BCV disappointment in room and smoking room

[ncligs]

Originally posted by dvcreg

Someone clearly had smoked in our non-smoking room.
Once smoke is in the curtains/fabric, it stays there.

Most of these problems would be alleviated if smokers knew it would cost them $100-$200 on there credit card for smoking in a non-smoking room.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

P.S. Glad to hear of your trying to quit.

Thank you.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Aren't requests just that, requests and not guarantees????

 

[dcfromva]

CaptainMidnight,

Additional reservations for non-smoking rooms shouldn't have been made if there were not non-smoking rooms available. Smoking status of a room is a critical issue.

I think that is a very good point. There are a lot of major chains that will tell whether a non-smoking room is available when you make your reservation. Some will also guarantee that a non-smoking room. Then, I can make a decision as to whether or not I will stay there. I have changed where I am staying based on this.

-DC

 

[dcfromva]

GAIL,
Good luck to you. I wish you every success in quitting. I feel if anyone can meet this challenge, it is you.

-DC

 

[DeeP]

Gail,
I agree 100% with your post. I seriously doubt WDW will ever make any of their resorts totally smoke free, DVC resorts included. There are way too many guests that come to WDW espceially from the European and Asian countries that smoke for this to ever happen. WDW has not even managed to keep smoking in the parks limited to the smoking areas, let alone being able keeping entire resorts non smoking. If they did make all resorts smoke free it would most likely cause more problems because some people will just smoke in the rooms anyway and for those that do go outside to smoke then you will have guests complaining they can't enjoy their balconies because their neighbor is outside smoking, yada, yada.
It is unfortunate that the OP got a smoking room when requesting a non smoking room and considering the small minority of smoking rooms he really had bad luck at that draw. But he did make the request late. And it is a request not a guarantee. I would rather be in any smoking room in WDW on vacation and not going to work then home. For goodness sake you are in WDW world!!! I am not trying to make light of the OP problem but honestly I think this whole smoking thing sometimes gets carried away. I have never smelled smoke in WDW resorts in either a smoking or nonsmoking room. All of our rooms have been clean and fresh. I often wonder what those that are so sensitive to smoke do when they travel to other places besides WDW where the resorts are not as thorough and meticulous with cleaning, sanatizing, etc as WDW resorts are.

 

[ILuvDVC]

Another example of why all WDW(or at least DVC ) resorts may be "Non-Smoking "in the future.

LOL, what do we do with all of our smoking members? Just tell them they cannot smoke in their home away from home!

I'm not a smoker! I don't care for it, but.... I'm not going to dictate to others they cannot smoke!

I've stayed in a smoking Grand Villa in WDW, because I wanted that location (over looking the Miller Pond Pool!)....I couldn't tell that anyone smoked in that unit! Granted, there are some rooms that I could tell right away, but I've gotten a room that bad.

I think I'd rather get a smoking room than an Handicap room.

But, instead of getting rid of the smoking rooms, wouldn't it make more sense to change the booking system? I mean, if you know that everyone was of the non-smoking rooms were taken, then you could have the option, while booking, to change your resort and/or vacation times. I wish they could do that with the preferred views at the BoardWalk also.....if it's a BW view, it's a different code, if it's a Pool view that is a different code, then you know ahead of time, if you are going to get what you want, when you are spending your high points for a BW View.

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by dcfromva
There are a lot of major chains that will tell whether a non-smoking room is available when you make your reservation. Some will also guarantee that a non-smoking room. Then, I can make a decision as to whether or not I will stay there. I have changed where I am staying based on this.

At a conventional hotel, it's relatively easy for them to reserve rooms against a smoking inventory and a non-smoking inventory. And if I can't get a guaranteed non-smoking reservation at a Marriott, I'll try the Hilton or Wyndham across the street instead.

This becomes far more difficult when you're dealing with DVC timeshare reservations for several reasons.

Non-smoking DVC members aren't going to want to hear that they can't have a guaranteed non-smoking reservation if DVC were to offer such reservations. And smoking DVC members aren't going to want to hear that they can't have a guaranteed smoking reservation. DVC members can't use their points to stay at a Hilton or Wyndham across the street instead -- nor would they want to.

