Hotel Security Experts Warn About Learning the Wrong Lessons in Wake of Las Vegas Shooting

Mac Segal is head of hotel security consulting for the global security firm AS Solution. He says that metal detectors, luggage searches and armed guards are already standard at Western-style five-star hotels across Africa and the Middle East. That's because upscale hotels have proven to be attractive targets for terrorists.

"In the last three years, over 300 people have been killed or injured in terror-related attacks on hotels in Africa," says Segal, citing deadly incidents in Mali, Egypt, Burkina Faso and Libya.

But in the United States, terror threats and active shooter situations hadn't even made it onto the radar for most hotels. Until now.

"In the U.S., hotel security has ended with petty theft, potential sexual harassment and drunk guys in the bar," says Segal.

Perhaps one of the reasons that Stephen Paddock could carry so many weapons up to his luxury suite in the Mandalay Bay is that most hotel security in the U.S. is focused on protecting the guests, not profiling them as potential threats.

"In hotel security, they're looking at two things," says Bill Nesbitt, a security consultant and expert witness with Security Management Services International. "They want to protect the guests against outside incursions. They also want to protect the guests against any dishonest employees."

When Paddock opened fire through two broken hotel windows at 20,000 concertgoers attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival, he became the first lone gunman in U.S. history to use a hotel as a staging ground for an attack. It's unclear at this point whether Mandalay Bay could have done anything to predict or prevent the shooting, given that Paddock's profile and behavior didn't follow the typical pattern for a mass shooter.

Another important fact, says Segal, is that the target of Paddock's attack wasn't the hotel.

"I don't think the conversation right now should just be about hotel security," Segal says. "The Mandalay Bay was not attacked. The hotel was not attacked in any shape or form. No guest was injured or threatened. The only person injured [in the hotel] was that incredibly brave security officer."

While the Las Vegas shooting should absolutely be a wake-up call for hotels, Segal says he thinks that bigger questions need to be asked about event security and particularly event evacuation plans. Hundreds of people were injured trying to flee the outdoor music festival, with some scrambling over barbed-wire fences and others trampled in a panicked rush for the exits. Segal believes that venues need to design exits and evacuation plans specifically for active shooter situations, not just fires.

Still, says Nesbitt, hotels need to be on guard against copycats who are inspired by Paddock's rampage – just as there have been many copycat killings after Columbine.

Yet, Segal says that hotels can tighten security against future terrorist or lone gun attackers without turning hotel lobbies into military checkpoints.

"Increased security doesn't mean that we have to inconvenience the guests, make the guests feel intimidated, make the kids feel scared or make the hotel look like a prison," says Segal. "On the contrary, you can do this in an intelligent, aesthetic manner that still allows for a positive guest experience and still keeps people safe."

While some hotels may install more cameras and metal detectors, the best protection against future attacks, says Segal, is a well-trained hotel staff. Every hotel employee, from housekeeping to blackjack dealers, needs to be trained in how to recognize "suspicious indicators" of an imminent attack.

"You see nervousness, aggression, tunnel vision, repeated body movements, avoidance of eye contact," says Segal. "Maybe the guy pays for the room in cash, doesn't want to give ID."

Again, whether that type of training would have prevented the gunman's attack is unclear, since all accounts describe Paddock as cool, calm and drawing no attention or suspicion before the attack.

Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts, told Fox News that his Las Vegas hotels implemented heightened security protocols in 2015 after identifying The Strip as a soft target for terrorists. Those protocols included a "no gun" policy for all guests and security training for all hotel staff members. In addition, all entrances and exits are monitored with cameras and hidden metal detectors to alert security personnel to suspicious individuals.

While Wynn refused to say whether his hotels' security measures could have prevented an attack like Paddock's, he did point to the fact that Paddock had holed up in his room for 36 hours, which should have been a red flag.

"We also have rules about 'do not disturb,'" Wynn told Fox News. "If a room goes on 'do not disturb' for more than 12 hours, we investigate."