By Tom R. Arterburn,
August 24, 2010
More and more surveys suggest women are traveling more and more.
They now represent more than 40 percent of all business travelers.
"And many of these women have never traveled before," says Mary Beth
Bond, travel expert, �so safety is often on their minds.� Sixty-one
percent of women pleasure travelers feel concerned about their safety and
security of travel in general, compared to 49 percent of men pleasure travelers,
according to a TIA report.
Her advice to hotel security professionals?
--Put a card in the room with safety tips for travelers, such as:
Avoid displaying room keys in public places - on the restaurant table next
to you, on the bar while you order a drink, or on a chair by the swimming
pool, where it could be stolen or a predator could read your room number.
"This is a very low-cost, effective way to educate women about hotel security.
It shows you care." |
--Make sure front desk staff do not mention the name or room number
of female guests at check in. |
--Encourage reservationists to provide women with a good room location.
"The safest and most convenient rooms are clearly visible from the elevator
or near a center of activity. Never give a single woman a first-floor
room with sliding glass doors.� |
--Discourage room service attendants from indicating anything on tickets
that might suggest the female guest is alone. "You fill it out, but
just list first initial and last name." |
--Ensure that employees, doing work in the room, display their identification
before entering the room. |
--Warn employees against fraternization. "There was a woman who
had a sexual relationship with the assistant manager of the hotel, who
got up, got dressed, and left the room with all her cash while she was
in the bathroom. He was an employee of the hotel, so who was the
hotel staff going to believe?" |
--"Always ask to see the identification of the second party coming
to a female guest�s room, and call the room to confirm. I heard a
horror story, where a woman checked in, went up to her room, and luckily
put the chain on her door, because at midnight somebody tried to get in.
There was this man, who saw her check in, heard her name, went to the front
desk, and claimed to be the woman's husband, and he was given a key." |
--Provide escorts. "Offer to walk a woman to her car. They
could make it a service, and it would certainly be seen as a value added
program for the hotel." |
--Make safety handouts available at the front desk. "You can
point out safe walking routes around the neighborhood, but maybe suggest
that they not be taken after 9 O�clock at night." |
---When first entering the room, have the bellmen point out fire escapes,
test the window to ensure it is locked, and remind a woman traveling alone
to keep the door locked with the deadbolt and chain when they are in their
rooms. |
--Allow bellhops to be free with information about the safety of walking
from the hotel to a nearby restaurant, movie theater or pharmacy. �They
are often the most reliable source of information about the neighborhood.� |
Bond, author of Gutsy Women: More Travel Tips (Travelers Tales),
says the need for such services is necessary, despite concerns that women
might be offended by the extra attention.
"You can be helpful without being condescending or patronizing.
Women business travelers have a lot on their minds. Often, they are
jet lagged, and don't take the precautions they might take at home.
So they appreciate the watchful eye of security at the hotel. A female
traveler is loyal, and if she likes your property, she'll come back again,
and again, and again. She will also talk about your property, so
it is good business to make her a partner. Female travelers also
like service, and their number one concern when they travel is their personal
safety. We are aware of the footsteps behind us from the moment we
step out the door. But sometimes the battery may be low on our personal
safety antennas.�
Bond is the award-winning author/editor of five travel books. She was
the travel expert for CBS Evening Magazine, and was also a featured guest
on the Oprah Winfrey Show. She has appeared on over 250 television and
radio shows, and runs the Web site www.womentraveltips.com
Tom R. Arterburn is an independent journalist and director of The
Resume Institute, a job-search firm focused on the hotel industry.
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