Better Safe Than Sorry

Given their porous perimeters, managing security of beach front resorts can be daunting. It can be best achieved with the perfect symmetry of technology and personnel management .

- Vinita Bhatia

26th November, 2008 – it is a day that few Indians can forget. It was when 10 men stormed into Mumbai and held the city at ransom for three days, wrecking havoc and killing innocent people at the most supposedly safe places – hospitals, train stations, restaurants and upscale hotels.

People from the hospitality industry watched in shock and despair when the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel’s dome was engulfed in fire and the sound of gunfire ratcheted through the luxurious Oberoi-Trident; both home to a large number of foreign tourists. It made them realise how susceptible even the best hotels are when it comes to security threats, since these are frequented by high-profile guests. It also drove home the fact that they needed to invest in the best-of-breed surveillance and safety measures to prevent another repeat of this tragedy.

And that is how the juggernaut for keeping their guests safe began in earnest. Of course, the catastrophe, where many hotel personnel also lost their lives – many whilst saving in-house guests – also compelled hoteliers across the board to put in place extra checks to ensure the safety of their employees, even at the cost of profit.

SECURITY ABOVE ALL ELSE 

The security protocols for city-based hotels are very distinct from those of holiday resorts or hotels located at beachfront, given the profile of guests who check in there. In fact, deploying security measures at the latter is more challenging because these properties are usually bigger than city hotels and also have porous perimeters. Like Shridhar Nair, GM of The Leela Goa, pointed out, these are often located in areas that are not very accessible and have multiple entry points, unlike a city-based hotel, which typically has an entry point each for guests and for the staff.