According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, more than 1.3 billion guests stay in American hotels each year. Safety and security have always been primary concerns for both tourist and business travelers alike. Generally speaking, the hotel industry is keen to strike a balance between robust security measures and a welcoming atmosphere.
There are many different approaches to ensure protection for everyone visiting, but one must also consider delivering positive and unique guest experiences at the same time. In fact, many security systems, procedures, and technologies can be implemented subtly and without dramatically overhauling the structure or ambience of each individual brand.
Over the past 20 years, security measures have been ramped up in response to the increased threat of terrorism and the global health crisis. Rising awareness of the dangers to staff within the workplace is also making a huge impact on the industry. Today, managers and owners are coming face to face with the impact of increasing pressures to provide safer working environments for employees, and comprehensive security procedures that lead to quicker responses and resolutions.
The importance of robust and regularly reviewed hotel safety then cannot be understated. Better working environments provide staff with peace of mind, allowing them to perform better and for your hotel to run more efficiently. And a peaceful night’s stay keeps guests returning in the future due to the favorable impression left. It all equates to top-level service that circles back and provides enhanced security for everyone.
Technology plays a major role in hotel security procedures. Modern security systems are discreet and can help improve guest experience while supporting security officers. Others, like those offered by Knightscope, are much more conspicuous, engaging and enjoyable for guests, which provides a natural deterrence to poor decisions that may lead to more “official” contact.
Here are Knightscope’s recommendations for bolstering the hotel security profile while improving guest relations:
Provide a consistent physical Security presence for all Employees and Guest by utilizing several Autonomous Security Robots (ASRs) K5’s for all parking areas. Install proper signage throughout the property and on the Robot indicating that the area is being recorded to further improve safety and security. Having the ASRs patrol with their strobe light and patrol sounds on in the parking areas can help deter criminal activities such as vehicle thefts/break ins, catalytic converter theft, drug activity, prostitution, and vagrant encroachment. Additionally, tenants or visitors may press the distress button on any robot to activate the Intercom and alert your team to a possible emergency situation. Adding Knightscope’s K1 Blue Light Towers in remote areas, with full wireless functionality and no digging or trenching requirement, creates a highly visible blue beacon that guides visitors to reliable communications that provide needed comfort when cellular phone service is scarce, or a mobile phone’s battery has died.
A K1 Tower or Hemisphere in the lobby and common areas can be equipped with Facial Recognition. This can be instrumental for real time Alerts for banned individuals or BOLO (Be-on-the-Lookout) individuals. The 360-degree eye-level recorded perspective has proven to be a much-needed added level of surveillance to provide extra peace of mind for mitigating fraudulent slip and fall claims or other liability risk exposure reduction. Announcements can be made either on a time-based schedule or automatically upon People Detection Alerts. These types of messages welcoming guests to particular destinations can both enhance the guest experience as well as the security posture in the lobby.
A roaming indoor K5 or K3 can provide eye-level, high-definition video of people and the surrounding areas, including heat detection in areas of higher fire risk or thermal hazards, such as electrical rooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens. K5’s can also provide eye-level vantage points for slip and fall or other safety incident occurrences.
With a team of ASRs you can make your hotel safer and more secure. With a team of dedicated Knightscope staff to ensure your ASR experience is a positive one, we are ready to be your true Security Partner. Want to get even more out of Knightscope, upgrade to Knightscope+ and allow us to take some of the workload off and we can do the remote monitoring on your behalf and allowing you to concentrate more on your job. All of these efforts will help contribute to a more attractive and pleasant hotel stay.
Finding the appropriate technologies to create a more secure environment is key in creating a safer and more hospitable experience. Take a few moments to visit with one of our experts and discover how we can help you elevate your security posture. Click here to learn more.
