12.

REQUISITION – EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION

NOTICE
This guidance is an aid to managing sensitive situations.
Its recommendations may be followed simultaneously, or in a different order, as the situation requires.
Swift action is essential: the first hour is crucial.
The top priority is to take effective action.
Managing sensitive situations is a team effort involving all levels of the organisation.

Definition: This guidance refers to accommodation provided under special circumstances

(requisition, emergency accommodation, etc.) or for the victims of a disaster
(natural disaster, industrial accident, air crash, etc.) or for people repatriated from
a conflict zone, and their families.

Such circumstances tend to feature:

 Difficulties on a humanitarian level, which hotel staff may face without always having been
prepared for them.
 A media presence.

>> First of all

 Assess the impact of the request: general context, number of rooms to be provided, impact on the
hotel’s business, media risk, need for extra resources (from head office or other hotels).
 Designate the Crisis Committee, convene a meeting with the members to coordinate the next steps
to take.
 Designate a member of staff to greet and guide the emergency services and authorities.
 Inform hotel staff.
 Keep to the facts to prevent rumours.
 Remind them to make no comment if asked questions by the media or other customers.

Report to immediate line manager or crisis coordinator

 Contact the country/region management (immediate line manager) or the crisis coordinator at the
country/region head office, as soon as possible.
If they cannot be reached, contact the Worldwide Crisis Committee on +33 609 100 200 (24/7) for country
or worldwide crisis situations.
Assess the situation with the person contacted:
o What is the reason behind the requisition?
o How many rooms have been requisitioned?
o What is the impact on the hotel’s business and on other customers or employees?
o Do the hotel customers include any celebrities?1
o Is there media coverage or a media presence?
 Send the Report on initial information.
Template downloadable from AccorLive/Safety and Security Department.
Recipients: immediate line manager and country/region crisis coordinator.
Copy: Worldwide Crisis Committee (alert.hotline@accor.com) if necessary.

1
The involvement of a celebrity does not change the assistance provided by AccorHotels, but it might have an effect on how
information and communication are handled.

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 Requisition – Emergency accommodation

Dealing with media pressure

 Contact the country/region Communications Department and follow their instructions.
 Pending specific instructions:
 Avoid making any comment. The following response can be used to deal with inquiries:
“Our priority is to provide accommodation for the repatriated people/victims/families in the
best conditions possible. We will update you as soon as possible.”
Even if the media make repeated inquiries, it is advisable not to agree to any interviews and repeat the
“holding message” until instructions are received from the Communication Department.
 Remind staff of this directive.
 Provide a suitable, separate holding area for the media.
 Check call handling at the switchboard/reception (call forwarding or collecting of contact details).

Managing the situation

 Open the log book at the earliest possible opportunity.
Template downloadable from AccorLive/Safety and Security Department/Crisis Management/Hotels.
Record events, decisions taken, steps taken and names of the persons involved, in detail and with exact
timing, as and when they occur.
Always record the identity of persons involved in on-site operations (excluding the emergency services).

>> While accommodation is being provided

Dealing with media pressure
 Contact the country/region Communications Department regularly and follow their instructions.

Managing the situation

 Open the log book at the earliest possible opportunity.
Template downloadable from AccorLive/Safety and Security Department/Crisis Management/Hotels.
Record events, decisions taken, steps taken and names of the persons involved, in detail and with exact
timing, as and when they occur.
Always record the identity of persons involved in on-site operations (excluding the emergency services).

>> Monitoring the situation

Keep an audit trail of events, decisions and actions
 Continue to update the log book, and keep it and all documents related to managing the event
secure.
(In case of any legal proceedings.)
 Keep customers and staff regularly informed of the facts as known.

Assist hotel customers and staff

 Offer counselling to staff and customers who might need it.
Remember to retain documents providing evidence of assistance offered.

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