Hotel Security Management
June 2004
Leisure travel is, like all industries, subject to various highs and lows. During the less good times many hotels rely on conventions and meetings to fill rooms. Often hotels and CVB directors are unaware that event and meeting planners (the people who often decide who gets the convention busines) that these people not only take security matters very seriously, but also ask some very hard and poignant questions. One such person is Kathryn A. Jurgensen, President and CEO of Premier Meetings in Irvine, California <www.premiermeetings.com>. Kathryn has prepared a list of security questions that she asks before booking a hotel or considering a site. Tourism Tidbits is pleased to be able to share some of these insightful questions with you. Being able to answer them will directly impact your bottom line. The new inn keepers’ laws in the United States makes security no longer simply an extra, but now a necessity. Failing to comply with the law can signify major economic losses and along with other penalities. With the onset of the summer travel season, this is a perfect time to review this list of questions. How you answer these questions may impact your business for years to come.
No matter where she goes, here are Kathryn’s most important questions concerning security. Please note that while she has phrased these questions for hoteliers they a re also valid for CVB’s (National tourism offices) and for specific attractions. Please note that for reasons of brevity this is only a partial list.
Top three questions:
- Do you consider your hotel secure?
- Does your General Manager believe and acknowledge that the safety and security of hotel guests is the moral and legal responsibility of the hotel and its staff?
- Have you increased your overall level of security since 9/11?
Top ten questions concerning security personnel. Tourism Tidbits presents these for both hotels and for local communities
- Who is the director of security/chief of police?
- What certifications have they attained/do police have TOPs training?
- How many security staff does your hotel employ/does your city have a tourism security unit?
- How many security staff are bilingual/how many police officers speak a foreign language?
- How many security officers (police) are part time and how many are full time?
- Do they work split or full shifts?
- Do your security personnel receive daily Guard Post Orders/Are police receiving additional TOPs training?
- Is there a different supervisor for each shift/does the local police department support tourism oriented policing?
- What training have your security employees received/other tourism personnel received?
- What tourism security certifications do they have?
For hotel employees the ten top questions asked are.
- Do you perform background checks for all hotel employees?
- Are all employees regularly tested for substance abuse?
- Has the entire staff had security awareness training?
- Are all employees regularly reminded of safety and security measures?
- Are hotel employees required to demonstrate or acknowledge proficiency upon reviewing your hotel’s Security Policies and Procedures Manual?
- Do you issue a security photo ID for all staff?
- How often do you renew name badges, photo ID’s or access passes?
- Are all hotel employees trained in crisis response?
- How often do employees receive training?
- What kind of training do they receive?
For hotels and tourism facilities the top ten questions are:
- Are all fire exits clear of blockages?
- Do security personnel man all exits?
- Are air vents secured?
- Do you have clear roof access?
- Is the roof considered to be a secured area?
- Do you have helicopter access?
- Do you have an emergency power generator?
- How long are you able to sustain power in an emergency?
- When did you last test the emergency power generator?
- Do you have an emergency lighting system?
Concerning procedures
- Have you contracted an outside security consulting firm to perform a comprehensive security analysis of your property (community)?
- Have you increased your tourism security budget since 9/11?
- What do you think are the greatest security exposures at your facility/community?
- What security risks exist in the surrounding community?
- Do you have a published security incident report for the last year? Last five years?
- Is your hotel/tourism industry committed to continually increasing its investment in security?
- Where has the investment been made so far since 9/11?
- Do you have a published Tourism Security Policies and Procedures Manual?
- When did you last update these procedures?
- Do you have an updated emergency contact list?
- Do you have the names and contact numbers for local law enforcement? Does local law enforcement have the names and contact people for all hotels/motels?
- Do the hotel security team and local law enforcement meet on a regular basis?
- Who participates in these meetings?
GUEST CHECK-IN
- Does your hotel ask guests for photo ID when registering?
- Does your hotel make and retain a copy of the guests’ photo ID’s during their stay?
- How are these copies disposed of upon guests’ departure?
- Do you allow guests to register with an alias?
- Are guests’ room numbers audibly announced upon check-in?
- Are employees at the front desk trained to safeguard the privacy of guests’ personal and financial information?
- Are these policies stated in a formal policy and procedures manual?
- What specific procedures are followed to safeguard handicapped guests?
- Who is responsible for knowing where those guests are housed in the hotel in case of a crisis or evacuation?
- Are guests provided a contact list of local resources (medical, police, weather, airport, hotel security, embassies, etc.) upon check-in?
