Casino hotels are notoriously difficult properties to secure. Not only are most of them open to the public 24/7/365 with large crowds, but they must also maintain a high level of security to keep guests, property and assets safe. Security cannot diminish the perceived hotel image or customer service, since even one guest’s negative experience within the casino or the adjoining hotel can spread like wildfire on social media and travel review sites.

Video surveillance cameras and VMS solutions that manage security video can help you to ensure the safety of your guests, staff and facility, while also helping to provide guests with the best service possible. Security video cameras can help you to monitor service practices, guest wait times, traffic flow, and almost all areas of your property.

Given the recent security incidents in public places, guests are becoming more receptive to the presence of visible security technology. The presence of cameras can also give your guests peace of mind, knowing that your property and your team is concerned about their well-being and personal safety. Additionally, simply having security cameras visible near a bellman station, your front desk or your hotel store could help deter to criminal activity before it takes place. This deterrent can be further emphasized by the deployment of public view monitors, showing live video footage of patrons at the front entrance or bell desk, for example.

There are also ways to place video surveillance cameras discreetly, especially for properties with guests who may have privacy concerns. There are a multitude of covert and camouflaged devices available on the market.

Key surveillance areas for hotels typically include exterior entrances and exits, parking lots and garages, the front desk area, and the hotel lobby. Increasingly, video surveillance is being incorporated into hotel elevators to capture high resolution color images when motion is detected, to thwart off potential robberies or other personal crimes.

Video surveillance that incorporates analytics such as facial recognition, for example, can provide your security team with real-time intelligence, even tracking people who are on wanted lists as they enter your property’s front doors, pass into the casino, and move throughout the entire property so that your security team can take quick action and if necessary, assist with security investigations.

Video surveillance can also help to keep criminals out of exclusive casino hotel areas such as swimming pools and gyms where guests have personal items and where theft is common.

For loss prevention, video surveillance in the dining room, kitchen and bar areas can reduce losses with food and alcohol, while a surveillance system in a hotel’s storage rooms and other maintenance areas can uncover and deter employee theft.

Without question, surveillance video should be a part of your casino’s hotel operations. A carefully designed system that incorporates security cameras with analytics can help you to secure your casino property’s hotel or resort areas, mitigate risks, and give your guests the peace of mind they deserve.