Despite the shooting at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino last October in Las Vegas, hotel security experts don’t believe the U.S. hotel industry or its guests are ready to take the same steps as hotels in higher threat conditions around the world.
During the “Hospitality security: Post Vegas” panel at the Hospitality Law Conference, Alan Orlob, VP of global safety and security for Marriott International, said he doesn’t believe there’s much appetite in the U.S. for heavy security measures at hotels.
“We know how to do it,” he said. “We do it all over the world. I don’t think the U.S. is ready for it. I don’t think we need to do it in the U.S. yet.”
Citing a discussion he had recently with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Orlob said he told them that because of the law enforcement and intelligence capabilities in the U.S., he doesn’t feel the need to put U.S. hotels at the highest threat level.
Aside from the lack of readiness of U.S. travelers for heightened security in hotels, Orlob said cost is another deterrent for hoteliers.
“Owners have to pay for the extra security measures,” he said.
Recalling a meeting he had with the owner of a Renaissance hotel Bangkok after an attack in 2009 in Jakarta, Indonesia, Orlob said the owner was reluctant to spend more to implement further security measures in the hotel. What helped change the owner’s mind, Orlob said, was the prospect that Marriott could drive business to the hotel by touting it as the safest in the city. A year later, when the security measures were in place, the security team for a competing hotel was staying at the Renaissance, he said.
That’s the approach that works in other countries, where travelers are more open to heightened security measures, he said.
Service Hotline
Work Time:Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00
UTC+8
Sinoexpo Digital Platform
Copyright 2006-2024 Shanghai Sinoexpo Informa Markets International Exhibition Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 沪ICP备05034851号-77 沪公网安备 31010402000543号