Dear readers,
If you are already thinking that I could offer you the solution on how to prevent an attack, I tell you from the start that I don’t have it…!
However, I can reveal how you can increase your chances of this not happening in your hotel.
If you analyze official statements and statistics, because those are what we must ultimately refer to, it is always about two methods of prevention, methods that are also used in airports:
Prevention and Attention
Prevention, a concept with a high degree of complexity. What do we understand by this?
By Prevention (from the Lat. praevenire) we understand measures taken beforehand to avoid an unwanted event or an unwanted development.
However, in a hotel, we do not always have the possibility to analyze the contents of guests’ luggage through control devices and security systems. What we are often left with is only trust and hope.
But there are other possibilities. From analyses by American secret services, we must start from the premise that only about 0.15% of those considered terrorists, men or women, are prepared to die during the attack. It seems like not much, but it is actually far too much. Against this 0.15%, we are actually almost completely powerless. However, 99.85% remain, and it is to those that we want to dedicate ourselves…
To survive, from the wrongdoer’s point of view, does not only mean achieving their objective and escaping with their life, but most often also escaping uncaught and unrecognized. Good coverage with video cameras, very visible at the main entrance and at the reception, means a good first step has been taken.
If, during peak times, we allocate a staff member to the reception area to try to associate each piece of luggage with its owner, we have already advanced another important step. And thus we reach point 2:
Attention. For a hotelier, this is actually the basis of any training. However, I am not just talking about attention for guests, but also about those who work against them—actually against unwanted guests—and I will explain why in a moment.
I, the wrongdoer, wish, for example, to detonate an explosive device and take the lives of an airline crew consisting of flight attendants and pilots who are staying in an international hotel. In this way, I gain international attention and global media coverage. It is said that it is impossible to get into the mind of an attacker and predict their movements, but this refers strictly to the 0.15%.We are now talking about the remaining 99.85% who want to achieve their goal but also escape. Now, I as a wrongdoer, to carry out the attack and escape unidentified, must actually go on a reconnaissance mission beforehand. I will check:
– how much time I can spend in the lobby without drawing attention to myself
– which cameras can identify me later
– what happens if I leave my luggage in the lobby and exit the hotel
– how long it takes until my target group comes within range of my explosive device
In fact, I am trying to see how this hotel stands in terms of prevention and attention.
If, however, during my experience in the hotel,
– I am asked several times how I can be helped/served,
– I cannot pass through key areas without being filmed,
– I cannot leave the hotel without my luggage, not even to smoke, because the staff member on duty warns me that this is the hotel’s policy (this also ensures I don’t leave without paying, doesn’t it),
– I cannot make longer observations or measurements without standing out and being approached by hotel staff.
Then this hotel is, provided I test a few other things as well, definitely my option number 2.
And thus we have achieved our goal. For the unwanted guest, for me, this hotel is uninteresting. The danger of being discovered beforehand, or being blocked during execution, of not achieving my goal or being identified later is far too great.
But even if I never set foot in your hotel, it is worth the expense to take preventive measures; guests will perceive this in a very positive way.
And as I mentioned in the previous article,
My advice: Sensitize your staff, either on your own or through us, explain the objectives to everyone, and ensure they have understood. For everyone’s protection.
www.dnl-group.de
dnl-bonn@t-online.de
Mobile: +49 160 7177610
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is unattended luggage a security risk?
It can conceal dangerous devices and serves as a test for a hotel’s security vigilance and response protocols.
How can hotel staff deter potential threats?
By proactively engaging with guests through service offers and ensuring every piece of luggage is associated with an identified owner.
Does investing in safety improve sales?
Yes, safety is a powerful selling point that enhances guest trust, improves brand reputation, and is perceived positively by customers.