Tag Archives: Hotel Security

by | December 9, 2013 · 6:53 am

Hospitality Industry Security Solutions: Hotels Increasingly Providing Dedicated “Women’s Floors”; Increased Security And Amenities For Female Travelers

“…The Crowne Plaza Bloomington in Minneapolis also has a Women’s Floor with additional security features and amenities…The hotel saw a Hotel Safety Concerns For Female Travelersneed, given that females now make up 47% of the guest population at Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, says Gina LaBarre, vice president of brand management for Crowne Plaza…”

“…Hotels are responding by setting aside floors with special key access and amenities that women typically prefer…The Naumi Hotel in Singapore has dedicated the third floor, which has nine rooms, to female travelers. Guests have to use a special access card to get in. Amenities include hair straighteners, sanitary products and yoga mats…”

Book a room on the 11th floor of the Hamilton Crowne Plaza here,  and you’ll get special bath salts and body products, a magnifying mirror, nail polish, nail files and a curling iron. They’re not exactly the types of amenities that men would go for, but that’s the point.

The Hamilton Crowne Plaza is one of a small, but growing number of hotels offering floors dedicated to female travelers. These hotels are particularly trying to appeal to female business travelers, who are moving up the career ladder and hitting the road more often.

For more:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2013/12/08/hotels-women-only-floors/3910931/

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by | October 9, 2013 · 6:00 am

“2014 Hospitality Law Conference” Sponsored By HospitalityLawyer.com On February 10-12 Features Industry Legal, Safety And Security Solutions

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by | August 11, 2013 · 6:03 am

“2014 Hospitality Law Conference” Sponsored By HospitalityLawyer.com On February 10-12 Features Industry Legal, Safety And Security Solutions

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by | August 4, 2013 · 8:33 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Solutions: Hotels Must Increase “Value-Added Security Services” For Female Guests; $125 Billion Spent By Women On Travel

“…Women-young, old, single, married, widowed and gutsy are fueling an explosive growth in the travel industry. Estimates are that women will Hotel Safety Concerns For Female Travelersspend some $125 billion on travel in the next year.” With such staggering projected growth, it is exponentially beneficial for hotels to cater specifically to this market. More importantly, catering to this trend is necessary to remain competitive in the market, and a quintessential underlying value of all lodging establishments: safety for its guests with special attention to female travelers…”

Here are several security tips for hoteliers that will be perceived as value-added and appreciated services by female travelers. These suggestions from a hotel expert prospective to bolster the security for female guests include:

  • When female guests are checking into the hotel, the front desk staff should not call out her name or room number as a precaution.
  • Bellhops and front desk staff should be encouraged to be honest with the female guests about night travel alone. In any case the guest insists on leaving, the hotel should provide them with access to reliable transportation service that is trusted by the hotel agency.
  • Hoteliers should suggest rooms that are closer to the elevators to prevent women from walking down long halls or corridors. Women should be given rooms that are not on the first floor with a window or sliding glass door.
  • Place a card in each guest’s room with safety tips, like “Never place your room key card down unattended. If you do notice that the card is missing, you should contact the front desk immediately.” This is a very inexpensive way to inform women travelers that the hotel is focused on their security.
  • For the safety of your establishment, discourage employees from fraternizing with guests. This opens a huge door for liability lawsuits, and it is just not professional.
  • If the hotel doesn’t have valet service, female guests should be escorted to their vehicle, especially at night. The kind gesture will be appreciated and offer the female guest an added level of security. Additionally, it will add a significant amount of value to her stay with the hotel.
  • When a female guest checks-in, the bellhop should perform a brief security check of the room with the female guest standing in the doorway or where she feels comfortable. This quick check includes testing the windows to make sure they are locked and an explanation of the emergency exits and how to contact the hotel staff for help.

For more:  http://www.expertclick.com/NRWire/Releasedetails.aspx?id=46609

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by | May 16, 2013 · 5:50 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Thirty Arizona Hotels Burglarized By “Electronic Door Hackers” Using Portable Programming Devices; TV’s, Laptops And Credit Cards Stolen

“…Surveillance video showed the suspects, both white males in their 20s, entering the hotel and then leaving with the victim’s suitcases… some Onity Electronic Lock30 local hotels — probably more — have been targeted by hotel hackers. Investigators believe there are more suspects than those caught on surveillance video…hotel hacking is not just a local problem. Because the technology used to open the electronic locks is so easy to obtain and use, hotel hacking is growing issue nationwide…”

A man and a woman have been burglarizing hotel and motel rooms in the Easy Valley and now Silent Witness is offering a reward for information about them. According to Silent Witness, the pair, dubbed “Hotel Hackers,” used portable programming devices to get into the rooms at various locations in Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale and possibly Avondale. It’s not clear how many locations the pair has hit, but Silent Witness said the crime spree started on Feb. 25.

