Security in the Spotlight

In the eventuality of a crisis, how should hotels approach their planning strategy? 

Tazey: Having an effective crisis management plan for a hotel is imperative. Nominated personnel needs to understand and execute the crisis management plan proficiently so as to ensure the safety of employees, hotel guests and the security of the facility whilst maintaining a level of business continuity.

Civil disturbance, hostage situations, natural disasters, and terrorist activities are but a few scenarios that can be classified as crisis situations and an effective crisis management plan must address each situation appropriately. 

Integrated electronic security systems are a pivotal part of any hotel's prevention and response to crisis situations. Public address and digital signage systems notify staff and guests of a threat, access control systems allow or deny access to areas of the hotel and the surveillance system gives operators the ability to see events unfold either live or via recorded footage. 

Ensuring all indoor and outdoor areas of the hotel are covered whilst being as unobtrusive as possible is a challenge that hotels are faced with. At Arecont Vision, we’ve developed products and technology that help hotel security directors address this challenge.

What are the top pointers to ensure that a hotel is secure against a crisis or a threat?

Tazey: Whether we're talking about a small private boutique hotel or a mammoth five-star resort, hotel security is paramount. It's important that all staff and not just security personnel are trained in the importance of security and what they should look out for or do in the vent of a crisis or threat.  By combining staff training with specialized security personnel and physical security systems, hotels can develop effective integrated security programs that will protect the people within and the facility. A key part of the physical security layers is video surveillance.

What elements of hotel security should be outsourced and why?

Tazey: Like many things, outsourcing hotel security has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it’s more cost-effective option whether it be manned security or SAAS, whereas keeping security in-house provides more value for money, flexibility and better quality control. It’s more important to strike the right balance between security personnel overheads and the security requirement and this is where outsourcing adds value. Hotels that host large events can outsource security to work in conjunction with their existing staff specifically for that function and even assign the cost to the specific project P&L.