(Reuters) - With hotels becoming an increasingly popular target for militant attacks in Asia and beyond, the issue of hotel security and appropriate travel precautions is growing in importance for business travelers and tourists.

1. FACTBOX: Avoiding and surviving hotel terrorism | Reuters.com 9/27/09 11:02 PM
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FACTBOX: Avoiding and surviving hotel
terrorism
Fri Sep 25, 2009 5:47am EDT
(Reuters) - With hotels becoming an increasingly popular target for militant
attacks in Asia and beyond, the issue of hotel security and appropriate
travel precautions is growing in importance for business travelers and
tourists.
In the past year, militants killed at least 54 people in a suicide bomb attack
on Islamabad's Marriott hotel, 71 people in the siege of the Taj Mahal and
Oberoi hotels in Mumbai, nine in a suicide attack on Peshawar's Pearl
Continental, and seven in the bombings of Jakarta's Ritz Carlton and
Marriott in July.
Following is a summary of advice on hotel security, from travel security
firms and risk consultancies as well as Reuters correspondents who often
stay in hotels in hazardous areas:
BEFORE YOUR STAY
-- Seek security advice on the country you are visiting. Government travel
advice is available on the Internet. Specialist risk consultancies offer advice
on threat levels in each country and specific dangers to be aware of.
"An issue to be aware of is that in southeast Asia, within a 45-minute flight
of Singapore or Hong Kong you can be in a totally different security
environment," says Steve Vickers, president and chief executive of FTI-
International Risk. "Some travelers tend to be too blase about that."
-- Check that your company has assessed the hotel, and that the
assessment is up to date.
"While major ... chains may offer better protection from the majority of
threats, they have been increasingly targeted in some countries and the
overall state of security within the hotels can fluctuate from hour-to-hour,
day-to-day or even seasonally," says Tony Ridley, director for Asia-Pacific
security services at International SOS.
-- On arrival at the airport, keep a low profile and be aware of your routine.
"A lot of the problems with the foreign multinationals is they all do
everything the same way," Vickers says. "Everybody always stays at the
same hotel. You've got expats arriving at airports with somebody holding a
big sign with their name on it."
ON ARRIVAL
-- Be aware of your surroundings. "Look at how far your hotel is from the
office, the airport, meetings or emergency services such as hospitals or
police stations," Ridley says. Some of this can be done via maps and
Google Earth ahead of the trip
-- Check the security measures for vehicles and non-guests. Many hotels
check vehicles for explosives and also screen people entering hotels.
"If a hotel appears secure to the casual observer, it is more likely it has put
protection measures in place and is therefore a less attractive target to
criminals and terrorists alike," Ridley says. "The boundaries should be
clearly defined with measures to ensure guests or patrons can only access
the grounds."
-- Check the exits, fire escapes and alternative routes away from the area.
If a crisis erupts, you will be prepared.
-- Choose your room carefully. In many hotels, some rooms may overlook
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2. FACTBOX: Avoiding and surviving hotel terrorism | Reuters.com 9/27/09 11:02 PM
a busy unsecured street, while others face the hotel grounds or areas with
no traffic.
-- Assess room security. "Rooms should have a number of options for
securing the door and viewing the outside corridor so you can preserve
your security and privacy," Ridley says.
-- Check if the windows have protective film. Many deaths and injuries from
bomb attacks, particularly further away from the blast site, are usually
caused by flying glass.
DURING YOUR STAY
-- Make sure your company knows where you are. If there is a crisis, this
will help with rescue and extraction.
-- Monitor local media for any signs of changes in the local security
situation. Events on the ground can often move fast.
-- Be aware of the risk, but don't panic. Risk consultants point out that the
danger of militant attacks is extremely low, even in troubled countries.
Travelers can prepare intelligently for possible risks, but should keep them
in perspective.
(Reporting by Andrew Marshall; Editing by Bill Tarrant)
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