If you manage a UK hotel, understanding Martyn's Law isn't optional anymore; it's essential for compliance, guest safety, and avoiding hefty penalties.
Since receiving Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as Martyn's Law, establishes comprehensive security requirements for UK venues. Hotels must implement protective measures against potential terrorist threats, with enforcement expected in April 2027 or later.
This guide breaks down which hotels are affected, what's required at each tier, and how to prepare before the deadline.
Named in tribute to Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, Martyn's Law (also known as Protect Duty) establishes legal obligations for venues and events to prepare for and respond to terrorist incidents. The legislation was championed by Figen Murray, Martyn's mother, whose tireless campaigning brought attention to security gaps in public venues.
The Act addresses a critical need: while terrorism remains a substantial threat in the UK according to government assessments, many venues lack structured emergency procedures.
Martyn's Law creates consistent security standards across more than 250,000 premises nationwide, including hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, shopping centres, and sports grounds.
Hotels present unique security considerations that make them specifically relevant to this legislation:
The legislation recognizes these complexities and applies a proportionate, tiered approach based on venue size rather than imposing one-size-fits-all requirements.
More importantly, hotel management now bears a legal duty of care - failure to comply can lead to enforcement actions and substantial financial penalties.
Your hotel falls under Martyn's Law if it meets three criteria:
Count everyone who could be present at once:
Most UK hotels comfortably exceed 200 people when combining guest rooms, public areas, restaurants, and staff. Even boutique hotels with 40-50 rooms typically reach this threshold during peak times.
If your hotel ever meets the 200-person threshold, even occasionally during peak season or special events, you're in scope.
Martyn's Law uses a tiered approach to ensure requirements are proportionate to the potential impact of an incident.
Most UK hotels fall into this category. Requirements focus on procedures, training, and preparedness:
Registration and Responsibility
Public Protection Procedures
Staff Training and Awareness
Emergency Planning
Documentation
What Standard Tier Does NOT Require:
The government has been clear: Standard Tier compliance should be achievable without specialist products or services.
Larger hotels—particularly those with significant conference facilities, ballrooms, or multiple restaurants—may fall into the Enhanced Tier. This includes all Standard Tier requirements plus:
Physical Protection Measures
Formal Risk Assessment
Senior Oversight
SIA Documentation Submission
If your hotel hosts events (weddings, conferences, exhibitions) with 800+ attendees, those events trigger Enhanced Tier requirements—even if your standard operations fall under Standard Tier. Event organizers and hotel management must coordinate to ensure compliance based on who has control of the premises during the event.
For most Standard Tier hotels, compliance centers on procedures and training—not expensive equipment or consultants. The government designed requirements so businesses can comply without specialist services.
Fire procedures focus on evacuating the building. Martyn's Law requires procedures for hostile threats where evacuation might not be safe, and where lockdown or barricading might be appropriate.
Any hotel expecting 200+ people at once falls under the Standard Tier—a 40-room hotel with a restaurant, bar, and staff easily reaches this threshold.
The legislation establishes baseline preparedness requirements based on capacity, regardless of perceived risk or whether a venue is considered a "target."
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will regulate compliance through a supportive but firm approach:
Initial Approach:
Enforcement Actions:
The substantial penalties for Enhanced Tier reflect the greater potential impact of security failures at larger venues.
Although the Act received Royal Assent in April 2025, enforcement begins in April 2027 or later—giving hotels a 24-month implementation period.
What hotels should do now:
Security experts emphasize that hotels shouldn't "wait and see." Early preparation ensures smoother compliance and enhances guest and staff safety immediately—regardless of legislative requirements.
Understanding what's required is one thing. The real challenge? Maintaining procedures, tracking training renewals, logging incidents, and keeping everything audit-ready—while running daily hotel operations.
Most hotels discover this complexity during implementation, not during research:
This is where many hotels struggle—not with understanding the requirements, but with operationalizing compliance alongside everything else their teams manage daily.
Managing Martyn's Law requirements alongside your daily hotel operations doesn't have to mean juggling multiple systems and spreadsheets. From documenting Public Protection Procedures to tracking staff training completion and maintaining audit-ready records, having everything centralized makes compliance straightforward.
Snapfix helps UK hotels manage Martyn's Law compliance seamlessly:
Book a quick demo and see how Snapfix helps UK hotels document procedures, schedule inspections, and maintain compliance records in one mobile platform.
Martyn's Law, officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, is UK legislation requiring public venues to prepare for and protect against terrorist threats. Named after Martyn Hett, a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, the law establishes security requirements for premises with a capacity of 200 or more people, including hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. It takes effect in April 2027.
Standard duty applies to venues with a capacity of 200-799 people. It requires venues to register with the Security Industry Authority (SIA), designate a Responsible Person, create documented Public Protection Procedures for terrorist incidents, train all staff on counter-terrorism awareness, and develop evacuation and lockdown plans. The focus is on procedures and preparedness rather than expensive physical security measures.
Hotels expecting 200+ people at once must comply with Martyn's Law. Most hotels fall under Standard Tier (200-799 capacity) and must register with the SIA, create emergency procedures, train staff, and maintain documentation. Larger hotels with 800+ capacity face Enhanced Tier requirements, including physical security measures, formal risk assessments, and senior-level oversight.
Martyn Hett was one of 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack on 22 May 2017. The attack occurred at the end of an Ariana Grande concert. Martyn's mother, Figen Murray, campaigned tirelessly for improved security measures at public venues, leading to the creation of Martyn's Law. The legislation honors his memory by helping protect others from similar tragedies.