The suspects have stolen TVs, bedding, laptop computers and guests’ personal belongings, including credit cards.

Silent Witness released surveillance video (above) and photos of the pair, both of which were taken at a Walmart store where the suspects used a stolen credit card.

For more: http://www.azfamily.com/news/Hotel-Hackers-behind-burglaries-at-hotels-motels-in-East-Valley-207552391.html

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by | May 2, 2013 · 4:26 pm

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Improving Hotel Security After Boston” Presented By Petra Risk Solutions’ Director Of Risk Management Todd Seiders (Video)

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In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, it’s time to re-examine our security efforts and update our attitudes and training. Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders , offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Update – ‘Improving Hotel Security after Boston’. 

P3P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | April 22, 2013 · 6:04 am

Hospitality Industry Security Solutions: Hotels In Metropolitan Areas Should “Create Actual Security” With “Layers Of Properly Trained Personnel”; A Need For Sophisticated Security Cameras For Thermal And Infrared Viewing

“…what (hoteliers) want to create is actual security and depth—layers of properly trained personnel to meet the risks that are known for the venue you’re in…if you’re in Times Square, covert effort is more appropriate…vulnerability audits help find ‘weakness in the system that can be hotel securityexploited or lapse during a crisis’…the audit shows some oft-forgotten measures, such as making sure the hotel’s website can handle a thousand times the traffic without crashing or that associates know appropriate protocols….every employee is a crisis manager and a (public relations representative) for the organization…’if you don’t teach them what they should and shouldn’t do, they’ll wing it’, and that can be dangerous to a hotel’s reputation…”

“…(sophisticated security equipment such as) thermal and infrared viewing for nighttime and low-visibility conditions, license plate readers, car counters, people counters, cameras with analytics that follow subjects automatically and alert critical areas of operation…”

While hotels can be safe havens for guests, they can be the target of attacks as well. Anthony C. Roman, president of risk-management firm Roman & Associates, said the hotel industry has suffered in the last decade. Hard economic times globally have caused hotels to cut back on security budgets. As more hotels are taking the appropriate preventive security measures, other hotel brands have not addressed the issue at all. “And yet other brands are subcontracting their security requirements to private security companies,” he said.

The constant flow of large numbers of people in and out of hotels during daily business hours makes them vulnerable for attacks, according to global intelligence agency Stratfor. “There’s certainly fear,” Haley explained. “There are few targets that offer the potential awards for motivated terrorists that hotels do.” Those rewards are a large target with potentially massive body counts and global exposure. The problem with hotels, he added, is “they’re open and inviting places.”

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/10326/Terrorism-risks-heighten-hotelier-awareness

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by | April 20, 2013 · 5:50 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Hotels And Resorts Are “Vulnerable To Security Threats” And Crime As Staff Is Trained To Maximize Guest Experience

“…Because of the nature of their business, implementing TSA-style security measures at hotels would not be a good idea, Todd Seiders says. “They would have to limit the entry into their buildings, search bags, confirm you have business there and inconvenience everyone. The general department of homeland_securitypublic will not stand for that (look at the continuing uproar about the TSA at airports).”…Complicating the issue is the fact that hotel staff members are, by and large, trained to please potential guests, which can render them vulnerable to security threats…”

Todd Seiders, director of risk management at Petra Risk Solutions and former director of loss prevention at Marriott, discussed how hotels and public events can work to increase traveler safety in the future.

“The Boston Marathon bombing is just another example of how hard it is to secure public places and events,” Seiders says. “According to the news, bomb dogs had swept the finish line area 1 hour prior to the start of the marathon. So obviously police did everything they could to secure the area, and the bombs were brought in during the event.”

“There is a constant clash between hotel security experts and seasoned hotel management people, whose pay and bonuses depend on guest satisfaction surveys and comments,” Seiders continues. “Hotel security experts need to find more guest friendly ways to provide security, and hotel managers need to take security more seriously. A large number of hotels do not have a dedicated security staff, so security falls on the guest service staff, and guest service staff is trained never to say no or to offend or interfere with the guest experience.”

