The Portman Travel Group has launched a new initiative to encourage increased safety in hotels.
The accreditation scheme awards hotels which have taken extra steps to ensure the safety and security of their guests.
The initiative is in direct response to a survey carried out by Portman Travel, which revealed that business travellers are becoming increasingly fearful for their safety both at home and abroad.
The scheme’s criteria include: same-gender room service, locks on all doors and windows, spy-holes in hotel room doors, in-room safes, non-disclosure of room numbers, single-sex floors, lifts controlling access to floors using electronic room key cards, accompaniment to and from the hotel room and car park on request, and CCTV in public areas.
Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association (BHA), said: “Any measure that improves guest security is to be welcomed but most hotels already take security measures very seriously indeed and would already be complying with many of the Portman Seal's criteria as standard procedures. However, it would be true to say some of the measures in the Seal, CCTV, for example, would be more suitable for large properties.”
Portman customers will be offered details of accredited hotels at their destination when booking. Initially the scheme will apply to UK hotels only.
The website will be updated regularly with new participating hotels. Details: www.portmanseal.com
