The UK hosts a huge number of visitors each year. According to data published by Statista, overseas residents made almost 100 million overnight stays in 2021. Hotels cater to the needs of many of these visitors, who expect to enjoy comfortable and relaxing stays.
Yet, unfortunately, Hotel emergencies do take place. And while these are mostly few and far between, they shouldn’t be taken lightly – situations can range from innocuous to life-threatening.
In this article, we’ll be exploring why it’s important you prepare your hotel for emergencies and discussing some measures you can take to do so.
What are some common hotel emergencies?
Many different types of emergencies could occur at your hotel. Here’s a list of some of the most common:
- Fire hazards
- Slips, trips and falls
- Theft
- Natural deaths
- Drunken behaviour
- Vandalism
- Acts of violence
Why is it important to prepare for emergencies?
Even though Hotel emergencies are by definition exceptional events, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan for them. A strong insurance policy for your hotel is a good foundation, but you need to be proactive.
In general, preventative measures are much more effective than reacting to an emergency that’s already well underway. This means building a robust set of routine procedures is the key to properly preparing your hotel.
How can you prepare For hotel emergencies?
Since every hotel is unique, exactly how you deal with emergencies must be also. That being said, there are some basic measures you should take to help you be as prepared as possible.
- Carry out assessments: It’s essential that you carry out some sort of risk assessment at least once per year. There’s not much chance you’ll be able to prepare for worst-case scenarios unless you understand the vulnerabilities your hotel suffers from and how they intersect.
- Plan for contingencies: Your team needs to be prepared for any conceivable outcome.Create manuals for different possible scenarios. Keep these simple enough that people can read them quickly during an emergency. This should include instructions on how your team should declare emergencies and initiate the appropriate plans of action.
- Assign responsibilities: It’s all too common for people to expect others to take action during emergencies. If this happens, there’s a chance no one will step up. For this reason, all critical roles must be clearly defined. Every member of staff needs to understand their designated tasks and spheres of responsibility.