Seiders recommends hotels install HD cameras to monitor open public spaces, exits and entrances, both to deter crime and to aid investigation should one occur. Staff should be trained to pick up and investigate unattended bags or luggage, and hotels should work closely with their local police of sheriff department, along with Homeland Security, to discuss security and terrorism.

For more:  http://www.travelagentcentral.com/trends-research/trend-watch-suspects-boston-bombings-surface-whats-next-travel-security-40155

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by | February 15, 2013 · 6:46 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Hawaii Hotel Employee Arrested For Stealing $11,000 Worth Of Jewelry And Goods From Luggage In Storage Room

“…a review of video surveillance of the storage room revealed that Bueno allegedly entered into the storage room through the service elevator, picked up and concealed the bags within his work cart and exited the hotel securitystorage room…a few minutes later shows (him) allegedly reentering the storage room and placing the bags back on a bellman cart, then exiting again through the service elevator…”

An employee from a hotel in Wailea was arrested on Monday on suspicion of theft after a couple visiting from Maryville, MI, reported more than $11,000 in jewelry and other goods missing from their bags after check-in, police said. Maui police arrested resort houseman, John Bueno for alleged second degree theft in connection with the incident.

According to police reports, the couple arrived at the hotel at around 1:20 p.m. on Monday Feb. 11, checked their bags with a bellman, and proceeded to the pool area to wait until their room was ready.

A few minutes later, police say the female visitor returned to the bell desk and inquired about one of the bags to retrieve an item from within. A check of the storage room found all of their bags missing, and a search of the area by security personnel and hotel managers turned up with negative results.

A few minutes later, another check of the storage room revealed that the bags were returned; however, upon checking each bag, it was learned that various pieces of jewelry and a camera totaling $ 11,100 were missing, said Maui Police Lt. Wayne Ibarra.

Bueno was placed under arrest later that afternoon, and posted bail, which was set at $1,000. He is scheduled to appear in court at 10:30 a.m. on March 14, 2013.

For more:  http://mauinow.com/2013/02/14/wailea-hotel-worker-arrested-in-theft-case/

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by | February 3, 2013 · 7:24 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Hotels Should Employ “Motherboard Fix” To Make Electronic Door Locks Secure From Hacking And Break-In

“It’s the older Onity locks that are subject to hacking,” Seiders said. “With the old locks, which were the best at the time, the encryption code that authorizes the lock to open has been installed on all of those individual Onity Electronic Locklocks. The hacking device, when it’s plugged into the lock, fools the lock into thinking it’s an authorized programmer. The newer locks don’t have the encryption code in each one; the code is issued at the front desk.”

Following a robbery at a Houston hotel in which thieves exploited security flaws in Onity locks first revealed at the Black Hat conference in July, Hotel Management spoke with Todd Seiders, director of risk management at Petra Risk Solutions and former director of loss prevention at Marriott, for tips on how hoteliers can keep their rooms secure.

“[Onity] immediately started offering the caps and screens to block the port that causes the vulnerability, but I don’t think that’s a very valuable option, because if you block these terminal ports and you have an emergency in the room and the lock has failed, you have to be able to plug in the portable programmer or you’ll have liability issues,” Seiders said. “The thing to take advantage of now is the motherboard switch out. If you mail it in within a reasonable amount of time they’ll replace it for free. The motherboard fix, that’s what these hotels should be doing.”

While Seiders noted that the recession has meant less money available for full-time security staff and new equipment like cameras, he emphasized the importance of staff training in hotel security. “My advice is to go walk the halls and if you see a person standing in the hallway go and look at him for 60 seconds. He’ll either go to a room, or, if not, approach him and say ‘what’s up,’ find out if you can help him. Customer service is the best security.”

Seiders also pointed out that the newer models are not as vulnerable to hacking.

In a statement from Onity, the company said, “Over the next several weeks, we will ensure all hotel properties in our database receive the mechanical solution. These mechanical caps and security screws block physical access to the lock ports that hackers use to illegally break into hotel rooms. The mechanical solution remains free of charge to customers. Technical solutions vary depending on the age, model and deployment of locks at properties.”

For more: http://www.hotelmanagement.net/operations-management/keep-your-rooms-secure-from-door-lock-hackers

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