Introduction
Since its origin hotels have provided travelers with a topographic point to remain off from place and which offers them comfortss that would guarantee their comfort and security. The hotel industry nucleus value is to present quality service to their invitee, and with it besides comes the duty of being responsible for their security while under their attention. The security of a hotel ‘s invitee and how the hotel direction and staff take the stairss to guarantee this spells the success or failure of any constitution. A slack security would intend exposing the invitee to a different figure of hazards and would besides reflect ill on the hotel ‘s repute. Therefore security is something the hotel industry should put upon to guarantee its success, because the bottom line is – the inquiry of whether or non a invitee will take to return to a hotel depends entirely on how safe and secure they feel while remaining in a hotel.
However this basic premiss is non that easy to set in pattern. While different constitutions have endeavoured to set in topographic point security steps that would guarantee the safety of its invitees such as guaranting confidentiality of its invitees personal informations, utilizing surveillance equipment and the similar ; the fact is technological promotions have besides been used by some condemnable elements to besiege security steps for their ain unscrupulous purposes. Cases of individuality larceny utilizing information stored in a hotel invitee ‘s cardinal cards, and the recent menace of terrorist onslaughts are but some of the security issues that the hotel industry has to postulate with. This paper seeks to analyze the security measures being put in topographic point by the hotel industry and how it relates to their operational effectivity. In peculiar this research survey shall take to accomplish the followers:
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To place the signifiers of breaches in hotel ‘s security system ;
To place the security system and other safety policies of three hotels ;
To find recommendations that will heighten and farther develop the security system of the hotel industry.
The method that will be used in this research paper is a instance survey of the security steps of three hotels: the Hotel Marriott, the Intercontinental Hotels Group, and the Shangrila Hotel. The three hotels were selected in this survey because they are known to be among the leaders in the hotel industry ; they have faced or are in danger of confronting serious concerns related to security ( the Marriot Hotel was attacked by terrorist bombers in the yesteryear ) ; and they are besides leaders in the field of hotel security. The analysis that will be used in this instance survey will be based on the assessment paper by Alan Orlob the Vice-President of Corporate Security for the Marriott International, the talk delivered by David Bradley Bonnel who is the Director of Global Security for the Intercontinental Hotels Group, and the Security protocol issued by Shangrila Jakarta. This research paper shall besides reexamine related literature refering the hotel industry its values and rules in relation to guaranting security, and related cyberspace beginnings refering hotel security processs and steps.
Literature Review
Harmonizing to Capparella J. ( 2002 ) , the word hotel is derived from the 14th Latin word hoste intending individual or thing that provides something for a invitee, normally lodging, and sometimes nutrient. The construct of a hotel was to supply some kind of impermanent housing adjustments for transients. Hotels varied small in ancient times when they were foremost described as merely being a embarkation house supplying a topographic point to rest and nil more. Throughout the early centuries ( 1 AD forward ) the development of the hotel was besides minimum. In the in-between ages the hotel began to transform.
European and English hostel became the fluctuations of the hotel during the in-between ages. More specialised maps and comfortss were included in the hostel ‘s services. Among these comfortss include the private suites, public kitchens and public assemblage suites. Some hostel have besides constructed little tap houses which were aimed to convey comfort and convenience of the traveler. During this period, the hotel fluctuations were no longer treated and viewed as simply a topographic point to pass the dark. This development in the in-between ages provided the passage of the hotel construct which will later on become portion of the cordial reception industry.
As the said development emerged during the in-between ages, the latter portion of the period provided another important promotion in the hostel. Laws, regulations and ordinances refering to the operations of the hotel every bit good as the corresponding duty of the proprietor were imposed. A Gallic jurisprudence during the 1300s dictates that any lost belongings of a client must be replaced by the landlord. A century passed when another Gallic jurisprudence mandates the enrollment of every hotel to the province. The English around this period has besides formed another set of guidelines and ordinances that discusses in item the comfort and cleanliness provided by the hotel to their invitees. The said guidelines finally served as the European criterion for hotels. However, in malice of these promotions, a figure of hotels and hostel remain missing on steps affecting the privateness and security of invitees. Suites that are considered private have no locks and the invitees are exposed to an unbarred communal scene.
