In Brief: Business interruption claims in hospitality are growing. Operators who recover fastest aren’t just better insured; they’re better prepared. Here’s where to start.
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Before the Claim Comes: How Hospitality Operators Can Recover Faster After a Loss – Image Credit Unsplash+
Hospitality operators know better than most that business continuity depends on being prepared for the unexpected. Power outages, wildfire-related road closures and civil authority orders are just a few of the unforeseen events that can force brief or prolonged closures for hotels, restaurants and other hospitality businesses. Even a short shutdown can significantly affect the bottom line.
Business interruption (BI) claims in the hospitality sector are growing in both frequency and complexity, with exposures that extend well beyond traditional property events. Yet for many operators, the strength of their business interruption insurance documentation — not the policy itself — ultimately determines how much they recover and how quickly. Claims readiness is entirely within an operator’s control, and those who recover fastest share a common trait: They built their documentation infrastructure and broker relationships before they needed them.
Understanding what your BI policy actually covers
Knowing what your policy covers and being prepared to prove it starts with understanding the three misconceptions that most commonly surface at claim time:
- The gross revenue assumption — BI coverage pays net income loss plus continuing fixed expenses, not gross revenue. Rent, utilities, operational payroll and franchise royalty fees all factor into that calculation. Operators who plan a gross revenue recovery may find the actual payout structured very differently.
- The rent question — Many lease agreements include casualty provisions that abate rent during an extended closure. Insurers will review the lease to determine the tenant’s actual obligations during the claim period. Operators who keep paying when rent should have been paused may not recover those costs.
- The seasonality gap — When a loss occurs ahead of a peak season, operators and insurers often arrive at different revenue projections. For example, a campground closing in March, just before its April-through-October peak, may have budgeted a 15% revenue increase while recent sales trends support a more modest estimate. That difference in outlook can translate directly into a difference in payout. Working through seasonal revenue projections with your broker before a loss occurs puts operators in a significantly stronger position to recoup BI losses.
Building your documentation advantage
In each of these cases, the outcome hinges not just on what your policy says, but on your ability to produce the business interruption insurance documentation that supports your claim. Building that process is the foundation of a fast, favorable outcome and is more straightforward than most operators believe.
When a BI claim is filed, insurers typically request:
- Profit and loss statements from the prior year
- 30 to 90 days of daily sales records leading up to the incident
- Payroll records by pay period
- Tax statements for projected extended closures
The cleaner and more centralized the information is, the faster an insurer can complete its analysis and reach an agreed amount. The most common BI claim documentation challenge isn’t missing records but fragmented ones.
Operators who recover quickly typically have three things in place before a loss occurs:
- A centralized accounting platform that integrates with the point-of-sale system and produces a single, comprehensive revenue and expense report
- A shared drive or central database where key financial records are accessible at a moment’s notice
- A designated point of contact, supported by their broker team, to coordinate information flow accurately and efficiently when a claim develops
Prioritizing this infrastructure is particularly important for multi-unit operators or franchise owners, as financial data that spans multiple locations or departments can introduce gaps and delays.
What to look for in a broker
An experienced hospitality insurance broker understands the sub-coverages and endorsements specific to the sector that can ensure operators fully recover, including:
- Extra expense coverage for reopening costs
- Broader payroll endorsements
- Civil authority coverage for access road closures
- Coverage for forensic accounting fees
A strong broker can also help advocate for interim payments during an extended closure rather than waiting for a single settlement at the end of the process.
Hospitality operators should call their broker anytime there is a potential BI incident at their property, even if they aren’t sure if they have a claim. What appears to be a minor event can escalate quickly, and a delay in reporting can affect the business interruption insurance documentation and, in turn, the claims payout.
Ready to strengthen your claims readiness strategy? Connect with a HUB hospitality specialist to learn how we can help your business recover quickly and confidently after a loss.
Source: View the original article at HospitalityLawyer.com.
