Protect Duty for hotels — what operators need to know.

Does Protect Duty apply to my hotel?

Almost certainly. Hotels, conference venues, event spaces and large hospitality premises that can accommodate 200 or more people at the same time — including guests, staff, conference delegates and visitors — fall within scope of the Act.

For most hotels with function rooms, conference facilities or restaurants, the 200 threshold is easily met. Even a mid-sized hotel with 80 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and reception area will typically have capacity for well over 200 people across the building at any given time.

Which tier applies?

Standard Tier (200–799): Smaller hotels, boutique venues and restaurants. Requirements focus on procedures — evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.

Enhanced Tier (800+): Larger hotels, conference centres and event venues. Additional requirements include documented security plans, protective measures such as bag search policies or CCTV, and formal engagement with the regulator.

Hotels with multiple function rooms, large conference facilities or significant event capacity are likely to fall into the enhanced tier.

What does this mean for day-to-day operations?

Protect Duty does not require hotels to fundamentally change how they operate. It requires that you have considered the risk and put in place proportionate procedures to protect your guests and staff.

For standard tier hotels, this means:

• Documented procedures for evacuation, invacuation and lockdown
• Staff trained and aware of those procedures
• A clear communication plan for reaching guests and staff during an incident

For enhanced tier hotels, additional measures might include reviewing access control, CCTV coverage, bag search policies for events, and vehicle access to the building. The Act requires what is reasonably practicable — not every hotel needs airport-style security.

Commercial reality

Security and guest experience are not in conflict. Hotels that can demonstrate a proportionate, professional approach to security — without inconveniencing guests — will find that Protect Duty compliance enhances rather than undermines their reputation.

Corporate clients, event organisers and conference bookers are increasingly asking venues about their security provisions. Having a structured, documented position under Protect Duty is becoming a competitive advantage, not just a compliance requirement.

How Aegis helps hotels and hospitality

We work with hotel operators, hospitality groups and venue managers to assess their Protect Duty position and build security frameworks that are proportionate, practical and compatible with the guest experience.

Our Readiness Review includes a site assessment, gap analysis against the legislative requirements, a written report with executive summary, and a briefing for your management team. For multi-site operators, we offer structured rollout programmes to ensure consistency across an entire portfolio.

We are independent — we have no CCTV, access control or security products to sell. Our only interest is helping your organisation reach a defensible position.