“ In the sixteenth century, France established culinary demands for hotels that offered dining services that were based on a evaluation system geared toward quality, publicity, and competition. In the following century, this system of evaluation a hotel was officially established throughout Europe. By the 1700 ‘s, peculiarly in France, is when the hotel industry or cordial reception concern officially established itself. Lodging besides transformed into a mixed-use concern that now offered a assortment of services and comfortss. The criterions for quality, comfort, value, and service were now synonymous with any topographic point of lodging adding to its definition of being a impermanent topographic point to pass the dark. ” ( Caparella, 2002 )
In America the construct of the hotel as we know it was further developed with the visual aspect of larger hotels during the 1800 ‘s. These hotels differentiated themselves from other lodging types by their size and by offering of epicurean comfortss. Most of these hotels were in big metropoliss and along the major travel paths of stagecoaches, and subsequently the railroads. ” ( Ibid, 2002 )
With the transition of clip the nucleus facets of the services provided by the hotel industry was already good established with good service and security as one of the cardinal concerns.
Based on common jurisprudence hotel frequenters normally assume that hotels have created a comparatively safe environment, and that the, “ common jurisprudence construct of the hosts doctrine addresses the hotelkeeper ‘s function in keeping a safe and unafraid environment by necessitating the hotelkeeper to take all sensible steps to supply a secure environment for invitees and to safeguard invitees ‘ belongings ” . ( Feickert, et.al. 2006 )
The construct of “ sensible protection ” was further advanced by the tribunals upon which the degrees of liability of hotel proprietors were increased. The little and independent hotels were besides likewise held apt to the criterions imposed on big and popular hotels therefore giving accent on the issue of security among the industry regardless of the size and popularity of the constitution. The said feeling of the hosts doctrine ‘s common jurisprudence aims to foreground the function of the hotelkeeper in prolonging a safe environment through the adaptation of all logical steps to guarantee a secure environment to be enjoyed by the invitees. The construct of “ sensible protection ” was advanced by the tribunal and has developed into increasing degrees of liability of hotels.
To day of the month, the issue of security within the hotel industry remains a primary concern among hotelkeepers. The said issue remains foremost in the heads of both the invitees and hotel directors peculiarly in visible radiation of the convulsion of universe events. Such concerns of directors frequently dwell on the most acceptable security steps to hotel invitees which will straight be viewed as a step that will guarantee safety and security. With these concerns, hotels must besides guarantee that supplying a welcoming environment remains their highest precedence.
The hotel invitees ‘ demands reflect their position on the hotel industry. While a traveler looks for escapade in his travels in each country and state, he still expects to rest and loosen up within the confines of his hotel room. While he expects to see bangs out of researching topographic points, he would necessitate to hold entree to recreational installations of the hotel such as the usage of the pool and the services in the hotel saloon. The invitee anticipates the best intervention from the employees and expects traits such as honestness and regard for privateness to be recognized. Bing on a vacation, the invitee does non anticipate neither fusss nor incommodiousnesss to halter his trip. Adapting this position of the hotel invitee, hotels have formed several quick and effectual steps to guarantee the security of the invitee without occupying the privateness.
Hotels have besides become the ideal mark for terrorists since 2004, the post-9/11 period. Militants can presume the same type of schemes to give a statement against the Western imperialism. Hotels remain one of the best marks for such terroristic Acts of the Apostless since Western business communities, authorities functionaries, diplomats and intelligence officers frequent the hotels. Such topographic point provides the ideal scene for bring downing panic through international media without perforating the security ranks of Embassies.
The displacement towards the aiming hotels was traced to the onslaughts against hotels in several parts of the Earth i.e. Pakistan, Iraq, Jordan, India, Afghanistan, and Egypt. Attacks instigated in Amman, Mumbai, Jakarta and Sharm el-Sheikh were coordinated to hit more than one hotel.
Addressing this issue, hotels have adapted steps that will develop security within hotels. The hotel security was perceived to hold improved since 2004. Such security mechanisms in several hotel have helped saved lives such as the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. The hotel industry ‘s exposure to onslaughts is caused nevertheless by the strategic nature of hotels.
