The gap between hotel security and the guests should be seamless, writes Steve Collins, of PS5, the personal safety and weapons awareness training company. Being prepared is not the same as being paranoid, he says.
Practically everyone reading this piece will at sometime in their life have stayed in a hotel. Whether or not it is a luxurious six-star palace or a B&B, and as long as you don’t damage the fixtures and fittings or disturb the other guests by making too much noise you can pretty much do whatever you like in the privacy of your own room.
Most travellers tend to think of hotels as an extension of their own homes, comfortable, private and out of harm’s way. With the added bonus of someone else cleaning up your mess and waiting on you hand and foot. However, when one is focused on a business trip or immersed in that wonderful carefree vacation mode, it’s all too easy to be distracted and therefore a lot less focused on your personal security and safety. By all means go prepared to conduct you business and have a great time but also go prepared to protect yourself if the need arises. In 2017 I coined the term ‘We Go Prepared’ to underpin the concept of developing a mindset of always being prepared to deal with a worst case scenario should you be faced with one. For some staying in a hotel can be the most splendid and lavish experience of a life time, but of course in reality hotels are amongst the softest of targets for theft, violent crime and possible terrorist attack, not to mention the more obvious risk of fire, so go prepared.
Fire
When it comes to fire, we have little control over a hotel’s natural fire hazards, but as a rule of thumb always take a few minutes to read and understand the hotels fire procedures and the exit routes from the building. Upon arrival, check the lobby area and floor layouts. Make sure you know at least three different ways out of the building and at least two different ways off your floor, usually the lift and at least one set of stairs.
Theft
As far as theft is concerned the key to keeping yourself from becoming a target is to try and make an effort to blend in to your surroundings and not to draw attention to yourself by flashing your cash or valuables. Many hotels have in-room safes to keep valuables that will deter most opportunistic thefts. However, there is no way of really knowing just how secure these small safes are. Keep anything that is truly valuable in the hotel safe, but remember you are the only person you can trust and therefore the safest place is often on your person. It is a sad fact, but in some parts of the world, the biggest risk to hotels, and especially American-based hotel chains, is terrorism. If you are travelling to a sensitive part of the world carefully consider your hotel choice and perhaps think about a hotel that does not perhaps have the same degree of symbolism and branding as a large American chain.
Hotel
When selecting a hotel, sticking with the larger chains may help you avoid some issues. Larger hotels usually have procedures in place to protect their guests and trained security staff on duty 24/7. However, do not be complacent, always lock your door when you are in the room, and never open your room door for security, room service or housekeeping unless you can clearly identify them as a staff member. If in any doubt, always call the front desk.
Room
Remember, rooms with their windows on the ground floor and second floor are more easily accessible and therefore more vulnerable to thieves. The less vulnerable rooms tend to be floors three to eight for example; these rooms are high enough to minimize exterior access from thieves, but low enough for fire and emergency services to reach with their ladders. Most ladder trucks can work at an average of about 100 feet, but because they have to be operated at a slight angle this reduces their reach to about the 7th or 8th floors. If your room is any higher than this a standard fire truck ladder is unlikely to reach you.
Discretion
Always be polite to staff and other guests, but do not give up personal information to other guests or anyone you don’t know, such as your surname or room number. If the receptionist at check-in says your name or room number out loud and strangers over hear it, ask to be checked into a different room. Access to personal information could be used to target you or your room. Be extra vigilant regarding personal identification and do not show anything that has a home address on it. Try to use a business address for billing purposes and only check in using your passport. If attending a conference or event at a hotel, do not wear your name badge in public areas. Badges with your name or company on them may be enough information for a thief to impersonate you and claim they have lost their key.
Hoteliers
The vast majority of hoteliers will follow local regulations when designing a hotel’s safety and security systems. It is crucial to have robust and vigorous security measures in place in order to keep both the guests and employees safe. The goal of every hotel owner is to provide safe and secure accommodation, while maintaining a friendly customer service. From the guest’s point of view the gap between hotel security manager and the guest should be seamless. There should be a fine balance between customer service and hotel security; guests should feel both welcome and safe.
Security first priority
Having hotel managers and employees thinking about security and safety contributes enormously toward creating a secure environment for guests. Simple conformity in the name of security can benefit an entire establishment, and also cover the hotels liability in cases of legal investigations. Ensure that staff always check IDs every time someone asks for a replacement room key. Teach staff how to spot suspicious behaviour and other issues which could compromise the safety of the hotel and its guests. Train staff to verify the identity of every contractor that walks onto the property, whatever they are doing. A 24-7 security presence is an enormous deterrent and all personnel should be trained to greet guests, but also to courteously turn away anyone that do not have legitimate business in the hotel. Make sure employees are well-trained regarding how room keys are distributed. Electronic key locks that are re-keyed between guests are the safest. Deadbolts help prevent external burglary threats. And locks that keep track of who goes in and out of a room are a massive deterrent to would be theft.
Appropriately uniformed staff allows guests to easily distinguish between hotel employees and members of the public or other guests. This is particularly important in guest areas, such as hallways and rooms. Being able to identify members of staff that are friendly and courteous goes a long way to helping guests to feel safe. Hotel security is critical and it should be every hotel owner and manager’s goal to provide a safe and secure environment and accommodation for its guests while at the same time providing an outstanding and friendly customer service. As I said, this can be a fine balance, but the gap between hotel security and the guests should be seamless.
Picture by Mark Rowe; Freiburg, Germany.
