Hotel, guesthouse & B&B insurance

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ staff. This cover protects you against claims made by employees for workplace accidents, illness or injury for which you are liable. Examples include:

• A housekeeper in a guesthouse injures themselves while lifting a mattress.
• A hotel chef sustains a burn while preparing food in a commercial kitchen.
• A bed and breakfast receptionist sues for an injury as a result of lifting luggage.

Commercial building insurance protects the physical structure of your accommodation, whether a converted home or purpose-built hotel, including walls, roofs and outbuildings. Covers risks such as:

• Fire
• Theft
• Vandalism
• Natural disasters
• Accidental damage

The decor, furnishings and appliances are what make a hotel or B&B feel so special. We understand how much investment – time and money – goes into fitting out a space, which is why it’s so important to have comprehensive contents insurance in place in the event of damage occurring to: 

• Fixtures
• Fittings
• Furnishings
• Appliances
• Artwork
• And other valuables
• Stock

Business Interruption Insurance

Business interruption cover can also be incorporated to protect your turnover should you suffer damage at your premises that would affect your ability to trade.

Whether it’s your licence to operate as a hotel, B&B or guesthouse, or your licence to serve food or alcohol, if your licence is revoked, it could have a serious impact on your bookings. Loss of licence cover supports your business financially if your alcohol or premises licence is revoked.

• You’ll be covered in the event of licence loss due to an insured event that was not your fault.
• If your licence is revoked, suspended or not renewed, you may be protected.
• Covers lost revenue, ongoing expenses, and may include costs associated with reinstating the licence.

This is a specific type of cover for hotels, B&B’s and guesthouses alike. It provides your guests with peace of mind, and protects you from financial loss if guests’ personal items are:

• Damaged, and you’re legally liable
• Lost, and you’re legally liable
• Stolen

This cover typically has specific per-item and total claim limits, and high-value items are often only protected if they are deposited with reception for safekeeping. This cover is an important component of a comprehensive and tailored hotel, B&B or guesthouse insurance package.

Covers legal costs related to business disputes or defence. It will provide you with financial protection and support for legal costs related to commercial disputes and legal issues such as:

• Resolving a cancellation dispute with a guest.
• Employment tribunal claims from staff.
• Legal support for supplier contract disagreements.

This cover typically includes a legal advice helpline. This allows you to seek advice on potential issues before they escalate into formal disputes, helping to mitigate risk.

Cyber insurance is essential if you’re a hotel, guesthouse or B&B that takes bookings online, has a database of customer bookings or even just has a website or uses email. This essential insurance protects your business in the event of cyber threats and data breaches, such as:

• Hacking of online hotel booking systems.
• Theft of guest card details via a B&B payment terminal.
• Ransomware attack on a guesthouse’s email server.

For your accommodation to run smoothly, there are many pieces of equipment or machinery that require regular inspection. This type of insurance covers the cost of legally required safety inspections for your essential equipment and the costs of repairing or replacing that equipment if it suffers a mechanical or electrical breakdown. This cover is relevant for essential equipment like:

• Boilers
• Generators
• Fire alarm & sprinkler systems
• Lifts
• Aircon & heating systems
• Kitchen equipment including pressurised vessels such as coffee machines
• Electrical systems