10 Hotel Security Procedures

As someone who has experienced life as an undocumented worker within the hospitality industry, I know that comprehensive workplace safety and security procedures have the potential to ensure that all stakeholders can work and play in a safe and welcoming environment.

However, it takes proactive, ongoing, and continuously reviewed plans to ensure they work effectively, and regular reviews of hotel safety and security are critical.

With this in mind, this article will explore 10 security procedures that work and that are taken from my own experiences and input from our clients.

See how Hilton partnered with ROAR to protect their staff across properties nationwide.

Understanding Hotel Safety and Security

There are many different approaches to ensure protection for hotel staff and guests while delivering positive guest experiences at the same time.

In fact, many security systems, procedures, and technologies can be implemented subtly and without dramatically overhauling the structure or ambience of the building.

I firmly believe that the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) framework is a good place to begin, encompassing the following factors:

• Physical security
• Surveillance
• Movement control
• Management and maintenance
• Defensible space

Many of these elements can be implemented through simple resource allocation, good management, and regular maintenance. Here, we look at where to start:

1. Lighting

Our clients in the hotel industry suggest that isolated spaces should be well lit and regularly maintained as problematic behaviors often happen in dimly lit areas.

Ensuring bulbs are checked and replaced when broken, or improved lighting systems are installed, has been shown to reduce crime by up to 36% in cities. Public areas such as parking lots, hallways and alleys should be the focus.

2. Control Access

Either using a surveillance system or by redirecting paths, all traffic should pass through areas that can be easily controlled and monitored.

We recommend eliminating or blocking "non-spaces" from public access, and designing your premises to direct footfall through the building in an efficient way. This will prevent large groups accumulating in busy public areas.

3. Regulate the Number of Entrances

The fewer there are, the fewer security personnel and resources will be required to monitor them. Again, controlling through traffic can help you decide on the best placement, and entrances should always be part of your access plan.

Exits should be designed with fire safety in mind, allowing fast egress of the building.

4. Exterior Maintenance

Simple maintenance jobs such as painting, gardening and cleaning up litter from hotel property send a message to both hotel guests and potential transgressors. The "Broken Window Theory" suggests that visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior, and civil disorder may encourage further crime and disorder.

Additionally, a well-maintained exterior also improves client-perception of your establishment, and our clients suggest that it also makes for a great instagram photo!

5. Hotel Room Maintenance

Cleanliness and proper maintenance tell good customers they are valued and dissuade bad behavior. In a similar way to exterior maintenance, a dirty, messy, or poorly maintained room is an invitation to treat it in the same way in which it was found.

Dirty guest rooms are also among the most common guest complaints, and so ensuring yours are of the highest standard is a win-win.

Uses of Security Technology and Devices in Hotels

Alongside regular maintenance and the intelligent use of space, technology has a large part to place in hotel security procedures.

Our clients that use modern security systems report that they are both discrete and help improve guest experience while supporting security officers. Video surveillance, digital key cards, and hotel panic buttons are three ways to achieve this.

6. Digital Keys

Conventional room keys are easily lost, literally opening the door to theft or break in. Digital credit card-type key cards, however, can be activated or deactivated when necessary.

Additionally, this technology also prevents criminals from copying keys for use after they have checked out.

7. CCTV Security Cameras

Today's security systems are unobtrusive and highly effective, and not only allow you to catch illegal activity that may elude security guards, but also serve as a deterrent.

Cameras covering the front desk and in other public areas will decrease the likelihood of bad behavior or criminality while also providing hotel staff and the law enforcement with a visual record of any incidents that may take place.

8. Wearable Panic Buttons

Ensuring a fast response when staff or guests are in danger is key to delivering effective help or stopping incidents escalating.

Our clients report that wearable panic buttons provide a discreet safety net for staff in trouble while allowing frontline employees to alert security if guests are in danger, without also placing themselves in harm's way.

From partnering with our existing clients within the hotel sector, we know that this approach can play a huge part in creating a safer and friendlier place to work, as well as ensuring that compliance standards are maintained.

Theft and Fraud — Monitoring at Hotel Premises

We know that not all hotel guests come with good intentions, and it is essential to flag suspicions from the start.

In addition to this, poor onboarding and recruitment can leave you vulnerable, with theft and fraud two of the most pervasive issues in the industry—from both guests and staff. There are two effective ways to minimize fraud and theft on your premises:

9. Registration Process

Best practice is to ensure staff fill out the information contained in registration forms themselves by asking relevant questions.

Ask for several pieces of I.D. from each guest at check in; ask questions about the number of people staying in the room and potential visitors; check license plate numbers.

In addition to this, keep easily accessible records, introduce more secure payment systems, and ensure data protection policies are adhered to.

10. Treat Hotel Employees Well

The underlying motives behind employee theft and fraud are complex, however, one study suggests that the adrenaline rush involved taking revenge against poor employers plays a large part.

If this is true, then treating your staff with respect, paying them fairly, providing vacation time, and communicating hotel policies can go a long way to combating the issue, removing the need for employees to "hit back" at the employer.

The Importance of Safety and Security in Hotels

In an industry that employs an estimated 1 million undocumented immigrants, approximately 8.4 percent of the workforce, hotels face significant challenges in providing top-level service to customers while ensuring staff remain protected.

Our clients stress that striking the balance between robust security measures and a welcoming atmosphere is a priority. However, over the past 20 years, security measures have been ramped up in response to the increased threat of terrorism and a global health crisis.

Rising awareness of the dangers to staff within the workplace is also making a huge impact on the industry. Today, managers and owners are facing increasing pressure to provide safer working environments for employees, and comprehensive security procedures allow them to do this.

In turn, better working environments provide staff with peace of mind, allowing them to perform better and for your hotel to run more efficiently.

Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

In the event of an emergency, quick and decisive action is critical to making sure both hotel staff and guests are safe. Every hotel should have an established emergency response plan and evacuation procedures that are practiced regularly. This includes identifying exit routes, designating gathering points, and ensuring staff are trained to assist guests during evacuations. Clear communication protocols, such as using walkie-talkies or panic buttons, helps staff work together effectively during crises.

Equipping the staff with a 911 panic button solution provides immediate access to emergency services at the push of a button. These tools offer an additional layer of security, ensuring that help is on the way in the most urgent situations.

The Final Word on Hotel Security

The importance of robust and regularly reviewed hotel safety cannot be understated. It offers guests and staff protection, but also acts as a determining factor for travelers when choosing accommodation.

From our talking with our clients, we also know that it also allows you to deliver top-level service that circles back and provides enhanced security for everyone.

For hoteliers across the US, improving hotel security, and subsequently, hotel safety cannot be overlooked especially with today's labor shortage.

The good news is, however, that this can be achieved with a few simple changes and the introduction of market-ready technologies.

In fact, any hotel can improve hotel security procedures without necessarily investing large sums of money. Take this ROI calculator to see for yourself.

Finally, as legislation also begins to catch up and prioritize both guest and employee security within hotels, the issue of compliance must also be discussed.

For example, panic button laws have been spreading across the US, and hotels will be mandated to provide technologies such as these in the future to mitigate threats on a number of levels.

This is why ROAR has developed our panic button technology specifically for hotels, providing your workers with wearable and discreet panic buttons to summon help quickly.