Hotel Security in India
 

What kind of security is there at big hotels in Delhi?

I can understand your worry since this issue has been in the paper recently. I too, was wondering how you can tell what security each hotel offers. I did a search on hotel security for hotels in Delhi and a security company for the Imperial New Delhi came up. It looked pretty legit. The paper said another option was to stay at the smaller hotels, but I think if it is your time to go, fate will find you. I'm going to worry more about food poisoning. Good luck and lets hope for a safe trip for all.

Thanks Lisa. I do agree with you about fate but it is still stressful to be staying in a blatantly insecure hotel and know that "soft" targets are now the target of choice.

I travel to India frequently. In my most recent trips, security has included inspection of the underneath of all cars (for bombs), and x-ray machines for guests entering the hotel. The latter has been place in major hotels in major cities like Delhi for some years (and at potential targets like the Taj Mahal), the former is instituted from time to time when there is a high alert, like now as the anniversary of the Mumbai bombings are coming up. Virtually all hotels other than small B&B types places have ground security staff who patrol grounds and hallways. More modern hotels have security cameras in lifts, entranceways and loading docks.

I found security measures to be in place even in hotels in smaller/secondary cities like Udaipur, and you may find this to be the case as well.

It is unclear to me if baggage is inspected, I know this is the case at the JW Marriott Mumbai as it is done in front of you. I imagine this is also the case at the Taj and Oberoi in Mumbai, but I can’t say that it is done at other hotels in other cities.

I would not have any concerns. I don’t even think about it to be honest. But I would not say that a smaller non-chain hotel is any safer, as the above measures are unlikely to be in place. I don’t think they are less safe either, as they probably don’t view themselves as a target; but if <i>security</i> is a concern, than a larger chain hotel would offer more. If being a <i>target</i> is a concern, that may be hard to judge. Terrorists may at this point be looking for the least likely target. Also bear in mind that India's most devasting attacks have been in public places like trains, movie theatres, the Parliment buildings in Delhi, the Gateway of India in Mumbai, etc. The attack on the Taj and Oberoi was quite unusual, and IMO was aimed more at these two hotels as icons of India, and not at foreign tourists.

I stayed at the Taj in Mumbai and the Taj in Delhi this past January. Security was very very tight, our suitcase went through a scanner on our first entry. Subsequently every time we entered the hotel all our bag were put through the scanner. All individuals entering the hotel must also pass through a scanner, similar to the one at the airport.

Oberoi in Delhi had airport-type bag scanners, guards inspecting cars. Other Oberoi hotels had guards and inspections, plus long driveways. Shangri-la Delhi had guards and inspections, Imperial has guards, and inspections.

Like Cicerone, I feel it's a toss up whether its better to be in a no-name hotel that terrorists won't even know about, or in a big hotel with good security.

I figure the flight to India and the drive to the hotel pose a lot more risk than terrorists, anyway!!