High-alert extends to hospitality Even before international events this month and last, airline employees were trained to be suspicious of people paying cash for a one-way ticket without making reservations too far in advance of their flights, then checking in
High-alert extends to hospitality
Even before international events this month and last, airline employees were trained to be suspicious of people paying cash for a one-way ticket without making reservations too far in advance of their flights, then checking in with no baggage.
Now, hoteliers are being encouraged to be equally vigilant with guests checking in for one night, paying cash and not having proper identification or a major credit card.
As president of the Hawai’i Hotel Association’s Kaua’i chapter, Jerry Gibson, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Kaua’i Resort and Spa in Po’ipu, recently issued a memo to association members encouraging them to be wary of “suspicious booking activity in our hotels,” including anyone asking “questions that are out of the ordinary.”
“We cannot be too cautious these days, and we all must be diligent in reporting suspicious activity,” wrote Gibson, who was traveling yesterday and not available for comment.
Claire Morris, Hyatt spokeswoman, said the openness the island has become world-famous for could work against Kaua’i and its people in today’s terrorism-addled world.
“We’re even more vulnerable here because we tend, as an aggregate, to be so aloha spirit-oriented, so we just take for granted that everybody is fine,” she said.
As for Gibson’s cautionary memo, Morris said, “I think it’s very good advice for everyone.” The memo was penned nearly a week before the U.S. bombing and missile strikes in Afghanistan began Sunday.
At Princeville Resort, the focus remains the well-being of guests and employees, said Craig Anderson, hotel general manager and vice president of the Kaua’i chapter of the hotel association.
“The safety of our guests and our employees is paramount to us. We want to make sure that everyone here is safe and enjoying themselves. Everyone has been more in tune with what’s going on in the world, throughout the United States,” said Anderson.
He said the Princeville is reiterating existing hotel policies regarding guest credit and “peculiar behavior.”
The Princeville is one of many hotels on Kaua’i where you can’t get a room without a major, valid credit card. But Anderson said there are hotels on the island were a guest can check in with a large cash deposit in lieu of a major credit card.
On another matter, Anderson said the Princeville Resort has not instituted any permanent layoffs as a result of the dramatic drop in visitor arrivals since the terrorism of Sept. 11.
“We’ve adjusted staffing levels based on business, which we always do,” he said. Even management staffing has been adjusted, he added.
The Princeville last month took a hit in terms of occupancy, as did most if not all hotels on the island. This month, group business has been impacted at the Princeville.
Through the end of the year, Anderson predicts a 20 percent drop in occupancy compared to traditional levels for this time of year.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
