Politics & Government
Poway City Council Discusses Hotel Regulations
Leaders agreed to talk to stakeholders about new regulations before implementing them.
The City Council on Tuesday decided to give stakeholders an opportunity to meet with city officials before determining whether Poway will require hotels to keep records on their guests.
The council voted 5-0 to continue the agenda item after hearing a local hotel owner’s opposition to some of the proposed regulations. The item will be discussed at a later meeting.
If approved, the ordinance would require hotels to record the name, address and date of birth of the person that registers a room or rooms, as well as their vehicle’s make, model, license plate number and state of issuance. Hotel guests would also have to provide valid picture identification, identify other occupants and sign the hotel’s register. Hotel management would be required to store this information for three years and provide the records to law enforcement for “reasonable inspection.”
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Happy N. Sikand, who has owned Poway’s Ramada for 14 years, said he is concerned about consumer privacy, as hotels usually don’t require guests to identify all room occupants. Sikand added that hotels typically keep digital, not paper records. Property management systems have limitations and cannot register multiple people and store signatures, he said.
The councilmembers agreed that most hotels require picture identification of the person booking a room, but not the identification of other occupants.
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“If you’re reserving the room or using the room for an illegal purpose, you’re going to lie about those people anyway,” Councilman John Mullin said. “I’m interested in giving law enforcement every tool they need, but I would like to do this with as minimal imposition on the establishments that we can.”
Councilwoman Merrilee Boyack, a self-proclaimed frequent traveler, said she has never had to give the names of other room occupants.
“I understand we’re trying to help Safety Services; I think we all think that’s a laudable goal,” she said. “But I would also say try to stick to industry standards, which currently does not require that, and balance those two things.”
Director of Safety Services Mark Sanchez said the regulations would help deter crime and help officials better obtain hotel records during police investigations. Sanchez said sheriff deputies have encountered problems obtaining information from hotel employees due to the lack of comprehensive and uniform record keeping, as well as staff uncertainty regarding releasing information to law enforcement personnel during investigations.
Capt. Mike Hernandez said he has consulted with officials from neighboring cities with similar hotel registration requirements.
“Mostly, the hotels are very cooperative,” Hernandez said. “It’s for their safety as well.”
Councilman Jim Cunningham said that Poway is “pro-public safety,” but city officials should meet with representatives from the local hotels and work together.
“You’re a good community partner,” he said to Sikand.
After the meeting, Sikand said he was pleased that he and representatives from Poway’s other two hotels – Best Western and Hampton Inn & Suites – will get to meet with city officials to further discuss the proposed ordinance.
“We do want a crime-free city and hotels,” he said after the meeting. “We want to help … but they should know what we can and cannot do.”
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