A service usually reserved for celebrities and international dignitaries, personal security services are a way of life for many residents and otherwise ordinary tourists visiting Mexico City and larger Latin American cities. If visiting South America, try staying at the Fasano Hotel in Sao Paulo offers in-house security services from $150-per guard, or the Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro offering car and security service from $250-per day.
Tips
Given the six-figure ransom sums demanded by kidnappers of business executives and well-known travelers (just ask Tommy Motolla and Thalia), the small price of adequate security is recommenced to anyone with an adventurous spirit unwilling to spend all their travel time in Mexico or South America’s posh-and-protected enclaves.
Last Word
Both a transportation service and security firm, customers of Alquimavi in Mexico City are greeted at the airport by an armed security detail usually including a black sedan (7-series BMW or American-brand SUV) followed by a second security car with two-to-four guards. Our pick as the best security service in Mexico, guards are often off-duty police officers who supplement their wages with private work and are well informed of local areas where caution is needed. Officers escort clients shopping, to various eateries and even to nightclubs �" where entry is virtually a cinch given the rock-star sized entourage.