Day in and day out, the hospitality industry deals with security risks unlike any other industry. From attracting guests to minimizing internal and external risks, hospitality executives look for solutions that comprehensively address their specific industry concerns. The future of security is holistic – and corporate security executives are embracing security as the basis in supporting guest safety and business initiatives. Let’s take a look at a few key industry concerns as well as how current industry trends have shifted to resolve them.
Ensuring a Delightful Guest Experience While Maintaining Safety and Security
Whether it’s a hotel, a casino, tourist attraction, or an eatery, the natural business of hospitality is defined by its namesake – a friendly, safe, and generous reception and entertainment of guest or visitors. All in all, hospitality requires a positive relationship and a memorable experience – one that, for the industry, requires a return visit for optimal success.
For security executives who manage a multi-property organization, one of their biggest issues is ensuring that security protocols across multiple properties are held to the same standards. The hospitality industry has shifted toward centralizing visibility and has required the need for deep insights on all properties, in real-time. It’s up to corporate security executives to define the standards used across each location; upholding these security and safety standards ultimately provides a great guest experience.
Overseeing Vast Common Areas
In comparison to a densely populated area is the openness of the hospitality property itself. Guests have the freedom to roam around areas in pursuit of entertainment, leisure, or basic recreation – that is not to say there are areas in which guests, even staff, are not authorized to roam.
CCTV cameras are limited in their visibility due to their stagnant location, causing concern for the risk of theft, assault, or violence. Hospitality security executives have turned to a long-known solution – physical security patrols. However, unlike the patrolled guards of the past, security managers have integrated holistic solutions that encompass all areas of business operations, from standard security protocols, like the duties carried out by a security team, to employee awareness for security risks. With a holistic mindset, hospitality security executives haven’t solely relied on security patrols to maintain security measures. Standard training has brought on nontraditional methods of security – one that is aimed at strengthening safety and security for hotel employees and guests alike. In example, initiatives like The American Hotel & Lodging Association “5-Star Promise”, emphasizes that safety is built on layers of security procedures, including the layer of technology, which would include GPS tracking and lone worker features, to name a few.
Managing Visitors, Suppliers, and Guests
From the viewpoint of the guest, a place of hospitality is one where everything is expected. If a guest is hungry, food will magically appear at an eatery or through room service. If they’re in need of relaxation, a trip to the spa for an exotic mud bath and essential oils is required. What is often overlooked – and is the sign of a well-organized staff – are the day-to-day actions that involve deliveries, suppliers, food services, and other general activities that make hospitality a functional and memorable experience for their guests.
It’s a tall order to keep a seamless experience going. Hospitality executives need a seamless solution that is capable of handling all types of visitors such as, such as deliveries, suppliers, entertainment, and food services, that make the hospitality industry function.
Properties in the hospitality industry have many security challenges.
Maintaining a Safe and Secure Environment for Guests and Employees is the Foundation for a Successful Hospitality Business
Whether your goals include increasing guest check-ins, expanding to multiple locations, or maintaining fixed costs, hospitality executives have shifted toward aligning their business operations alongside those of security. Without a safe and secure atmosphere, guests, as well as suppliers and vendors, will not do business with you. Proving that security is integral for all aspects of your business can be as easy as ensuring your security measures will work for and with you.
