Hotel & Motel Management - August 2008 - (Page 134) 134 Hotel Operations SECURITY & SAFETY H&MM August 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition By CHRIS CROWELL, ASSOCIATE EDITOR theft prevention Five-finger discounts at hotels often are treated as harmless and expected incidents—stealing soaps, taking towels, keeping keycards. But decorative elements also are in danger. Keeping the property’s aesthetics in place can be tricky, but there are several techniques that can help prevent these petty crimes. Jonathan Bergman, chief sales officer of Visual Management Systems, said a key strategy in stopping decorative element theft is not only the RELATED COVERAGE: implementation of a surveillance For more system, but also visibility of such information on a system. surveillance law, turn “The biggest thing is to the Franchise Law column to deter the activity Page 12 first,” Bergman said. “And surveillance is important as a deterrent. [Thieves] need to look up and see the camera and know they are being watched.” Candid Camera is not the way to go when aesthetics are at stake. Bergman said the best places to put cameras are at all entrances and exits, the lobby area near the expensive items, the outside perimeter and the loading dock or dumpster area to deter employee theft. Another good idea is to have a monitor visible at the front desk so guests can see themselves on screen. As for the wall art in guestrooms, where cameras aren’t allowed or welcomed, the most effective security measure is a standard T-screw system that costs $1.50 per frame and locks the frame into the wall. “It is a great petty theft deterrent,” said Aimee Eichert, VP of sales and marketing for Art Materials Service, a company that has produced the same T-screw system for nearly three decades. “[Guests] can’t just take it right off the wall; they have to try and figure it out. It also helps in case of earthquakes or when kids are running around or when people accidentally knock them off the walls.” VISUAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS KEVIN GARRETT The art of check IN The Ritz-Carlton Phoenix launched a quintet of summer packages aimed at shoppers, business travelers and foodies from $239-$259 per night. A “Night Before the Flight” package allows extended parking at the Ritz and complementary airport car service. Summer meeting-goers at The Founders Inn & Spa, Virginia Beach, Va., are getting a break at the pump. Owner Benchmark Hospitality is providing each attendee with a $25 fuel rebate. Carlson Hotels Worldwide launched a “Points to Go” promotion. Until the end of August, current and new goldpoints plus members will earn up to 100,000 bonus points at all Regent Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and Park Inn hotels. Hyatt Resorts kicked off a “Great Summer Getaway” contest. Travel planners may log on to www. hyattresortssummer.com, where they can build, view and share their ideal summer retreat. Participants may win Hyatt gift cards. America’s most wanted (items) Hotel art can be a target for daring guests and professional thieves alike, but certain items carry more risk than others. “Metal is hot right now,” said Jonathan Bergman, chief of sales for Visual Management Systems. Bergman said professionals look for certain items they can take and sell for a profit, with metal items currently giving the biggest return. The average person is more interested in what will look good on his or her coffee table, said Tracy Chevalier, VP of development at Soho Myriad, an art consulting service. Vases, bowls, boxes, trays and smaller decorative items are the mostlifted decorations at a hotel. “Anything that will fit in a pocket or a suitcase will walk,” Chevalier said. “If we are putting things on a bookcase, we’ll silicone it all down. But some hotels don’t want the silicone because they think it shows you don’t trust [the guests].” “A lot of times it’s vases with plants or decorative pieces on table tops, not so much pulling things off wall,” Bergman said. “People mostly take things around the lobby area for aesthetic services. Plants and vases have been stolen from hotels since they’ve been making hotels.” For more info Company Circle No. Acculock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 Amano Cincinnati . . . . . . . . . 282 Art Materials Service . . . . . . 283 Ethostream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Houston Communications . . . 285 International Loss Prevention Systems . . . . . . . 286 PCM Technologies . . . . . . . . 287 Safety Technology International . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 Summa Integrated Systems. . . 289 Visual Management Systems. . 290 TIPS TO STOP ART THEFT When art is stolen and by whom Professionals—In the evenings when there is a personnel shift and after they observe the auditors’ patterns. Guests—During very busy times or an event like a convention or family reunion. Employees—Before items in the hotel are fastened into place. Construction workers—During construction, when there are items left unaccounted for throughout the entire hotel. Sources: Jonathan Bergman, chief of sales, Visual Management Systems; Tracy Chevalier, VP of development, Soho Myriad; Aimee Eichert, VP of sales and marketing, Art Materials Service Quotable “ Through Sept. 30, Red Lion Hotels Corp. is offering a “Stay Two—Get One Free” promotion. Guests staying at any U.S. Red Lion hotel for two nights will receive a free one-night future stay. The free night must be booked by March 31, 2009. The Roosevelt Hotel, New York, is offering a “For the Love of the Game” special in honor of the last season at Yankee Stadium. Through Sept. 1, guests with Yankees tickets will receive rates from $299. Compiled by Elaine Simon, esimon@questex.com The theft typically occurs before it is hung. When it is sitting around on a loading dock or before it’s hung on a wall, an employee or construction worker will walk off with it.” TRACY CHEVALIER, VP of development for Soho Myriad, on the most common type of art theft http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.hyattresortssummer.com http://www.hyattresortssummer.com
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