Keeping Guests And Staff Safe: Security Solutions for Hotels & Inns

It was estimated that over 35,000 foreign tourists would visit Britain this year. Combine this with domestic tourism and it is no surprise that regional hotels are continuing to experience strong growth and record occupancy levels.

Of course this boost to UK tourism opens up an array of considerations and tasks for tourist accommodation managers and owners, one of the most important of which has to be security. Keeping guests safe and assets protected has to be high on the priority list after all.

As far as hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts are concerned, there are various risks that typically arise in their day to day running and therefore must be addressed. Two of the most common risks in these environments are theft and physical attack, and such risks apply to both staff, and guests.

So what steps can be taken to mitigate these risks? Here we look at some of the most effective security solutions for hotels and inns.

Safes

Hotel guests these days expect to be able to store their valuables and important effects such as passports in a safe during their stay. Ideal locations for in-room safes are wardrobes or cupboards, so generally you will need to choose a size that is fairly compact, although do bear in mind that today’s guests will usually be travelling with an array of tech including reasonably sized laptops, so do consider this when thinking about the dimensions of your safes.

In any case, you will need to ensure safes are securely bolted down to prevent unauthorised removal, and the preference will be for code/keypad entry rather than keys, as keys can of course can be lost, stolen or copied. Such models generally do have an override function though which can be used should an issue arise where a guest forgets their code.

Do check with your insurers as to the position with theft of possessions from in-room safes, as some policies do not cover it as standard and if this is the case, you will need to communicate this fact to guests.

If in-room safes are not a viable option, then a safe in reception is a good alternative. Make it known to guests that it is available for their use. A hotel safe for storing cash and other valuables belonging to the establishment itself is really a must, and it should be insurance graded so that the contents are covered by your insurance provider for full peace of mind.

Another type of safe that is particularly beneficial within a hotel environment is a key safe. If you have large quantities of keys that have to be stored safely and in an orderly fashion, there are various options to choose from including models that allow a range of access levels via sectioned off compartments to which you can set access permissions for different members of staff.

Access Control

There will be certain areas of the hotel that you wish to prevent guests from accessing. This is made much more straightforward courtesy of the installation of an access control system. It is up to you as to the format of the system, whether it is code or fob entry, and if you require it, there is the option of a system that provides a full audit trail of who was in a restricted area at any given time.

Access control can also be used to restrict entry to the establishment overall. Guests can be given access cards for the duration of their stay and staff can be set up for access to parts of or the entire hotel. This will prevent unauthorised access and in doing so, protect everyone within the establishment.

CCTV

CCTV surveillance has a range of benefits. Firstly, its mere presence acts as a deterrent to thieves or would-be assailants. Secondly, it acts as an alert system when risk situations arise, particularly when it is combined with a motion detector. And of course CCTV provides valuable footage which can be used as evidence for prosecutions and insurance claims as well as for defending unfounded claims of, for example personal injury.

If you are looking to ramp up the security of your hotel, bed and breakfast or inn, talk to Barry Bros Security. Our experts have been providing hotel owners and managers with tailored security advice and support for a number of years and are responsible for a range of effective solutions currently in use across several establishments in the Capital.