VenueReady · Martyn's Law guides · Hotels
Martyn's Law for hotels
Hotels with a busy restaurant, bar, conference suite or function room can easily reach 200 people at once. For a standard tier hotel, it's procedures and trained staff, not new equipment.
Does Martyn's Law apply to you?
- Count the most people reasonably expected at once at your busiest: residents, diners, bar customers, conference and event guests, and staff on shift.
- Include terraces, gardens and outdoor event spaces that are part of the hotel.
- 200 to 799 people puts you in the standard tier. 800 or more is the enhanced tier, with much bigger duties.
Think of your busiest realistic time: a match day, live music, Christmas or a sunny Saturday.
Add your numbers to see whether Martyn's Law is likely to apply.
A quick guide, not legal advice. The law counts everyone reasonably expected to be there at the same time, including staff and outside areas like beer gardens.
What a standard tier venue has to do
- Tell the SIA about the premises and who's responsible for them. It's free, and you tell them again if the responsible person changes.
- Have four procedures, as far as reasonably practicable: evacuation (getting people out), invacuation (bringing people inside, away from a threat), lockdown (stopping an attacker getting in) and communication (warning people and calling for help).
- Make sure the people working there know them.
No new equipment is required for the standard tier. The duties are expected to start in spring 2027, and the regulator is the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
Who's responsible?
The responsible person is whoever controls the hotel for its use, normally the operating company. For franchised or managed hotels, check your agreements to see who that is.
Things to watch for
Shift patterns and agency staff
Night staff, agency workers and seasonal staff all need to know the plan. Sign them off on their first shift.
Conferences and functions
Event organisers don't take on the duty. Brief each event lead on exits, the meeting point and who calls 999.
Guests asleep upstairs
Think about how you'd tell residents to stay in their rooms or leave, and who checks floors.
Big public events
A public event for 800+ that checks tickets or takes payment on entry counts as enhanced tier. Check before you book one.
How VenueReady gets you ready
- Tier check using your real peak numbers, saved with the date as evidence
- Procedures with suggested answers written for hotels, which you edit to fit
- Staff sign-off by QR code or text link, including agency and night staff
- A head office dashboard for hotel groups, showing every site's readiness
See exactly what you get
A sample plan for an example venue, with all four procedures and the staff quick card.
Download sample plan (PDF)Questions
Do residents count towards the 200?
Yes. The count is everyone reasonably expected at the same time, including guests, visitors and staff.
Do we need new security equipment?
Not for the standard tier. Enhanced tier hotels (800+) have extra duties, including physical measures and a document for the SIA.
We already have fire procedures. Isn't that enough?
Fire plans help, but Martyn's Law also needs invacuation, lockdown and communication procedures, which fire plans usually don't cover.
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