As hotels prepare for the busy months ahead, most property managers focus on staffing, guest experience, and amenities. But there’s another area that deserves equal attention: emergency preparedness. The influx of guests and added operational stress can quickly expose safety gaps, making it critical to assess and reinforce emergency protocols before peak season arrives.
From pool safety to elevator entrapments, every corner of a hotel plays a role in guest protection. High turnover, seasonal staffing and increased occupancy can stretch teams thin, which is why the most successful properties take a proactive approach to identifying risks and closing gaps early. Here’s what to double-check now before the crowds roll in.
Start with the pool: A high-visibility risk
Your pool area is one of the most frequented and most regulated parts of the property. This makes it an essential starting point for safety audits. Confirm that all emergency phones and signage are clearly marked and in good condition. Lifesaving equipment like rescue hooks and ring buoys should be easily accessible and fully functional.
Pay special attention to your pool emergency phone. Many jurisdictions require a code-compliant phone with specific features, such as a direct dial to emergency services and weather-resistant housing. As properties reopen pools or cycle through maintenance during the off-season, these details are often overlooked. Ensuring that your pool phone meets current code and is operational can help prevent delays in emergency response and reduce liability risks.
Refresh emergency protocols across the property
Emergency response shouldn’t begin with guesswork. As hotels onboard new staff or shift responsibilities to seasonal hires, gaps in protocol knowledge can emerge quickly. Now is the time to review and reinforce your emergency procedures across all departments.
Ask yourself: How does your team respond to elevator entrapments? What if a guest is injured on-site? How prepared are your staff to respond to severe weather alerts? These scenarios require fast, coordinated action. Without proper training, even experienced employees may hesitate or miscommunicate when emergencies arise.
Regular training refreshers, especially before peak season, help ensure that everyone knows their role in an emergency. This doesn’t have to be extensive. Even short safety briefings during team huddles or morning meetings can keep emergency procedures top of mind.
Don’t rely on the front desk to handle it all
The front desk team is often the default contact point for guest concerns, but their workload is already full. Between managing check-ins, responding to service requests, and handling day-to-day operations, emergencies can overwhelm even the most capable front desk professionals.
Instead of placing the entire burden on your front desk staff, implement systems that support them during high-pressure moments. That includes clearly documented emergency procedures, posted response plans in key areas, and external support systems like professionally monitored emergency phones. When emergencies occur, these added layers of protection help reduce response times and improve outcomes.
Audit emergency phone access points
Your hotel likely has multiple emergency phone locations beyond the pool. Take time to inspect phones in elevators, stairwells, parking garages and areas of refuge. Confirm that each device is easily accessible, clearly labeled, and functioning correctly.
In addition, verify that each phone meets applicable safety codes. This is especially important if your hotel has recently undergone renovations or upgraded its telecom systems. Changes to infrastructure can inadvertently disrupt legacy emergency communication systems. Catching those issues now helps avoid more serious problems when guests are on-site.
Code compliance is more than a box to check, it’s a crucial step that ensures the reliability of communication in the moments it’s needed most. It also reduces the risk of fines, insurance complications, or legal exposure stemming from non-compliance.
Close the gaps before guests arrive
Every property has pressure points. Maybe your challenge is getting seasonal hires trained in time. Maybe you’re working with aging infrastructure that needs attention. Or perhaps you’re unsure whether your emergency systems are even up to date.
Whatever your situation, the key is to identify vulnerabilities before they become emergencies. Use this pre-season window to review your systems, retrain your staff and confirm that all safety equipment and communication tools are in place and operational.
Solutions like Kings III’s emergency communication systems can support these efforts. With features like 24/7 professional monitoring, automatic testing and code-compliant equipment, our solutions ease the burden on property teams while enhancing guest safety. By integrating these tools into your property’s operations, you create a safer environment for everyone and peace of mind for your team.
Preparation today leads to better outcomes tomorrow. Before the busy season ramps up, make sure your emergency readiness plan is in shape and your systems are ready to respond when it counts.
