In many parts of the world, the constant fear of extremist attacks has led to tighter security measures at hotels and resorts, but that is less so in the United States,
where hotels are reluctant to intrude on the privacy of guests.
Security experts say the shooting attack that left at least 59 people dead in Las Vegas could lead to more cameras and more training for hotel staff.
More aggressive measures such as metal detectors or luggage security x ray machine of guests and luggage — standard for airline travel — are less likely to gain footing
in the U.S. because of cost and privacy concerns.
Although they are private property, hotels are notably public spaces in most of the world. In many places, luxury hotels have entrances from shopping malls, and their
lobbies serve as a refuge from noisy, chaotic streets.
Hotel operators in other countries are increasingly deploying armed guards, vehicle barricades, luggage security x ray machine and other measures to reduce the risk of attack.
The King David Hotel in Jerusalem, where President Donald Trump and other foreign leaders have stayed, reportedly uses infrared cameras carried by balloons and robots in
sewers to search for bombs. Windows on higher floors can withstand gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, and the air conditioning system is designed to block attacks using poison gas.
The Resorts World Manila casino in the Philippines said it hired a security contractor, Blackpanda, and established new security protocols after a man with a gambling addiction
carried out an arson attack in June that left 37 dead, the latest major incident in Asia.
Even before the attack, visitors to Resorts World — like many other hotels, office buildings and shopping malls in Manila — were required to pass through metal detectors and have their bags X-rayed. Somehow the attacker got past hotel security with an ammunition vest and assault rifle.
“My guess is we will see more security cameras at many hotels and more monitoring of people who bring many large packages to a hotel room,” said Bjorn Hanson, a professor of hospitality and tourism at New York University. “But I don’t think one event will lead to more intrusive measures” in the U.S. such as metal detectors or luggage security x ray machine’bags.
Hanson and Price said people who attend major public events should take their own precautions including knowing where the exits are, having an escape route in mind and a place to meet with companions if they get separated.
“Hotels have safety and security procedures in place that are regularly reviewed, tested and updated as are their emergency response procedures,” the group’s president, Katherine Lugar, said in a statement. “As we better understand the facts in the coming days, we will continue to work with law enforcement to evaluate these measures.”
Hotels already employ security measures such as asking guests to show their room key in the lobby, and limiting access to some floors to those who have a keycard. But because the U.S. hasn’t had the same experience — in frequency or ferocity — of hotel attacks in countries where security is tougher, that could make stringent measures seem less worthy when applied against a cost-benefit ratio.
