Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 4 OctOber 2017
For many hotels, terror risks make tight security routine

By KELVIN CHAN and DA- it to a supervisor if they see
VID KOENIG weapons, but that screen-
AP Business Writers ing guests’ bags would be
In many parts of the world, difficult in a place like Las
the constant fear of ex- Vegas, where people hav-
tremist attacks has led to ing a lot of luggage is not
tighter security measures all that unusual.
at hotels and resorts, but “It would be a logistical
that is less so in the United nightmare to screen every-
States, where hotels are body going into and out
reluctant to intrude on the of the hotel room, not to
privacy of guests. mention costing billions of
Security experts say the dollars,” Price said. “That
shooting attack that left also gets into all sorts of
at least 59 people dead privacy-rights issues.”
in Las Vegas could lead to Hanson and Price said
more cameras and more people who attend major
training for hotel staff. public events should take
More aggressive measures their own precautions in-
such as metal detectors or cluding knowing where the
X-ray screening of guests exits are, having an escape
and luggage — standard route in mind and a place
for airline travel — are less to meet with companions if
likely to gain footing in the they get separated.
U.S. because of cost and The American Hotel and
privacy concerns. In this Friday, June 2, 2017, file photo, a security guard, left, inspects a man at the entrance of the Lodging Association said
Although they are private hotel at the Resorts World Manila complex, in Manila, Philippines, where a gunman stormed the that hotels in Las Vegas
property, hotels are nota- mall-casino complex earlier in the day. were working closely with
bly public spaces in most of Associated Press local law enforcement af-
the world. In many places, required to pass through festival. sures” in the U.S. such as ter the shooting.
luxury hotels have entranc- metal detectors and have Attention is certain to focus metal detectors or X-raying “Hotels have safety and se-
es from shopping malls, their bags X-rayed. Some- on how Paddock was able guests’ bags. curity procedures in place
and their lobbies serve as a how the attacker got past to carefully prepare and Hanson also believes that that are regularly reviewed,
refuge from noisy, chaotic hotel security with an am- stage his deadly attack on hotels, perhaps pressured tested and updated as are
streets. munition vest and assault Sunday night. by their insurance carriers, their emergency response
Hotel operators in other rifle. “My guess is we will see will increase training of staff procedures,” the group’s
countries are increasingly That was a trifling arsenal more security cameras to spot suspicious behavior president, Katherine Lugar,
deploying armed guards, compared with the 23 guns at many hotels and more or materials left in rooms. said in a statement. “As
vehicle barricades, X-ray and prodigious ammuni- monitoring of people who There is a model for that in we better understand the
machines and other mea- tion stockpile that 64-year- bring many large pack- training to help staff spot facts in the coming days,
sures to reduce the risk of old Stephen Paddock ages to a hotel room,” said human trafficking, he said. we will continue to work
attack. hoarded in his room on the Bjorn Hanson, a professor Jeffrey Price, a security with law enforcement to
The King David Hotel in 32nd floor of the Mandalay of hospitality and tourism expert at Metropolitan evaluate these measures.”
Jerusalem, where Presi- Bay hotel casino overlook- at New York University. “But State University of Den- Hotels already employ
dent Donald Trump and ing the Las Vegas Strip and I don’t think one event will ver, said employees who security measures such
other foreign leaders have a packed country music lead to more intrusive mea- clean rooms should report as asking guests to show
stayed, reportedly uses in- their room key in the lob-
frared cameras carried by by, and limiting access to
balloons and robots in sew- some floors to those who
ers to search for bombs. have a keycard. But be-
Windows on higher floors cause the U.S. hasn’t had
can withstand gunfire the same experience — in
and rocket-propelled gre- frequency or ferocity — of
nades, and the air condi- hotel attacks in countries
tioning system is designed where security is tougher,
to block attacks using poi- that could make stringent
son gas. measures seem less worthy
The Resorts World Manila when applied against a
casino in the Philippines cost-benefit ratio.
said it hired a security con- Other regions can’t afford
tractor, Blackpanda, and or aren’t willing to take the
established new security risk. For instance, Africa
protocols after a man with saw two attacks on ho-
a gambling addiction car- tels within months of each
ried out an arson attack other in 2015 — 38 died in
in June that left 37 dead, Tunisia and 18 in Mali.
the latest major incident in Tunisia depends on tourism
Asia. and seen arrivals plummet
Even before the attack, vis- since a spate of attacks.
itors to Resorts World — like Since 2015, hotels have
many other hotels, office beefed up police pres-
buildings and shopping In this Friday, June 2, 2017, file photo, smoke rises from an attack inside the Resorts World Manila ence and brought in metal
malls in Manila — were complex in suburban Pasay city, southeast of Manila, Philippines. detectors.q
Associated Press