Question: ‘While traveling, Joseph and Marie Ippolito checked in to a Holiday Inn. The registration card Joseph signed and the pouch enclosing his key-card stated the hotel was not responsible for valuables outside the hotel's safe deposit boxes. The Ippolitos put their luggage containing jewelry and cash worth $500,000 in their room and left for 40 minutes. They did not see a notice on the back of their room door stating safe deposit boxes were available.
When the Ippolitos returned the jewelry and money were gone. State law excused innkeepers from liability for loss of money and jewels if they posted notice in a conspicuous manner requiring guests to leave such items in the innkeeper's safe deposit box. Had the hotel complied with the law and thus limited its liability for the loss?