Any team that runs a hotel knows how each member must quickly get used to juggling responsibilities. Daily tasks like cleaning the rooms and opening the continental breakfast never change, but management has to think about so much more.
As you plan out your hotel’s future, there are always security concerns to consider. Even if your hotel is in a low-crime area, it’s smart to stay ahead of the game and look for security advancements.
Read on to learn about these eight beneficial office building security tips for your commercial property. They’ll secure any size of hotel property, making guests feel safer and leading to increased business success.
1. Increase Security Cameras
Covering your property in security cameras will ensure that if something happens, you’ll catch everything on tape. It’s also an easy trick to lower the risk of crime on your property, since potential criminals are less likely to commit a crime if they see abundant security cameras.
2. Monitor Your Alarm System
Every hotel needs an alarm system with a few essential features. An access control system that requires key fobs and badges ensures you always know who is entering and exiting the hotel.
Video surveillance that links to your alarm system also helps streamline your security with added protection. Monitoring your alarm system 24/7 gives you control of your security, so you can act fast in the worst-case scenario.
3. Add a Fence
If it’s possible to add a chain-link fence to your commercial property, it’s time to consider putting a simple physical barrier between your guests and people who aren’t supposed to be there. It can also impress visitors, who may choose which hotel they book based on the safety and security of the property.
4. Light up Your Property
When the sun sets, it’s easier for people to sneak around in the shadows. That leads to things like car break-ins, but you can prevent that when you light up your property in places like your parking lot. If people don’t have places to hide, they’re less likely to commit criminal acts. Combine this with a few more visible exterior security cameras, and you’ll catch the few people left who dare to pose a security risk.
5. Install New Coiling Doors
Whether your hotel receives daily or weekly deliveries, it’s a good idea to install new coiling doors around your property for extra protection. Updated coiling doors lock down your property when the delivery entrances aren’t in use and shield it from extreme weather. Invest in rolling steel doors to have nearly impenetrable entrances that deter would-be criminals.
6. Require Badge Entrance
People know they can walk into a hotel even if they aren’t paying guests. That’s because hotels advertise their in-house restaurants and amenities that members of the public can enjoy as well. Protect your guests by requiring badges or key fobs at specific entrances. You might block non-paying patrons from using the elevator or accessing guest areas like the gym or pool.
Some hotels even install badge-activated gates for employee-only parking lots. It helps narrow down where members of the public can park and which security cameras are the most important.
7. Reinforce Lower Windows
Most hotel guests try to book rooms on the third story or higher because the height makes it difficult for people to break through their windows. Reassure your guests that they’re safe on any floor by reinforcing the lower windows on your first and second floors. Install locks, sensors or even Plexiglas so no guest ever experiences a break-in during their stay.
8. Run Background Checks
Most employers run background checks on potential employees, but if you pay for the extensive professional background checks, you’ll make more accurate hiring decisions. Although you might have many applicants to wade through, since the unemployment rate sits at 3.6%, it’s worth your time to take the extra step. Wait through the background check period to learn as much as you can before you hire someone, so you know you can trust employees as soon as they begin their first day of training.
Research Your Local Area
Figure out which security steps are right for your hotel by considering your property’s history or researching your local area. Learn about which crimes are most likely to happen, like car break-ins or theft. Once you know what you’re protecting your property against, you’ll take the best steps forward to protect your hotel.
