Hotel Chain Fined for Child's Injury in Kids' Club

A family vacation at the Leonardo Club Hotel in Tiberias ended with a toddler's injury and a lengthy legal battle, culminating in a court ruling that the Fattal hotel chain was negligent in supervising its children's club. The incident occurred in August 2014 when a nearly three-and-a-half-year-old boy broke his arm while playing on a slide in the hotel's "kids' club," which was marketed as a secure, staffed, and supervised play area.

The court found that the hotel created a "false impression of supervision" by failing to enforce basic safety procedures and leaving children unsupervised. The boy's mother testified that she briefly left the club to breastfeed, informing the attendant, who was reportedly only 14 years old. The hotel argued that signage required adult supervision and that parents were ultimately responsible.

However, Judge Kais Nashef ruled that the primary blame lay with the hotel, noting that the attendant was not present during the fall and that the hotel admitted the play area operated "like a kindergarten." The judge criticized the hotel for not calling key witnesses and for failing to ensure its staff enforced safety rules, thereby leaving toddlers without adequate oversight.

Despite the hotel's negligence, the court also found the parents partially at fault, determining they had neglected their "natural duty of supervision" by leaving the toddler unattended while both parents were outside the club area simultaneously. The court assigned 70% of the responsibility to the hotel and 30% to the parents.

Consequently, the Fattal hotel chain was ordered to pay the parents approximately 158,750 shekels in compensation, plus legal fees. The hotel will cover about 135,000 shekels of this amount. An attorney specializing in personal injury claims called the ruling unusual, emphasizing that it clarifies that placing a child in a hotel play area does not absolve parents of the need for active supervision.