Caesars to check ‘Do Not Disturb’ rooms every day

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — One of the world’s largest casino companies will check its guests’ hotel rooms every 24 hours, even if they have a “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging on the doorknob.

Caesars Entertainment told the Associated Press Friday it is also considering giving panic buttons to its employees to enable them to quickly summon help if they are in danger or feel threatened. The company will implement the new policy soon at all its properties worldwide, it said.

The company, which owns 47 casinos in five countries, becomes the latest hospitality firm to adopt new room-check policies after a gunman broke windows in his Las Vegas hotel room and rained bullets down on an outdoor concert in October, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds before killing himself.

“In light of recent tragic events and to further strengthen security, we intend to check rooms with ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs on the door every 24 hours,” spokeswoman Noel Stevenson said.

The room checks will be conducted by security guards. The company had proposed having housekeepers do the checks, but changed its mind after opposition from a casino workers’ union.

Caesars joins other gambling and hospitality companies that have adopted policies requiring guest rooms to be checked periodically, even if a “Do Not Disturb” sign is in use, including Disney, Hilton, MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts and Boyd Gaming. Frequency of checks ranges from 12 hours to two days.

MGM, which owns the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas where the mass shooting took place, says it requires a room check after two days if a guest has not interacted in person or over the phone with housekeeping or other hotel staff. The company says it also “reserves the right to enter the room if it is deemed appropriate to conduct a welfare check.”

Local 54 of the Unite-HERE union had planned a news conference Friday morning to oppose the proposed use of housekeepers to carry out the room checks, but called it off after the company told them it was changing the proposal.

The union was concerned not only about the Las Vegas shootings, but assaults and injuries among Atlantic City casino workers, including a hotel worker at Bally’s who was pushed into a room and sexually assaulted, and a fire at the Tropicana that started when a guest set up a methamphetamine lab in the room. A hotel worker who entered the room had to be hospitalized.