EXECUTIVE TRAVEL : Personal View

Name: Julie Thompson

Position: vice president of training

Company: California Pizza Kitchen, Los Angeles

Thompson enjoys the amenities and services a big hotel offers. But after a disturbing incident on a business trip a few years ago, she also appreciates hotel security as well.

“A gentleman followed me in the elevator. I got off on my floor thinking I was alone. When I got into the hotel room, I heard a soft knock on the door. I looked out the peephole and saw the man who rode up the elevator with me. I called security. They responded pretty quickly,” but the man had already fled.

Hotels might want to consider hiring uniformed guards to make guests feel safer, says Thompson. But, she adds, even the presence and visibility of well-trained hotel employees eases concerns about safety. At a recent stay at the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, Thompson said, she had no worries after the staff went out of its way to make her feel at home.

“They welcomed and recognized me. They knew me by name. I felt very safe there.”

Do you have advice for fellow business travelers or a travel-related experience you would like to share? Please mail your typewritten contribution to Executive Travel, Los Angeles Times--Business News, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053. Or fax it to (213) 237-7837. Or send it electronically to [email protected] on the Internet. Please be as detailed as possible and include your name, title, company and a daytime phone.