In turn toing security issues, the typical impression of general manages and security manages is that the installing of noticeable and indiscrete security mechanisms will merely bring forth more concern from the invitees alternatively of making a safe and secured environment. Other hotelkeepers frequently see security steps as unneeded and simply increase the hotel disbursals. However, the security section and its director ‘s function increased throughout the old ages. A chief concern of hotel proprietors is the meeting of security steps in the operations of the hotel. Alternatively of insulating the security section from others, security must be integrated within the operating processs of the hotel. Security step served as portion of the hotel security routine peculiarly different types of engineering such as electronic card-locking system, camera and communicating system, every bit good as a closed circuit telecasting. Additional security characteristics can include safe-deposit boxes, guest-door locks every bit good as the regular life-safety systems i.e. sprinkler systems, dismaies and fire asphyxiators.
Hotel security characteristics have been progressively developed in the past old ages. This can impute to the addition in neighbourhood offense, technological promotions and a displacement in the demographics of the hotel invitees. Such is the instance of the electronic door locks which generates a feeling of security expected from the safety step. Hoteliers have besides taken a closer expression at the demands and wants of the female traveler being chiefly concerned over safety and security steps.
As expected, hotel directors may confront challenges as the media continuously work on conveying condemnable actions to the spotlight peculiarly since the intelligence of the 9/11 onslaught have changed the perceptual experiences on traveling and safety.
Body of the Study and Research Results
Case Study Number 1: The Marriot Hotel Experience
On July 17, 2003 the JW Marriot and the Ritz Carlton in the upscale country of Jakarta, Indonesia were attacked by two suicide bombers. The bomb blast killed nine people and injured about 52 persons. Based on the probe following the onslaughts it was found out that the suspects checked into the hotel as invitees, and that the explosives they used were smuggled into the hotel in their baggage which was non checked because it was excessively large and had to be placed in a streetcar. The hotel staff did non noticed anything because they assumed that hotel invitees can non be terrorists. On September 20, 2008 another Marriott hotel was attacked in Islamabad, Pakistan. A shit truck which was filled with explosives was detonated in forepart of the hotel killing 54 individuals and wounding 266 persons.
Based on the study that the Vice-President for Corporate Security Alan Orlob made before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs in 2009, the Marriott security steps helped in forestalling a much bigger casualty in both the Jakarta and Islamabad onslaughts. In Jakarta during the clip of the onslaught the hotel security were on Threat Condition Red. Orlob claims that the checkpoint placed at the hotel Gatess prevented the suicide bomber from driving a vehicle laden with explosives directly into the anteroom of the hotel. Orlob besides states that because of the watchful response of the Merriott ‘s three security forces who were manning the checkpoints that twenty-four hours, helped in forestalling the driver from come ining the anteroom of the Hotel.
In the Islamabad attacks a combination of a hydraulic barrier and a bead down barrier prevented the vehicle of the self-destruction bombers from nearing the chief premises of the hotel. The vehicle filled with explosives was detonated at the barrier killing 56 people out of the 1,500 people who were billeted at the Marriott during that twenty-four hours. Orlob claims that the casualties would hold been larger if there were no security measures that were put in topographic point. During the onslaughts in Islamabad, Orlob states that the hotel had 196 security forces, 60 of which were on responsibility during that twenty-four hours. They besides had sixty two CCTV cameras placed on the interior and outside of the hotel and bomb whiffing Canis familiariss.
However a paper by security expert, John Solomon the Head of Terrorism Research, World Check ( 2009 ) states that in both the Jakarta and Islamabad Marriot ‘s security plan has had defects on two facets. First is that the hotel did non hold equal steps for testing guest and staff for possible terrorist act hazard. Solomon pointed out that in both the Jakarta and Islamabad attacks the terrorists were able to analyze the country of the hotel and gather intelligence information by look intoing in as invitees. The 2nd defect relates to the failure of the hotel security and hazard director to right analyse the possible security hazards that the hotel faces. Harmonizing to Solomon the job is due to security and counterterrorism specializers ‘ preference for analysing a security menace entirely on historical forms.
