Hotel managers and owners have to protect staff, guests, and property against several security threats and vulnerabilities. Security incidents cause harm and also negatively impact revenue as well as the reputation of the hotel. No one wants to stay at a hotel known for having issues. Creating a safe hotel environment is not only the right thing to do for staff and guests, but providing it is also essential to the future of the hotel. Although specific vulnerabilities will be unique to each hotel, there are some general security concerns that many hotels have in common. Here are some common security concerns for hotels that managers and owners need to address:

1. Preventing unauthorized visitors.
2. Managing room access.
3. Preventing theft.
4. Addressing disorderly conduct.
5. Monitoring parking lots.
6. Securing the property perimeter.
7. Providing effective emergency response.
8. Protecting systems against cyberattacks.

1. Preventing Unauthorized Visitors

Hotel lobbies and public areas may be relatively open to visitors, especially in locations with restaurants, bars, or other attractions within the hotel or multi-site businesses. However, there will be areas of the hotel that need to be secured and will be available only to staff or registered guests. There may also be other entrances of the hotel that only authorized visitors are able to use.

Unauthorized visitors are a security concern for hotels. It’s not realistic to expect your staff to remember and recognize every single registered guest and their visitors. Being able to prevent unauthorized visitors without causing issues for registered guests or placing undue burdens on staff is a balance. Including elements of visitor management systems and access control can help strike the right balance of security and access. The security systems your hotel uses should be able to help you:

• Monitor public access areas
• Secure authorized areas
• Set varying levels of access
• Use role-based access and authorization
• Identify users with authorized access
• Prevent unauthorized access
• Provide logs and reporting

These are all factors to consider in an access control system. A solid access control system paired with video surveillance and smart monitoring can round out your hotel security solution and help prevent unauthorized visitors.

2. Managing Room Access

Managing room access is another common security concern for hotels. Granting the correct room access to registered guests while preventing unauthorized access is key. In addition, your staff needs to be able to manage room access before, during, and after a stay. This type of customizable access and ease of management are reasons to upgrade to keyless entry, which can be particularly useful in managing room access in hotels.

Should a guest run into any issues or need to switch rooms for any reason, staff also need to be able to reset room access and manage room authorizations easily as situations arise. Although your hotel will need a security systems integrator to properly install and configure your enterprise access control system, your staff should not need them in order to manage room keys or credentials on a day-to-day basis.

3. Preventing Theft

Another one of the common security concerns for hotels is preventing theft. Guests can steal items from hotels, guests can steal items from other guests, unauthorized visitors can steal items, and hotel employees can also be a source of theft.

Visible security cameras and other security measures often act as a deterrent. The right security camera placement is a good start. Making sure you also have the right types of security cameras and the right software running the systems behind them can help you properly monitor and prevent theft in your hotel. Improving building security by making sure entries and exits are properly monitored and secured when needed can also help prevent theft. Having specific hotel policies around storing and securing valuables also helps reduce and prevent theft.

Similar to how warehouses protect and secure high-value storage cages, hotel owners can use integrated video monitoring, access control, and even perimeter security to protect and secure essential storage areas in the hotel. You can also implement asset tracking for any high-value hotel equipment that needs to be mobile.

4. Addressing Disorderly Conduct

Unauthorized visitors, unruly guests, and unruly visitors of guests can all exhibit disorderly conduct. Staff can also be a source of disorderly conduct, though it is less common. Disorderly conduct can include:

• Vandalism
• Property damage
• Violence against staff
• Violence against guests
• Aggressive altercations that may or may not turn violent
• Harassment
• Noise disturbances
• And more

If your hotel has a bar, a restaurant that serves alcohol, an event space, or is in a destination location, the risk of disorderly conduct increases, and it becomes an even bigger security concern for your hotel. Integrated security systems as part of a comprehensive hotel security solution can help mitigate these risks.

On-site security personnel, as well as good relationships with local law enforcement, are also a good idea. Like security cameras, security officers can also act as a deterrent. There are even intelligent video analytics capabilities that can monitor for behavioral triggers that are early signals of developing issues and alert staff.

