolen
• property at outside catering sites
• loss of metered water
• glass breakage and temporary boarding up costs
• groundsmen's property in outbuildings
• automatic seasonal increases for extra stock
• loss of mobiles/laptops in the UK

Gauntlet's Employers liability (£10 million) also covers temporary visits overseas; sport, social, medical and welfare activities undertaken by staff as well as private work carried out by an employee for an owner or senior executive.

Fill in the online form and they'll provide you with an indication of the premium amount required for your business.

For a quote call 020 7723 1124, Mon - Fri, 9am - 5.30pm.

Website: http://www.gauntletinsurance.co.uk

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Norwich Union

Norwich Union, part of Aviva - the world's fifth-largest insurance group and the largest insurance provider in the UK, no longer offers Business Insurance directly to customers - you have to go through a broker.

Their hotel policy offers all the usual covers, with a range of optional covers including employee dishonesty, frozen food, loss of liquor licence and personal accident.

For buildings and contents you can choose from two options:

• Fire & Specified Contingencies
• All Risks

Fire & Specified Contingencies includes loss or damage from specific causes such as fire, storm or flood, burst pipes, etc.

All Risks also covers accidental damage.

For business interruption, the Norwich stands out from the rest by offering more generous limits:

• £600,000 for up to 2 years
• £800,000 for up to 2 years
• £1m for up to 3 years

Benefits include:

• Free 24 hours claims phone line
• Legal and tax helpline
• Counselling service for policyholder and staff
• Risk Services helpline and website

Policyholders are eligible for discounts on security and fire safety products through their Preferred Supplier scheme.

You can also take advantage of a free kitchen inspection by Rentokil Hygiene Services and discounted rates for deep cleaning.

There's the option to spread the premium over 12 monthly instalments but you'll be charged for this.

For more information, you need to go through an insurance broker.

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Endsleigh

Originally set up in 1965 to provide insurance for the students, Cheltenham-based Endsleigh now offers a wide range of products for the commercial market.

Their Business Insurance Services arm provides specialist cover for hotels, spas, guest houses and small bed & breakfast establishments.

They use a panel of major UK insurers to devise a package for your particular type of business, promising individually tailored solutions.

Policyholders can access a free advisory service on Health and Safety matters, Disaster Recovery Planning and Risk Management.

Policy features

• Employers, Public & Product liability
• All Risks cover for Contents
• Business interruption
• Money
• Goods in transit
• Theft by Employees
• Loss of licence

Optional extras

• Buildings and subsidence

To apply you fill in a few details online and one of their advisors will call you back.

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Premierline Direct

Based in Lancaster, Premierline Direct is a subsidiary of Allianz Insurance plc, one of UK's largest insurers and part of the global Allianz Group.

For new businesses that have been trading for a year and haven't made more than one insurance claim for less than £5,000, they promise to cut the renewal premium by at least 10%. On average, they believe customers save over 25% with them.

Plus that, if you insure your van with them Premierline Direct say they'll cut the cost of your commercial van policy by around £179.

Policy features

Premierline Direct's standard Hotel and Guest House Insurance Policy provides employer's and public liability, contents cover and business interruption cover as standard.

All policies give you automatic access to a free legal helpline but legal expenses insurance, underwritten by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited, is extra, and costs from £75 (plus IPT) a year.

• Business contents - you select the sum to insure trade contents and stock for against specific risks, eg, fire, accidental/malicious damage, explosions, theft, flood, storm, escape of water.
• Loss of accounts receivable - up to £25,000 for customers' debts if books are lost or damaged by an insured risk.
• Business interruption
• Loss of liquor licence - up to £100,000
• Employer's Liability - £10m
• Public and Products Liability - £2m
• You're also automatically covered for a wide range of mishaps including:
  • Damage to fixed glass and sanitary fittings (£500)
  • Goods in transit (£2,000)
  • Theft of keys and cost of replacement locks (£500)
  • Loss of money during business hours (£3,000)
  • Personal accident/assault following robbery (£10,000)
  • Loss of freezer stock (£2,000)
  • Up to 25% automatic seasonal increase in stock for busy periods.

Optional extras

• Buildings - to cover rebuilding costs with an option to include subsidence
• Theft by employees - up to £5,000
• All risks specified items - for items used away from the premises in the UK (up to 30 days worldwide)
• Computer breakdown - maintenance must be carried out by an approved contractor
• Commercial Legal Protection
• Subsidence
• Terrorism

Website: http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/

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Simpson & Parsons

Based in Windermere in the Lake District since 1984, independent brokers Simpson & Parsons claim to be specialists in the hospitality industry. They provide insurance for hotels, guest houses, pubs and restaurants.

On offer are discounts for larger-sized hotels and owners who've run the same establishment for several years or who live on the premises, as well as no claims discounts.

Unfortunately we couldn't access any policy details online, so we can't outline exactly what's on offer.

But there's nothing to stop you supplying basic details on their website.

Quotations are free, cover is instant, and you can access help and advice over the phone or in person.

Policies are underwritten by insurers such as AXA, Royal & Sun Alliance, Norwich Union and Great Lakes Insurance UK.

Website: http://www.simpsonparsons.co.uk/hotel.htm

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Towergate

Towergate was set up in 1997, in recent years Kent-based Towergate Risk Solutions have acquired over 110 reputable insurance firms from across the UK.

Now one of the largest independently-owned insurance intermediaries in the country, it does business over the internet, by phone and in person, thanks to a network of 70 offices employing over 3,000 staff.

On offer is specialist insurance tailored specifically for hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments.

You can choose from the usual range of liability covers. Policy details aren't available online, but they do pride themselves on securing preferential rates and terms, so they're worth looking into.

No claims discounts are available, as is a 24-hour legal advice helpline.

Policyholders can also access Business Link, a national network of local business advice centres for help with finance, management skills, marketing, technology, etc.

For quotes or more information, you can use their online email function to contact them direct, or fill in short quote form online.

Alternatively just click on an office near you on their online map to send an enquiry to your local branch.

Policies are underwritten by insurers such as Norwich Union, AXA, Groupama and Allianz Cornhill.

Website: http://www.towergaterisksolutions.co.uk

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