Casa Grande Hotels Association in Bali urges Tightened Security

While protecting against terrorist acts can never be 100% effective, precautions at the very minimum should be in place to ensure that any potential target is as hard as possible to attain. The JW Marriott in Jakarta was, we have learned on one of the highest levels of security alert of any Marriott property, and a whole range of heightened security measures had been implemented.

Earlier today in Bali the Casa Grande Hotels Association repeated its basic recommendations to member hotels to raise their security levels following the car bomb at the entrance of JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta.

Many Bali hotels have adopted basic guidelines issued following the October 2002 Bali bombing and have continued to do so to date. These basic guidelines include, but are not limited to the following actions:

- To hold regular briefings with senior management, security and rank and file staff to raise awareness of potential terrorism threats

- To increase strength of security throughout the hotel, with assistance from additional staff and, where possible, police

- To operate security checks at the entry to all premises with a boom gate or barrier and to follow the following minimum security inspection requirements

- All vehicles to be stopped and registrations to be recorded and logged

- All vehicle occupants to be questioned as to what is their business

- All vehicles to be checked thoroughly including interior and trunk for anything suspicious (use of mirrors and metal detection)

- No cars allowed to "loiter" within close proximity to buildings, particularly pick-up drivers and taxis

"Casa Grande offers its condolences to industry colleagues at the JW Marriott Jakarta and all those affected by the blast," said the association's chairman Robert Kelsall. "Casa Grande hopes that rechecking preventative security measures will reduce potential threat to life and property in Bali."

Casa Grande is a professional association of star-rated hotels and resorts in Bali. Members include general managers from nearly 50 hotels and resorts.