WHY DO HOTELS NEED THEIR (OWN) SECURITY TEAM?
e get asked one question over and over again:
„Why does a hotel need security?“
Here we have a very clear answer: “Because nowadays it is absolutely necessary. It’s a USP (unique selling point); it is the responsibility you have for the guest, the staff and the hotel; it is a relief for the employees of these „foreign“ security activities; it is an additional appreciation for the guests and their service and last but not least, safety and security are basic human needs, as are food and shelter.”
„What can happen in a hotel?“ Here, too, we can show countless examples to explain why it is necessary to have 24/7 security in the hotel.
Fire, evacuation, smoke, power failure, network outage, first aid, death, water damage, other leakages, theft, bilking, trespassing, disturbance of the peace, vandalism, bomb threats, single shooter, terrorist attack, arson, violent crime, mugging, kidnapping, drug abuse, prostitution, protests, crowds of fans, masses of press representatives and much more can take place in the best hotels in the world.
In our career (more than 30-years), we have been deployed on all continents of the world and have experienced a lot. We managed everything but the single shooter and the terrorist attack ourselves. We know what’s happening in the hotels and unfortunately also what’s being hushed up.
Security is essential. Well educated, trained and highly motivated, hand-picked security staff is extremely important in a hotel. It can give the hotel an easily calculable ROI (return on investment).
How can that be, you may ask. Let’s assume that the security staff make regular rounds through all guest floors, restaurants, kitchens, storage rooms, garages and technical rooms several times a day and at night and thus discover water damage at an early stage, can contain it, repair it or simply inform the right people immediately. As a result, the hotel suffers only minor water damage and can continue to operate almost normally, with hardly any losses. What would have happened if the damage had only been noticed after the weekend? Closure of entire floors or the entire hotel, possible short circuits or other losses of service and hospitality. Financial loss and reputational damage. Another example: smoke from a room is noticed during a tour or screams due to violence or a guest simply falls over.
Security is on site in a matter of minutes and can help, protect, inform, plan and manage the entire incident professionally and without any fuss for the guests in the hotel. Security also supports the rest of the hotel staff, especially with “special” guests. The “in-house” security is present at all events, creates security concepts, risk assessments in advance, organizes and supervises the entire event, manages external security and coordinates with authorities and others. Security specialists are what a 5-star hotel needs, not a bell boy to make a rowdy barfly pay. The concierge who has to hold back hordes of fans or press representatives for a star. Not the ladies at reception who are now supposed to escort out a junkie who wants to put himself under pressure, nor the room service staff who are supposed to deliver drinks to a room where screams have been heard and drug use and serious physical violence have taken place.
This is where professionals are needed. Security Professionals, who understand their business and can master the different situations without any problems.
EVERY 5 STAR HOTEL SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN SECURITY.
(c) GT