The Physical Safety and Security Features of U.S. Hotels

Abstract

The physical attributes or features that signal safety and security are a critical part of the overall “servicescape” of a hotel and help to define the service experience. An investigation of the safety and security features of 5,487 U.S. hotels revealed significant differences in the distribution of these key amenities in various hotel price segments. Differences in these physical attributes were also found among hotels of various sizes, ages, and locations (e.g., urban, airport, small town). Analyzing hotel scores across several different categories revealed an average safety index score of 70 and a security index score of 64 out of a possible score of 100. Overall luxury and upscale hotels, newer hotels, larger hotels, and those located in urban and airport locations recorded the highest scores for safety and security. Using partial correlation analysis, safety and security scores were positively correlated with the published rate of the hotels, even when controlling for hotel size, age, location, and price segment, suggesting that offering more comprehensive physical safety and security features is associated with the advertising of a higher rate.