Safe as houses

The blaze of publicity surrounding the disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh in 1986 went a long way to highlighting the potential dangers facing women in everyday business situations. Fast-forward 16 years and it's depressing, if unsurprising, to find that almost one-third of women questioned for a survey on behalf of a hotel group said that, at some time, they had found themselves in a threatening situation when working away from home.

The study, carried out for Scottish & Newcastle's Premier Lodge chain, is crucial for the hotel industry for two reasons. First, it shows that the industry needs to react to these very real concerns, particularly as it is an issue largely ignored by the hotel sector to date. Second, lone businesswomen staying in hotels constitute a growing market - for example, they account for 12% of guests staying at Premier Lodge's 120-strong group.

Part of the problem, according to Suzy Lamplugh's mother, Diana, is that, as more women take on jobs which place them in potentially vulnerable situations, they simply don't look for the dangers. And when faced with a threatening situation, women often don't have the physical capability to fight back. "They think they can act like men," Lamplugh says, "but if they get into a difficult situation, they can't cope as well. They forget that men are bad at being alert."

The whole ethos of a hotel, to welcome and relax the guest, can make matters worse. Says Lamplugh: "People in hotels, particularly if they are attending a conference and staying overnight, may have a few drinks and drop their guard. There are plenty of opportunities for women to get into difficulties."

While it is ultimately the responsibility of the women concerned to avoid these situations, Lamplugh urges hotel staff to become far more vigilant. "It's so important, and it really doesn't need much investment from hotels," she says.

Not all crime affects women, of course. A common trick is for the criminal to hang about in the reception area and wait until someone checks in. When the key is handed over, the criminal will listen for the room number. What happens next is that the door is kicked down and the room is burgled. Although, according to London's Metropolitan Police hotel intelligence unit, the majority of such incidents are carried out once the guest has left the room, it is still an unpleasant experience, and could be fatal if they are in the room at the time. It's also likely that a lone female would be seen as an easy target.

But such incidents could easily be avoided if reception staff handed over a card with the room number printed on it, or don't announce the number loudly.

There are many other measures that can be taken to reassure lone females that their safety is not being overlooked. The budget sector, however, may have to work harder at this than the four- and five-star markets.

Hotel security consultant Rob McKenzie claims the problem for budget hotels is that they often do not have full-time security teams. Security is left to concierges and porters, and is simply not adequate. "Budget hotels are definitely more vulnerable," he says. "Having doors kicked in is a regular occurrence."

Issue of perception However, Premier Lodge brand director Nick Read believes that it is more an issue of perception. He says: "People may think that, because they are getting value for money, for us to achieve the room prices it means cutting corners."

In fact, the group assesses hotels individually, and larger London hotels have visible security guards. Other precautions include the use of key cards to gain access to different areas - the guest has to use his or her key to access the corridor, as well as the room. In addition, the receptionist will call a female guest 10 minutes after check-in, primarily to make sure that she is happy with the room but also to be assured that she has arrived in it safely.

Female safety is now a priority at Custom House in London. About 50% of guests at the budget hotel, which caters for delegates to conferences at the Excel Centre, are women staying alone. "East London is renowned for being a bit dodgy, so we have to make sure the hotel is really secure," says marketing manager Tommy Sandhu. As well as using 24-hour security guards, the hotel will supply cabs only from a company which does background checks on all its drivers.

Belfast's McCauseland hotel, where lone businesswomen make up about 15-20% of guests, has introduced some subtle initiatives to make women feel at ease. "The restaurant is the area where women should be made to feel at ease the most," says general manager Niall Coffey. As some guests may be uncomfortable dining alone, Coffey tells his staff to ensure that lone females are asked where they would like to sit, rather than being put in the middle of the room at a table on their own.

Further, if a woman guest orders room service, the kitchen will call her room to say that the order is on its way and to expect a knock on the door in a few minutes. Coffey is also adamant that there should be a female member of staff on duty at all times.

Prevention is always the best option, and hotels that put guest safety first will get the repeat business of a growing market. As Sandhu puts it: "We have to look after the girls. It only takes one nightmare incident and no one will want to book here again."

Justifiable fear - or just paranoia?

Is the fear of danger greater than the danger itself?

PC Julian Turner, who has worked for London's police hotel intelligence unit for six years, claims that the majority of incidents reported are robberies and fraud. "Not once in my time here have I seen a report of a sexual crime in a hotel," he says. "Hotels do get their doors kicked in for robberies, but they tend to knock first and make sure no one is in the room."

The majority of crime, he adds, takes place outside hotels and, of the cases his unit deals with, the majority take place during the quietest period of 7-9pm.

"The trouble with hotel staff," says Turner, "is that they are trained to be so nice, where they really should be more vigilant."

Simple measures to make lone female guests feel more secure cost nothing and can become part of initiation training for all staff

• Do not say the room number aloud when guests check in

• H Be suspicious of people you do not recognise as guests, and ask if you can help them

• Telephone lone women guests in their rooms 10 minutes after check-in

• Let guests know when room service is on its way

• Allocate rooms to lone women which are close to the reception area or the lift

• Allocate women parking slots close to the hotel entrance

• Use only reputable cab companies

• Place trained security guards in certain locations

• Install spy holes for all bedroom doors

• Use CCTV cameras in all public areas

• Fit window locks and keycard access systems for corridors and stairways

• Ask your local police station for a security check - they will come and assess your property, free of charge, and make any necessary recommendations

• Ensure that corridors and areas around the hotel building are well lit

Hotel safety awards

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is looking for hotels to participate in the launch of a safety awards scheme. Trust manager Ann Elledge is putting together a committee to discuss setting a safety standard for the hotel industry. "We would love to hear from hotels wanting to tackle these issues," she says. "We would be particularly pleased to get some of the big hotel chains on board to help form a committee."

If you are interested in helping to get the scheme off the ground, contact Elledge on 020 8876 0305.