Travel Security - how to escape from terrorists in a hotel

Photo: depositphotos.com

Increased threat terrorism forces all countries, including the most prosperous, to tighten security rules. Very often, the targets of the attackers are hotels and their guests. Lead security expert at International SOS, Rob Walker, made recommendations that would help tourists return home safe and sound.

Now the only problem and one of the main criteria when choosing a hotel from tourists is the noise level, especially at night, notes Walker. But now the priority, even in countries that were previously considered calm, should be safety and an emergency plan.

Before you go to the hotel, you need to find out what area it is located in - whether there are a number of criminogenic zones, traditional meeting places. It is also worth exploring the history of the hotel - have there been dangerous incidents before?

In troubled regions, you should look for hotels located far from large roads, equipped with video surveillance systems, metal detectors, access control systems in elevators and with guards constantly on duty in the lobby.

It is better to stay in rooms no lower than the second floor, but no higher than the fifth (third and sixth, respectively, in North America, Russia and many other countries). This height will not allow thieves to enter the room through the window, and it will be possible to jump from the balcony in case of danger - and survive. In addition, fire department stairs will reach the fifth or sixth floor.

Rooms should be requested on the side of the building, opposite the lobby - the main entry point for any intruder. And also from restaurants and other public places where a criminal can easily get from the street.

The most ideal option - at the emergency exit stairs.

The plan for the location of emergency exits at the hotel must be studied and remembered. Photo: ru.depositphotos.com

When registering and inspecting the room, make sure that there is a lock and a peephole on the front door, an evacuation plan, emergency exits (the location of the nearest ones you need to remember) and a fire cabinet with the required equipment are in the corridor.

When entering your room, leave the front door open until you fully inspect the room and make sure that there are no strangers there. One well-known airline advises its employees to support the opened door with a suitcase and only after that look in the closets, under the bed and behind the curtain in the shower.

Avoid rooms with doors to adjacent rooms. If there is no way to refuse such a room, make sure that the doors are locked and in addition block them just in case.

Walker advises to take a dorstoper with you to rest - a retainer blocking the door from the inside. This is an extra security measure when you are in the room.

No one will take care of the life and health of the tourist as he himself. Check the hotel plan and find out what safety equipment is there.

It is necessary to evaluate the communication system in the hotel. Small hotels may have limited communication opportunities, which creates a great risk during natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

On the hotel security system is better to inquire in advance. Photo: ru.depositphotos.com

It does not hurt to constantly have on hand a “disturbing briefcase” with a passport, travel documents, a bottle of water, a mobile phone and chargers.

All these tips, according to the expert, increase the chances of survival without serious injury.

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