Bali hotels tighten security to prevent terror attacks<\/p>\n
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
Who on earth doesn't know Bali? For years, it has been a paradise
\nfor international travelers.<\/p>\n
Spacious and luxurious hotels with traditional and modern
\narchitecture warmly welcome those who want to spend their
\nvacation or even live their lives on this resort island, called
\nthe St. Tropez of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Unlike hotels in Jakarta and other big cities in Indonesia,
\nmost hotels and resorts in Bali are built on hectares of land
\nwith wide entrance gates that lead to lush tropical gardens.<\/p>\n
They have open, roomy lobbies which allow in fresh air and the
\nsea breeze. Nobody will deny you from entering the lobby or just
\nsitting to watch the sea.<\/p>\n
Many people enjoy the beauty of the island, its diverse
\ncultural and natural attractions, the opulent hotels and, most
\nimportantly, the feeling of safety here. Sadly, this feeling of
\nsecurity has almost become a thing of the past.<\/p>\n
Since the bombings on Oct.12 last year, many people no longer
\nfeel safe and secure vacationing on the island.<\/p>\n
The blast at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta last month also
\naffected the tourist industry in Bali, which is now hosting
\ntrials of the accused perpetrators of the Bali bombings.<\/p>\n
According to a recent intelligent report, terrorists are now
\nlikely to focus on soft targets like hotels and entertainment
\nvenues, rather than hard targets like military facilities, police
\nstations and government offices.<\/p>\n
In order to prevent terrorist attacks, the Bali Police have
\ncalled on the tourist industry to beef up their security
\nmeasures.<\/p>\n
Bali Police chief Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika said recently
\nthat police had introduced standardized security procedures at
\nstar-rated hotels across the island.<\/p>\n
"We will evaluate and review the implementation of the
\nsecurity systems at those hotels every month," he said.<\/p>\n
The owners and operators of hotels and entertainment centers
\nhave tightened security on their properties in the face of the
\nterror threat.<\/p>\n
At least 48 heads of security and managers of four and five-
\nstar hotels in Bali took part in a security training program
\norganized by the Bali Police early this month.<\/p>\n
Bali has more than 50 four and five-star hotels with
\napproximately 12,000 rooms.<\/p>\n
"We hope all of the four and five-star hotels in Bali will
\nmeet the required security standards to ensure the safety of
\ntheir guests," said Pastika, who led the Bali bombings
\ninvestigation last year.<\/p>\n
An important issue in this new security system is the presence
\nof security guards. Pastika said the number of guards should not
\nbe less than 10 percent of the number of rooms available at each
\nhotel.<\/p>\n
For example, if a hotel has 400 rooms, it should employ 40
\nsecurity guards to secure the property and its guests.<\/p>\n
Pastika also said that hotels must posses security and safety
\nequipment such as fire extinguishers, water sprinklers and smoke
\ndetectors.<\/p>\n
Hotel managements have welcomed these safety measures.<\/p>\n
Deddy Sasmitha, marketing communications manager of the Hard
\nRock Hotel in Kuta, said the management of the hotel was doing
\neverything possible to help make Bali a safe place for visitors.<\/p>\n
"We really support the program. We have set up standard safety
\nprocedures and have already informed our guests about them,"
\nDeddy said.<\/p>\n
The Hard Rock Hotel in Kuta, he explained, has employed 55
\nsecurity guards to watch over its 418 rooms.<\/p>\n
"We will also ask for help from the pecalang traditional
\nsecurity guards and the police," he said.<\/p>\n
Pastika said this program was meant to reassure people that
\nBali was safe.<\/p>\n
Maria Maringka, public relations manager of the Sheraton
\nLaguna in Nusa Dua, said she was aware of the police program to
\nstandardize hotel security in Bali.<\/p>\n
"We have employed 27 security officers to safeguard our guests
\nand to secure the hotel's 270 rooms," she said recently.<\/p>\n
She also said the Sheraton Laguna was already equipped with
\nthe necessary security apparatus and well-trained security
\nofficers.<\/p>\n
"We hold monthly security and emergency training sessions for
\nall staff, including front office people and those who answer our
\nphones, as they would be the ones likely to receive any terrorist
\nthreats that were phoned in," Maria said.<\/p>\n
The five-star diamond hotel has also established an Emergency
\nResponse Team consisting of 10 select members. "Their main duty
\nis to ensure the safety of our guests, especially during
\nemergencies, such as the evacuation of the about 600 guests from
\nthe hotel."<\/p>\n
Maria said the hotel has allocated at least US$25,000 to
\nprocure additional safety equipment such as metal detectors and
\nsecurity cameras.<\/p>\n
Pastika reiterated his call to hotel managers to remain
\nserious in securing their properties.<\/p>\n
"If the hotel managements ignore these important security
\nmatters, they will likely stop receiving guests," Pastika said.<\/p>\n
Linda, a visitor from England, said she did not mind being
\nthoroughly checked by security guards.<\/p>\n
"I think it is a common security process, especially after
\nBali experienced the tragic bombings. And the recent Marriott
\nblast worsened the situation."<\/p>\n
David Millard, also from England, agreed that tight security
\nwas important to ensure that hotel guests felt safe.<\/p>\n
"In my opinion, guests will feel more secure if hotels apply
\ntight procedures. We really want to have a safe holiday," said
\nMillard, who was staying with his wife and two children at a
\nstar-rated hotel in Sanur.<\/p>\n
But some Indonesians have had a different response. Ony
\nSulardy, a travel agent from Jakarta, complained that visiting
\nfriends and clients at hotels in Bali was time consuming and
\ncomplicated.<\/p>\n
"Security officials checked everything from my car and my bag,
\nto my identification card," he said.<\/p>\n
Gede Wiratha, chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian
\nHotel and Restaurant Association, complained that the safety
\nprocedures were biased.<\/p>\n
"All of the security checks are mostly applied to local
\nvisitors," Gede said.<\/p>\n
He said many foreigners could pass through the security
\nchecks. "I expect security procedures to be enforced for all
\nguests, regardless of their nationality."<\/p>",
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