Not only does this keep your staff aware, but it also allows for a more proactive response. There may still be the occasional visitor who has had too much to drink and gets unruly, but between security systems, well-trained staff, and security officers, incidents can often be identified and handled early before they escalate.

5. Monitoring Parking Lots

Parking areas are other common security concerns for hotels. If they are hotel-specific parking lots or garages, then hotel owners and managers need to implement ways to monitor and manage vehicle access to those areas, while also having security measures in place to protect guests’ cars and personal property. This could look like including vehicle screening in your security solution.

This only becomes more essential when the parking lot or garage is attached to the hotel and has doors or elevators that provide direct access to it. In this case, part of preventing unauthorized access to the hotel includes preventing unauthorized access to attached parking areas. Security gate access control systems are great ways to secure and manage access to parking lots, parking garages, and other secure parking areas.

You can also implement intelligent cameras equipped with license plate recognition. Not only does this help with monitoring parking areas, but you can also often integrate license plate recognition with access control and your hotel management systems to better automate and manage authorized vehicle access. This is a key way to improve parking lot security, along with having sufficient lighting, directional signs, emergency alert stations, and more.

6. Securing the Property Perimeter

Security does not stop at the walls of the hotel. Hotel owners and managers have to consider the security of the hotel itself, anything attached directly to it, as well as the property perimeter and the surrounding area. These are environmental considerations during physical security assessments that should not be overlooked when developing a comprehensive hotel security solution.

Fencing, bollards, natural barriers, and other perimeter protection options can help create a border around the hotel property. Depending on the hotel property and surrounding areas, and the levels of access control you need, some perimeter security options might make more sense than others. Perimeter protection can also be a mix of physical barriers and video surveillance.

7. Providing Effective Emergency Response

Any building security solution must include an established emergency plan and protocols for effective emergency response. Common safety emergencies that hotels need to be prepared for can include fire, power outages, storms, flooding, and more. Depending on the location and surrounding area, some hotels may need to be more prepared for emergencies related to earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or even tsunamis.

Not only does your staff need to be properly trained on how to act in an emergency and the established emergency procedures, but your security solution also needs to be able to provide effective emergency response. This could be mass notification via alerts to mobile devices and messaging in rooms, in addition to voice evacuation systems and other systems.

Geo-targeted alerts, customized instructions, delivering messages across multiple channels, and more are all ways mass notification systems fit into modern emergency response. In the case of hotels, you have buildings that are prone to high occupancy. They tend to be full of people who are likely not familiar with the building layout and are not knowledgeable about specific emergency protocols for their location.

Mass notification systems provide several key benefits. These systems are essential for disseminating critical information quickly and providing real-time updates to guests to coordinate emergency response alerts and instructions. In an emergency, an effective emergency response and systems that support it can:

• Help prevent panic among guests
• Reduce the risk of injury during evacuation
• Help more guests get to safety more quickly

8. Protecting Systems Against Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks, like ransomware attacks, phishing campaigns, and other data breaches, are also common security concerns for hotels. Hotel systems have a lot of high-value data, including personal information and payment data for their guests. This makes hotel systems attractive targets for cyberattacks that target guest payment information.

Using secure systems, keeping them updated, making sure your team is properly trained on systems, and more can help reduce vulnerabilities and prevent data breaches. Solid cybersecurity practices can help reduce the risk of data breaches, but cannot eliminate the risk entirely. There may still be a chance of a data breach, but taking these measures protects your systems, makes them less desirable targets, and greatly reduces the risk overall.

Improve Your Hotel Security With Northeast Protection Partners

These are just some of the common security concerns for hotels that managers and owners need to address to create a safer hotel environment. Conducting a building vulnerability assessment is a good starting point. Every hotel and location will be unique and will have unique security threats and vulnerabilities to address.

The right mix of security systems and solutions will vary. Partnering with the right security systems integrator ensures you get the comprehensive commercial security solution your hotels need. If you need to upgrade and improve the security of your hotels, contact Northeast Protection Partners at 1-800-736-1456.