The Marriot Hotel truck bomb attack on Saturday is a stark reminder of how vulnerable – and attractive - hotels are to terrorists. As devastating as the attack was, the death toll would have been significantly higher had the hotel not have had a secured perimeter, which created stand-off between the weapon and the target. It is a fact that each time the distance between a bomb and its target can be doubled, the blast pressure is reduced by a factor of eight – and it is blast pressure which causes catastrophic building collapse, such as was seen in Oklahoma in 1995. And suicide bombers know that they can guarantee catastrophic collapse if they can smash their vehicle into the lobby before detonating it.
There have been many hotel vehicle bomb attacks in the past, and there will continue to be hotel vehicle bomb attacks in the future; between 2001 – 2005 there were typically 3 major attacks each year. Organisations placing staff in prominent hotels in known risk areas should pay attention to how they well they are secured. (ARC will be happy to discuss with you which countries are assessed as having a higher risk of hotel bomb attack). Are there “stand-off” vehicle and driver checks? Are vehicles being searched correctly? For example, in the majority of car bomb attacks, the explosive charge is in the boot. Are there factors that make a particular hotel a target?
There is also a need for guests to be advised on how to practice safe behaviour in hotels. This means not sitting close to windows or other glazing components (in guest rooms or public areas) and reducing the time spent in restaurants and lobby bars if they are at the front of the hotel, and especially if they are glazed. Guests should also familiarise themselves with the hotel layout on arrival, especially escape routes, which may be plunged into darkness in the event of an attack. The lobby is perhaps the area of greatest risk, especially at predictably busy times, so if waiting for transport, for example, it is safer to wait in the guest room and wait for the driver to call on arrival. (The lobby and “public” areas are not only vulnerable to vehicle bombs, but also hand-placed bombs, such as suitcases, and walk-in suicide bombers).
For those planning conferences at hotels, consideration should be given to properties which have basement conference rooms, especially if they are at the back of the hotel (the front of the hotel is usually considered to be the “threat” side).
