A U.S. Department of Justice report "encourages hotels and motels to adopt practices that will reduce guest victimization. Among the practices you should encourage are requiring that guests show identification before reentering the building and installing surveillance cameras." Feeling as safe as you do when you are home is essential when staying at a hotel. When providing a secure and comfortable night's stay for a hotel guest, increased security procedures will create peace of mind for both the hotel and its guests. If adequate security procedures are not in place, a hotel can be held legally liable.
Put an emergency exit plan behind each guest door in case of a fire or other need to evacuate the hotel. Provide a diagram of the hotel indicating with arrows how to locate all stairs, elevators and fire extinguishers.
Add a reminder behind each guest door of security procedures: to use the deadbolt or chain after closing the door, verify through the peephole before opening the door for an individual, and call the front desk to verify that a hotel staff worker is supposed to be outside the door.
Inform guests during check-in that the hotel is not responsible for loss of articles left in the hotel room. Provide a safety deposit box for the guest so they can protect their valuables.
Don't use an automated message to direct guests to the hotel department they need to reach. Provide immediate access with a direct emergency line to security if a hotel guest experiences an emergency. Put a placard near or on the phone indicating an emergency dial button to call.
Leave a list of safety and security procedures in the guest services directory booklet, so the guest is aware of the increased security measures provided to them during their stay. List tips such as to lock and secure windows and sliding glass doors and to avoid drawing attention with expensive jewelry or large amounts of cash. Instruct guests to report suspicious activity to management.
Install door locks with room keys that do not display the room numbers. Avoid announcing the room numbers when checking in guests. A hotel with modern electronic guest room locks automatically changes the lock combination with every new guest, so there is little chance of someone having a duplicate key to a room.
Offer hotel guests an escort from the bellman or security to their room or out to their vehicle, especially after dark. Warn guests not to leave valuables displayed in their vehicle and to be observant when entering the hotel parking lots. Remind guests to use the main entrance of the hotel when arriving late in the evening.
Train hotel staff how to effectively deal with an emergency. Provide CPR training to hotel staff, so they can handle a medical emergency until emergency personnel arrive. Keep first-aid kits available to give assistance to a guest in need. Provide on-demand van service for guests who need medication from a pharmacy.
Make sure telephones are available on each floor near the elevators and in the exercise room, with a direct dial to the front desk.
Hire enough security to handle the capacity of the hotel, and make sure security is available 24 hours a day.
Create emergency scenarios hotel staff can re-enact or discuss in order to get them thinking about how they will deal with a hotel emergency quickly and efficiently.
Make sure hotel hallways, parking structures and facilities are well-lit.
