The Importance of Safety and Security in Hospitality Industry

The hotel is a place of rest and, as a consequence, increased crowds.

The hotel administration undertakes not only to provide comfortable accommodation and guarantees of good rest, but also to guarantee the safety of people staying in hotels, their lives, health, property, etc. That is why the most careful control in the field of hotel security and safety is needed.

The development of security measures to ensure the security of the hotel complex, the mechanism of their implementation is carried out taking into account the threats that may confront the object as a whole.

An integrated approach involves the study of all aspects of security in the hotel management of modern hotel complexes, the optimal combination of organizational, technical and physical measures to prevent and respond in a timely manner to any dangerous situation. The correct choice of technical means and safety systems, their correct design, installation and service acquires key value.

If you have been given the task of writing a paper on this topic, paper writing services will help you. They offer a wide range of topics and help with essays and other writing on hotel security. You can buy research papers and not worry about the quality of your work. Do my assignment service will help you relax and go about your business.

What Is a Hotel Security System?

Hotel security systems are the development, implementation and maintenance of a complex of organizational and technical measures to prevent unacceptable financial damage to the hotel due to the implementing of accidental or deliberate threats. The safety of clients' stay is understood as confidentiality, personal safety of those staying at the hotel, safety of human life, hotel property and property of clients during hotel service.

The main principle of hotel security systems - security can not be ensured by the comfort of guests. That is why hotel security systems, as a rule, are radically different from the "usual" used in offices and businesses. The security system in the hotel includes many components. These are people (security officers), locks in guest rooms and other rooms, and safes that guests can use. Many people also consider it necessary to install a video surveillance system, although this sometimes causes disapproval from customers.

Hotel Security System Main Tasks

The security measures developed and implemented in the hotel are aimed at performing the following tasks:

• ensuring guest safety, protection and personal property during their stay in the hotel;
• protection of hotel property from hostile actions (theft, acts of vandalism, etc.);
• maintaining public order and ensuring proper behavior in all public places of the hotel;
• providing hotel guests with peace and privacy during their stay at the hotel;
• ensuring the possibility of immediate and effective response in the case of any event that requires the intervention of hotel staff or representatives of third parties (e.g., police, ambulance, etc.);
• guaranteeing proper behavior, as well as the honesty and integrity of all staff members;
• guaranteeing the possibility of providing the hotel with special services to ensure increased security of high-ranking officials.

The application of these security measures will not only protect the customer during his stay in the hotel, but also protect employees from baseless allegations. And this, along with other aspects, will increase the reputation of the hotel and, consequently, increase its occupancy and make a positive guest experience.

Three Types of Security Measures in the Hotel

The actions of the services, organizations and officials responsible for the safety of staying at the hotel are divided into preventive, operational and liquidation measures.

Preventive measures - providing information that warns of a possible hazard. Preventive measures are very important, as they imply the prevention of situations in which there may be a threat to the security of a client's stay in hotels.

That is why this preventive work to prevent possible unlawful influences on the hotel client from third parties is the main function of the security service in the hotel industry.

One effective method may be to develop brief instructions on how to act in an emergency. Such instructions can be issued by the front desk employees to each client at check-in.

Operational and liquidation measures, which are most firmly entrenched in the mass consciousness, imply a certain reaction on the part of the security service to a situation containing a threat to the safety of customers in a hotel. This can be the elimination of the threat to the life and health of the client that arose during his stay at the hotel, as well as compensation for damage to the client's property or the hotel as a whole. This is an investigation of all cases with the corresponding consequences. 

The security system should be focused, first, on prevention, and not on consequences: to foresee, prevent, overcome. The security system is carried out with the help of equipment, people, procedures for responding to dangerous events and phenomena.

What Threatens Hotel Customers?

In modern conditions to ensure the safety of staff, customers, hotels, and himself, some measures and actions can not be done. However, hoteliers can provide a permanent system that would cover all the variety of forms and methods of ensuring the safety of staff, customers and commercial activities of the hotel.

To create such a security system, it is important to classify the different types of hazards and threats that arise in the process of interaction between the parties. The participants of the interaction enter into direct physical contact, as well as information and financial interaction, so all threats can be divided into three categories: physical, informational and financial.

Physical threats are the result of physical actions. They threaten the health of people, their property, hotel property; indirectly affect the amount of profits and losses. Therefore, ensuring the physical security and safety of hotel residents is a priority for hospitality security.

Financial threats cause direct financial losses to both the hotel and customers. Clients' property may be endangered not only by external factors, but also by the fault of the clients themselves - for example, if they lose keys or key cards from the guest's room, telephones or other property in the public areas (parking lot, hotel hall and others).

Information threats are a consequence of interaction in the field of data security. They lead to indirect financial and moral losses. It is known that hotel chains do not have a high level of protection, which attracts hackers. At the same time, not only guest Wi-Fi, the hotel's internal network, but also personal customer data (even credit card data) are at risk of phishing attacks. That is why hotels have an important cybersecurity system. 

Terrorism has become a serious international problem in recent years. Terrorist attacks are becoming more large-scale, multifaceted in the pursued goals and manifestations.

Anti-Terrorism Hotel Safety and Security

The anti-terrorist security of the hotel, regardless of the established hazard category, is ensured through the following safety measures:

• carrying out organizational measures to ensure the anti-terrorist security of the hotel, which include:

• development of organizational and administrative documents for the organization of security, access control on the territory of the hotel,
• determination of officials responsible for the anti-terrorist security of the hotel,
• ensuring the preparation of hotel employees for actions in the event of a threat and in the commission of a terrorist act on the territory of the hotel,
• organization of interaction with the territorial security agency.

• monitoring the situation in the area where the hotel is located;
• equipping the hotel with the necessary engineering and technical security means;
• the use of modern information and communication technologies to ensure the security of the hotel;
• implementation of measures to protect information;
• prompt notification and evacuation of visitors, staff and officials of the hotel in the event of a threat to commit or commit a terrorist act;
• minimization of the possible consequences of a terrorist act;
• timely informing the territorial security agency and law enforcement about the threat of committing or committing a terrorist act on the territory of the hotel;
• use of evacuation schemes in case of emergencies.