What's coming

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly called Martyn's Law, introduces duties for certain publicly accessible premises and events. Hotels and holiday parks are not automatically in or out: the answer depends on how the premises are used and how many people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time.

The Act received Royal Assent in April 2025 and was followed by an implementation period. Before publishing or relying on this article, check the current commencement position and the latest statutory guidance. The thresholds themselves are set in the legislation.

Which hotels and holiday parks fall within scope?

Qualifying premises where 200 to 799 people may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time fall within the standard tier. Premises expecting 800 or more fall within the enhanced tier. The calculation is not simply the number of bedrooms, pitches or seats in one function room. It must follow the statutory method and consider the premises, staff, guests and other people reasonably expected to be there.

A small guesthouse is therefore likely to sit outside the mandatory regime, while a large hotel, clubhouse, entertainment venue or busy park complex may fall within it. Events can also be covered, but the event rules and thresholds must be considered separately. Do not assume that an event is in scope solely because it takes place outdoors or attracts a large audience.

What standard-tier premises need to prepare for

Standard-tier duties focus on practical public-protection procedures. These include deciding how people would be evacuated, moved to a safer place inside, kept out of an unsafe area or given clear information during an attack. The responsible person must notify the Security Industry Authority when required and ensure that relevant staff understand the procedures they may need to follow.

For a hotel or holiday park, this means thinking beyond the daytime management team. The procedure must work during a wedding, on a full changeover day and overnight when fewer staff are present. It also needs to account for contractors, seasonal workers and guests who will not know the site.

Enhanced-tier premises have additional duties

Enhanced-tier premises and qualifying events have further requirements. These include taking reasonably practicable measures to reduce vulnerability and the risk of physical harm, documenting the assessment and public-protection measures, and meeting additional notification and governance requirements. Larger operators should use the statutory guidance and obtain specialist protective-security advice where necessary.

What operators can do now

• Work out which premises or events may qualify and document the capacity assumptions used.
• Compare existing evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication arrangements with the statutory procedures.
• Decide who takes control on each shift, including overnight and during large functions or events.
• Brief and train the staff who may need to carry out the procedures, then test whether the arrangements work in practice.
• Check how the plan covers disabled people, children, contractors and guests unfamiliar with the premises.
• Record what has been decided, keep it under review and follow the latest Home Office and SIA guidance.

Where TSP Safety fits

Martyn's Law is not the same as a fire assessment, but many of the operational questions overlap with emergency planning: who takes control, how information is communicated and whether arrangements still work with reduced staffing. TSP Safety can help hotels and holiday parks align these operational procedures with their wider emergency plans and identify where specialist protective-security advice is needed.