To protect and serve

London hotels are already used to the threat of terrorist acts but now face the added threat of reprisals after the bombings in Afghanistan. So could more be done? Jessica Gunn reports.

The words of Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Stevens last month must surely have sent shivers down the spines of all Londoners. "Who are the biggest allies of America?" he asked. "Which is the next biggest target? It's got to be here."

For London's hoteliers, and indeed for hotels around the country, these words hold particular menace. Hotels are among the few public places left in Britain where people can come and go relatively unchecked. They are also among the few places in London where bags can lie unattended without causing much concern. Hotels are open places, which by their very nature have to welcome people without prejudice.

Although London has had plenty of experience in dealing with terrorism - IRA bombs, for instance - it is still not prepared for what the US plane hijackings suggest is possible. In the light of this, Dave Smith, detective chief inspector on the hotel intelligence squad at Charing Cross police station, urges hoteliers to step up security. "Before the [US] incident, we'd noticed a trend in which hotels were making cutbacks in security to save money after recent downturns in the economy," he says. "Some people were trying to cut corners, but I hope now they will rethink this policy."

Over the past few weeks the squad, which was set up in 1975 specifically to deal with security in relation to hotels, has noticed an increase in the number of enquiries from concerned hoteliers - but are stricter measures really practicable? "It would be very hard to stop someone who is on a suicide mission," admits Smith. "Hotels need to accept that they can be a particularly easy target, and then take steps to prevent it. We need to be more vigilant."

Immediate measures that should be adopted by hotels, if they are not already in place, include installing CCTV cameras, briefing staff on emergency procedures and checking all guests' identities.

One hotelier who knows about security is John Toner, director and general manager of the Europa in Belfast, which has experienced more than its fair share of terrorist attacks in the past. Like most hoteliers, he was reluctant to give precise details of his security measures, to avoid causing a further security risk. Toner did compare bomb procedure to fire alarm procedure, however, in which fire routes never double as a public thoroughfare.

"Touch wood, we haven't had a bomb since 1993, but we had 30 attacks before then," he says. "Now we have a very robust system of security in place constantly. All staff know what happens if there is an alarm, and what steps each department should take. We practise regularly."

If hotels are experiencing a drop in conference business because of fluctuations in the economy (Caterer, 11 October, page 24) security at such events now has to be an added concern.

The Grand hotel in Brighton suffered an IRA bomb attack in 1984 during the Conservative Party conference. General manager Richard Baker was responsible for restructuring and rebuilding the hotel after the attack and is confident that it is now prepared for almost any eventuality. "We worked closely with Sussex Police for nine months to prepare for this year's Labour Party conference," he says. "Because of this, we haven't had to make any significant change in the quality of our security to meet the current increased risk."

His confidence is founded on the fact that, after the 1984 attack, the hotel was redesigned specifically to host high-security events. Like the Europa, the Grand compares bomb procedure to fire emergency procedure. Other measures include making sure that bath panels and service hatches lift off easily, so that any person or bomb hiding there can be easily detected. "All of us in this industry have a responsibility to have the right systems of security, and to ensure they are well maintained," says Baker.

According to Smith, however, most London hotels are nowhere near as prepared as the Grand or Europa. Of seven top hotels investigated in the capital, Caterer discovered that most, though not all, were taking the basic precaution of checking guests' passports. Even so, some asked only for passport numbers without verifying them with pictures. Only one hotel was carrying out thorough baggage checks using X-ray, and one other top chain was carrying out spot checks. The majority of the seven hotels accepted a credit card as a form of identification.

Although some of the more prominent London hotels were unwilling to give details of their security procedures, most said that they had increased measures in recent weeks and that their guests had noticed and appreciated this step. Jonathan Raggett, managing director of Carnation Hotels, says: "We have hotels next to Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, and have noticed [since the US atrocities] that guests are checking where the fire escapes are. They never did before."

Even before the atrocities, there was a move to step up hotel security. Chief executive Bob Cotton says that the British Hospitality Association has been working with the anti-terrorism branch at Scotland Yard for several months to formulate new security guidelines, such as protecting underground car parks and rear entrances to hotels. Under these, BHA members would be notified of what practices they should adopt at different levels of alert.

"You have to assess risk based on location," says Cotton. "People need to be aware and choose practices they can sensibly adopt."

Hotel security abroad

Following an attack by extremists on tourists in the Egyptian town of Luxor in November 1997, Egyptian law enforcement and security officials took measures to enhance security at airports, international hotels and tourist sites throughout the country.

Police and security forces cover the country, not just at tourist sites but along highways, in hotels and on the River Nile. Foreign tourists at locations ranging from Giza to Luxor are now guided by armed security officers, while police cars make certain that no local vehicles are allowed close to vulnerable tourist groups.

Hotels in Egypt are required to check luggage using government-owned metal detectors or security gates such as those used in airports, and tourist police are frequently present. On streets in Luxor, Aswan and Edfu, for example, security forces occupy "bird cages" - small lookouts set atop pedestals 10ft above the street.

Stringent security measures are also in place in Israel. El Al aircraft are patrolled by "air marshals" and airport security is extremely tight. Passengers may be subject to prolonged questioning and detailed searches at the time of entry to, and/or departure from, the country.

Hotels in Israel's tourist areas have strong security teams and procedures in place. Luggage is checked with metal detectors, and doors are manned by armed guards. Simon Lewis, director of leisure services for Isrotel, which owns a number of three-, four- and five-star hotels in Israel, says that the group has had strict security since it opened 18 years ago. "We have security teams and guards on the doors," he says. "It can be disconcerting for the guests, but it is necessary."

by Helen Adkins

Security suggestions

Although the police do not publish a set of recommendations for hotel security, the hotel intelligence squad made the following suggestions:

Registration. Ensure your hotel follows the correct registration process set out in the Immigration Act (Hotel Records) (1972). This stipulates that every guest over the age of 16 years must be fully registered and identified. "Checking guests' passports is doubly important at this time," says DCI Dave Smith.

CCTV. "If you haven't got it, get it," says Smith. Hotels should ensure that they have good-quality closed-circuit TV equipment and regularly change tapes. Equipment should be serviced every 12 months.

Unattended luggage. Keep guests with their luggage from when they enter the hotel until they reach their room. Avoid having unattended luggage left in reception areas or elsewhere in the hotel.

Procedure. Hotels should ensure that all staff are properly briefed on emergency procedures, especially evacuation. Practice drills are essential.

General. Hotels should ensure that front and back doors are supervised at all times. Security codes and locks on doors and cupboards should be changed regularly and all staff and packages entering the building should be monitored closely.