The common pattern of hotels is to engage these security specializers to do a hazard appraisal which the hotel faces. However by seeing terrorist onslaughts as repeating forms – what happens in the hereafter will be the same to what is happening in the present and what transpired in the recent yesteryear – fails to hold on the fact that terrorist tactics are invariably germinating and developing. The consequence of this manner of thought is that security experts fails to follow concrete steps that are applicable to the possible dangers the state of affairs poses.
Ironically Orlob besides had a similar observation when, as portion of a squad of hotel security specializer, he visited Mumbai, India after the terrorist onslaughts in 2009 to the Taj Mahal, Oberoi, and Trident hotels. Orlob included these findings in the same Senate Committee hearing that I have mentioned above. Harmonizing to Orlob the Taj Mahal hotel failed to turn to the undermentioned security concerns:
Before the onslaughts the terrorists were remaining in the hotel for several months presenting as invitees. They were seen taking exposure and have been analyzing the layout of the hotel ;
The constabulary who responded to the onslaughts were non familiar to the edifice layout and the programs that were outdated and did non bespeak the redevelopments that has taken topographic point ;
The Taj Mahal hotel lowered their security steps due to a incorrect intelligence study that was given to them ;
The hotel did non hold physical security steps such as barriers, sprinkler systems and the similar which could hold helped to decelerate down the terrorists if non discourage them.
Orlob has noted during the Senate Committee study that after the onslaughts on the Marriott the security steps in placed have already been reviewed and developed to get by with the menace of terrorists groups.
Case Study Number 2: The Intercontinental Hotels Group
The Intercontinental Hotels Group ( IHG ) is one of the taking international hotel ironss in the universe today. Presently there are about 4,186 IHG hotels runing worldwide bearing the IHG trade names of InterContinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Holiday Inn and many more which are franchised and are owned by private companies. The IHG chief central office is based in the United Kingdom and there are regional offices for the Americas and Asia Pacific part.
During the 2009 Mumbai terrorist attacks the Intercontinental Hotels Group were able to direct out instructions to two of its hotels in the country refering security steps they should set in topographic point. Harmonizing to the Director for Global Security of IHG David Bonne, this speedy response helped to screen the IHG belongingss from the onslaughts. Bonnel points out in a study dated March 11, 2009 that the IHG were able to turn to the menace posed by the Mumbai incident due to the timely and relevant information shared by persons who are in charge of the security and antagonistic terrorist act plan in their several corporations. This association of professionals covering with corporate security were instrumental in supplying intelligence that helped to ease appropriate response to the crisis, efficaciously deploy resources, and ensured the flow of information between the corporate central office and the hotels that were affected by the onslaughts.
Bonnel provinces that after 9/11 onslaughts the IHG has developed a security program that specifically addresses the menace posed by planetary terrorist act. This security program is based on the proviso indicated in Title IX of the 9/11 Commission Act which has mapped out crisis direction as the readiness of the private and public sector on three facets of operation which deals with deliverance, restart, and recovery.
Harmonizing to Bonnel the IHG crisis direction system is an built-in portion of the whole construction of the corporation, organisational civilization, and operations of the company, and provides an effectual and flexible response to likely and expected menaces to security. The IHG system works through different but interrelated facets which focuses on the followers: changeless menace appraisal ; exigency action programs and concern continuity programs that are specific to the site involved ; a crisis response program for senior executives ; crisis response squads ; a web for internal communications ; and a preparation plan for exigency response. The IHG crisis direction systems chief push is to guarantee that in the event of a menace or crisis its investings and invitees are protected and rescued if the demand arises, and in the event of harm to the corporation ‘s plus, the system ensures continuity in operations and concern maps.
