Hotel owners and managers face numerous challenges throughout a guest’s stay; these can be anything from unfamiliarity with staff and the property, potential damage to your property with ever-changing clientele and a potential risk to life for both staff and customers.
These factors all create a perfect environment for criminal endeavours and targeting of tourists.
Additionally, research has shown that commercial crime is more common than a crime against households, and hotel crime is a critical issue across England and Wales. Furthermore, crime such as burglary and assault negatively influences a hotel’s operation performance, leading to reduced revenue. Both day and night-time crime can significantly influence hotels operating performance in a negative way, with violent crime being the most substantial.
Improving hotel security should therefore be at the top of any proprietor’s list, no matter the budget.
What are the main threats that hotels face?
- Fires are commonplace in the hospitality industry, and a large number of guests comes a more significant risk of accidental or intentional fires being started on the premises.
- 38% of businesses reported crime in 2020-2021, the most common theft. This can be theft of hotel property by staff or guests or the theft of guests’ personal belongings via break-ins.
- With an increase in solo travelling over the past year, tourists are more vulnerable than ever. Reports also show that 40% of customers have witnessed a hospitality worker suffer verbal or physical abuse in the past year. Therefore, guests must feel like the hotel is being monitored against those looking to cause others harm.
- Hotel car parks can also be prime spots for loitering or illegal activities. Not only can this cause legal problems for the hotel, but guests and staff may feel unsafe walking to and from their vehicles.
Whilst it is possible that a hotel owner will never experience any of these issues, it is extremely unlikely. By not addressing the threats hotels face, owners may receive poor reviews from disgruntled guests and a high staff turnover and reduced profits. There is also a possibility of damage to the hotel and, in some cases, a risk of life.
What are the best ways of improving hotel security?
Here at JKE Fire & Security, we aim to help others to reduce crime and improve security and safety via a mix of technology, strong visual deterrents, and robust measures. We have compiled a list of 5 recommendations to get you started on improving your hotel’s security.
- High-quality Fire alarms: A reliable and effective fire alarm system is required by law to reduce the fire risk in your hotel premise. This should include heat detection to eliminate false alarms whilst also having 24/7 monitoring so help can be instantly summoned. Once installed, these alarms will need regular maintenance and testing.
- CCTV: CCTV Cameras are essential for improving hotel security, and their presence around the building is vital for helping deter any violent or criminal activity such as theft and burglary. They also help to identify loitering and guests displaying antisocial behaviour. You will need a high-resolution image to help identify any person quickly. Some camera systems even come with AI that can search for specific details such as the colour of clothing or facial accessories.
- Access control: An effective access control system goes beyond a simple lock and key. These systems can provide security for both guests and your staff, with options ranging from keypads to biometric scanners. These systems can also be set up to include time zones which are perfect for shutting down certain parts of the hotel late at night or restricting entry to those who are not guests. If your hotel also contains a car park, these access control systems can also link to CCTV and ANPR to prevent unwanted vehicles from accessing your premises.
- Intruder alarms: Whilst intruder alarms may not be your first thought when considering hotel security, they still have a place in an effective hotel security system. These systems can be used to protect staff-only areas or sites where you may keep sensitive information or money. Intruder alarms should have round-the-clock monitoring to ensure quick call-out times and easy management via mobile.
- Integrated Systems: The most effective way of ensuring all bases are covered is to install an integrated system that includes all the above technology. This system can be remotely monitored 24/7 and allows for segments to work alongside each other. The advantage of this is that everything can be viewed and accessed from a single device. This makes protecting your property easy for those who are not tech-savvy.
Access control: How do I get started?
Implementing these systems can feel overwhelming and confusing with an overload of information on the best methods of improving hotel security.
How much should I spend? Where should I install cameras for maximum coverage? What sort of access control is best for me?
Here at JKE Fire and Security, we have a team of industry experts ready to take you through everything you need to know in a friendly and jargon-free manner. Security packages can be tailored to businesses of any size and operating on a range of budgets.
If you want to know more about how you can take your hotel security to the next level, contact us today for a free consultation.