Hoteliers stand behind increased use of CCTV

Hotel & Motel Management, May 1, 2000 by Bruce Adams

The use of closed-circuit TV is on the rise in the lodging industry as hotels are installing the systems for a variety of reasons, including crime deterrence, employee security and customer satisfaction.

The Regal Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles installed four CCTV cameras in the early 1980s, upgraded to 24 new cameras in 1998 and then added eight cameras last year.

"Our existing CCTV system was antiquated. We only had four black-and-white cameras, and the system did not serve our purposes," said Richard Foisy, director of security at the Regal Biltmore.

The 24 color cameras monitor public and back-of-house areas. The cameras are focused on meeting rooms, the kitchen, freezers, the employee entrance area, the front desk and lobby, the parking garage, the main galleria, ballrooms and the sports bar.

Foisy said hotel executives were happy with the results of the initial 24 cameras and decided to add eight cameras to watch over coolers, the liquor-storage area and the gold service-place settings, which have been a part of the historic hotel since 1923.

"We want to provide the most secure environment for our guests and employees," Foisy said. "The cameras are reassuring to them. We explained to employees that we are not trying to monitor their work habits, but to ensure their safety and security."

He said the hotel posted signs in the back-entrance area to make sure employees and others know that there is 24-hour camera surveillance.

The cameras are visible "if you look for them," and Foisy said he considers their visibility an enhancement to the system because they will encourage crooks to go elsewhere.

The cameras have helped apprehend theft suspects and also have been useful in slip-and-fall cases. In one such case, the camera showed that a guest was gazing up at the art deco work on the ceiling rather than looking at the steps she was descending.

The cameras also have cut pilfering by employees, which Foisy said is not a bigger problem at the Biltmore than it is at any large hotel.

"We have almost 700 rooms and employ about 700 people," said Foisy, a retired police lieutenant from Fullerton, Calif. "It is a very high-visibility hotel. The five past presidents all were here either as speakers or guests." It also is a favorite place for Academy Awards nominees to stay, and it has hosted Grammy-awards parties.

Security watches two monitors 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each monitor can display 16, eight, four or a single camera at once. Their system is being rented from and was installed by CamEra of St. Petersburg, Fla., a marketer of CCTV systems.

Burges Jokhi, owner of the Wingate Inn Atlanta/Buckhead, had a CCTV system installed in his 100-room property, which opened in February.

He has JVC cameras pointed at the front desk, the lobby, three exit doors, under the canopy of the entrance to see cars and license plates, and over the swimming pool.

"The cameras provide peace of mind for us and for our guests," he said. "We don't have lifeguards at our pool, so we want to make sure adults are monitoring kids. It's also for liability reasons."

Monitors are located in the back office, the general manager's office and the owner's office. All of the doors are key-card installed, except the front desk. He said they plan to install a dial-up system to remotely access the camera through the Internet from anywhere in the world in real time.

"The purpose of the Internet is to give me a greater comfort level. I'm not here 24 hours a day, but I can still check in and make sure guests are being taken care of," Jokhi said. "When I can't sleep at night, I can dial in. If I work from home or I'm traveling, I can monitor through the Internet."

Add customer satisfaction to the list of reasons CCTV is used at Wingate Inn Tampa North, according to Dave Larson, managing partner.

The 85-room property opened in late summer 1999, and the CCTV system was installed one month later at the request of front-desk personnel who wanted it for the feeling of security it provides, especially after hours.

"We are in the lowest crime area in Tampa and have very good police protection," Larson said. "The police, who do community outreach, even recommended we install the system."

But the system also improves customer service. "We look up at the monitor in our office and if we see a crowd at the front desk, we can jump up and help out," Larson said.

Many upscale hotels want to watch their front-desk staff to ensure customers are being handled politely, quickly and according to their specifications, said Karen Allinder, national sales manager for CamEra.

badams@advanstar.com