One of the nucleus facets of this crisis direction system is the development of a comprehensive counter terrorist act plan which is based on reacting to menaces and leads gathered from a dependable intelligence web connected with the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) . This antagonistic terrorist act plan plants by measuring and so categorising all of IHG ‘s hotels against a profile on terrorist hazard. Each hotel location will besides be assessed in a regional strategic menace appraisal. The full IHG hotel ‘s capableness to defy an onslaught will besides be comprehensively assessed, and direction will be provided with an action program that would increase the hotel ‘s security capableness. A rigorous monitoring of conformity to the program will besides be carried out to guarantee its execution and in order to hold a changeless rating of the whole execution procedure. Harmonizing to Bonnel the IHG ‘s antagonistic terrorist act plan was designed with the position of implementing it within the model of compulsory conformity with criterions sing operational and structural safety and security.
Case Study Number Three: The Shangri-la Hotel Jakarta
Hotel Shangri-la Jakarta is one of the hotels that are in operation in the Southeast Asia part. The information issued by Shangri-la Jakarta states that it has a brilliant repute when it comes to guaranting the safety and security of its invitees and forces, and the hotel claims that many experts in security has considered it to be a preferable base in the metropolis in instance of exigencies. The security steps implemented by Shangri-la Hotel Jakarta are rather similar to the Marriot and IHG. It has a UVS or Under Vehicle Scanning system which is located at the chief gate of the hotel ; it has EVDs or Explosive Vapour Detectors ; it employs bomb whiffing Canis familiariss that have been certified by the Australian Law Enforcement and Working Service Dog Handler Association ; its X-ray machines for baggage scanning are province of the art ; around 330 CCTV cameras are installed in the hotel ; there are around 200 extremely trained security staff ; there are satellite telephones in instance normal phone communications are cut off ; and the hotel besides has a helipad on its roof. The Shangri-la Jakarta besides boasts of a comprehensive Civil Disturbance Plan designed to turn to different possible state of affairss that might originate in its state of operation.
Like the Marriott and IHG the Shangri-la Hotel Jakarta hires security experts that acts as advisers to the hotel. Reliable intelligence is provided for by these security advisers. The Shangri-la hotel ‘s squad of local and international experts in security aid in maintaining the hotel abreast to the security state of affairs in Jakarta which develops its preparedness and capacity to react to any possible menace to its invitee ‘s safety and security. The chart below shows the comparative information of the three hotels based on the mention stuff used:
Hotel Marriot
IHG
Shangri-la Hotel, Jakarta
Secondary 1 ” deadbolt lock
Smoke sensors and fire sprinkler systems
CCTV cameras
Explosive Vapour Detectors
X-ray machines
CCTV Cameras
X-ray machines
Smoke sensors and fire sprinkler systems
Other security steps perchance use but non identified in mention stuff used by research worker.
UVS ( Under Vehicle Scanning ) system
EVDs ( Explosive Vapour Detectors )
X-ray machines
CCTV cameras
Satellite telephones
Highly trained security forces
Bomb whiffing Canis familiariss
Expert Consultant
Highly trained security forces
Bomb whiffing Canis familiariss
Expert Consultant
Highly trained security forces
Bomb whiffing Canis familiariss
Expert Consultant
Viewports in all guestroom doors
interior corridor entree merely
entree control on all guest exterior entree doors
Viewports in all guestroom doors
bitts and barriers
Same although non indicated expressly in the mention used by the research worker.
Same although non indicated expressly in the mention used by the research worker.
Roof helipad
Security Guidelines and Emergency Plans
Cooperation with International Security specializers groups and Government Agencies concerned
Security Guidelines and Emergency Plans
Cooperation with International Security specializers groups and Government Agencies concerned
Security Guidelines and Emergency Plans
Cooperation with International Security specializers groups and Government Agencies concerned
Decision
The instance survey of the security measures being implemented by the Marriott, IHG, and Shangri-la shows certain similarities in footings of the equipment used, forces involved, physical constructions built, and development of a comprehensive security and crisis direction program. All three has hired security experts to supply elaborate intelligence studies and to carry on and develop a crisis and menace appraisal in order to develop the hotel ‘s readiness in the event that such menaces will happen. It is besides clear that security programs are straight related to the hotel ‘s image and repute, and most security programs is really portion of the hotel ‘s committedness to its invitees to guarantee that their peace of head and security are taken cared of while under their attention.
