Many sources of advice on hotel room security recommend using the peephole to see who is outside before opening the door. The Overseas Security Advisory Council of the U.S. Department of State has published a "Hotel Security Sample Checklist". The sample checklist is a composite of measures which many companies now prefer to be standardized in the hotels they frequent. The checklist includes the entry: Adequate room door security (peephole, privacy lock, etc.). The Overseas Security Advisory Council has also published this advice: "Do not open the door for anyone you are not expecting. If available, use the peephole. Ask any room service person to slide the receipt under your door before you open it. If someone knocks on your door claiming to be hotel staff, deliverymen, or workmen, call the desk and verify the identity of the person, and determine if the person is there for a legitimate reason." It is true that, despite ample advice to the contrary, some guests never peep before opening the door. One possible reason that guests do not use the peephole is that it uncomfortable, difficult to use and often does not provide a clear view.
The Digital Door Viewer eliminates all of the problems of a peephole and is therefore more likely to be used by the guests who may choose not to use the peephole. Following the procedure of looking before opening the guestroom door is a clear benefit to both the guest and to the hotel property. Guests, who have always been inclined to use a peephole, will certainly find the DDV to be significantly superior to the peephole providing a better view and thus better security.
The DDV can be promoted as an additional security layer even though the topic of security is a sensitive one to all hotel properties. However, as clearly demonstrated by recent attacks on major hotels in India and Pakistan, traditional security measures, even in the best hotels are not enough. Peepholes are not state-of-the-art surveillance devices. The DDV is a personal security system designed to give the guest a clear, safe method of viewing.
Guests at a hotel in India were trapped in their rooms during a terrorist attack. Their stories have been recorded in many news articles describing their experiences. Those in the guest rooms were eager to have any information about what was happening. Hearing explosions and weapons fire, and with all hotel electrical systems disabled, many used the peephole in the door in an attempt to see what was happening in the halls. The peephole played a role in the ordeal suffered by these guests by giving a small glimpse of actions in the hallways. Unfortunately the peepholes gave a limited and distorted view and the guest had to be right next to the door to use it! As one guest reported the hotel security personnel advised him to: ""On Friday afternoon, I heard someone trying a key in my door. They couldn't open the door because I had dead bolted it. When they knocked, I remembered what the security guys had said.
Tiptoe to the peephole, if you see someone suspicious, get away from the door."[9] Obviously, if weapons are being fired in the hallway the risk of being struck is greater the closer one gets to the door; using the peephole is dangerous. Another serious problem with a peephole is that someone on the outside can see into the room! At least one news story of a recent hotel attack reported that a family trapped in a room “taped the peephole so that nobody could see in.”[10] The Digital Door Viewer can be used from arms length without standing directly in front of the door. It is impossible to see into the room with a DDV. The Digital Door Viewer can provide people in hotel rooms with a better, safer view of the activities and conditions outside. The ability to have a clear, safe look outside your door may be a small matter in normal circumstances. In an emergency or crisis a more secure way of seeing better is a priceless benefit.
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