DVC "solves" this by treating smoking and non-smoking as preferences, not as guarantees -- and by making the vast majority of the rooms non-smoking. This, in turn, leads to situations where smokers wind up in non-smoking rooms. I imagine that most smokers respect a room's non-smoking status (even though they would prefer to be able to smoke in the room), but some will smoke inside anyway. So non-smokers wind up in rooms that smell of stale smoke, because the previous guest didn't respect a room's non-smoking status. And there are cases when a non-smoker is assigned to a smoking room.

I don't think there's an easy answer.

This situation is made more difficult because the DVC resorts operate near 100% occupancy. For example, OKW is 98% owned by DVC members, and those members expect to be able to use their points; the points correlate directly to the capacity of the resort. (Of course, there are nights with lower occupancy -- but that means that CRO was unable to sell nights that thay received when DVC members used points for Disney Collection or Concierge Collection, or it means that DVC members let some of their points expire.) 100% occupancy is not unusual.

 

[Dancind]

We were given a smoking 1 BR when checking into BWV for a week last May 4. I remember this clearly, it was my birthday! We turned around and went right back to the desk. Our reservations always state "non-smoking for medical reasons". We checked in about 5 pm, so they obviously didn't set aside a room for us. We wound up staying in a studio that night, and moving into a NS 1 Br the next day. Not fun, ruined some of our groceries. That was our only stay at BWV, this has NEVER happened anywhere else. I have chemical allergies, and cigarette smoke is the worst. Instant headache, then my throat starts to close up. Gail, fragrances are my next big problem after smoking. If you are reacting that way to fragrances, you need to stop smoking ASAP, you have chemical allergies too. (Sorry about the soap box, I'll get off now). Anyway, no more late check-ins for us. If we can't get there by noon, we will stay somewhere else for the night and check in the next day. The fact that DVC considers non-smoking a "preference, not a guarantee", is a sore spot with me. You can make a reservation at almost any other hotel/resort, and have a guarantee! Diana

 

[wilderness01]

You can not breath with scented perfume than think how it is for an asthmatic who always has a hard time breathing to have to breath second hand smoke? There should only be 1 floor to let the smokers do what they want. But when the smoking rooms butt up to the hall of the non smoking rooms (as is with VWL) than that becomes a problem. The hall stinks when you walk through it, then your clothes stink, then you go into your unit and it starts to stink.....Get the picture? I agree people's rights should not be violated but that goes for EVERYONE'S rights, including non-smoker's who do not choose to breath in second hand smoke. Just my opinion.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Is that the Debate Board I hear knocking at the door????

 

[DeeP]

The fact that DVC considers non-smoking a "preference, not a guarantee", is a sore spot with me. You can make a reservation at almost any other hotel/resort, and have a guarantee!

And you have just as good of a chance of getting to the resort and there either not being a designated smoking room available, or being given a room that is non smoking but the previous guest in the room, who had been guaranteed a smoking room, was given permission to smoke in it, etc., etc. Disney most probably was at one time sued over this issue and now will no longer commit themselves to a guaranteed non smoking room. The fact that many other resorts do so does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that you might not be able to get a nonsmoking room or might get non smoking room that someone has smoked in.
I live right outside of Atlantic City, NJ where we have many very nice casino resorts that have some very lovely rooms and suites and if you think there is any room/suite in these resorts, no matter how it is tagged, that is a true non smoking room, think again!
Disney is just a whole lot more honest than most resorts. And they are a million times more accomendating to their guests in trying to assign rooms according to requests, refreshing/sanatizing a smoking room for a non smoking guest, moving guest rooms to accomendate for requests, etc.

 

[WDWguruDH]

Actually, most other hotel chains do NOT treat non-smoking vs smoking as a guarantee. I travel a lot for business and put in about a 150 hotel nights a year. Currently my non-smoking "guarantee" has a honored rate of about 80%(my DVC honored rate has been 100% thus far - Lucky I know, in the next 40 years, I am sure it will fail).
I do agree that others appear to manage it better than DVC, I don't know what DVC could do better. Maybe it is easier for the other chains because they are really only managing two items, smoking and bed size, as options vs dozens of requests for DVC.
I do agree that getting a smoking room as a non-smoker can be miserable and actually impact the vacation in a negative way, but I don't think DVC is doing any worse than others. I have created a poll to see how DVC is really doing on this issue:

Smoking request honored poll

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Gail, fragrances are my next big problem after smoking. If you are reacting that way to fragrances, you need to stop smoking ASAP, you have chemical allergies too. (Sorry about the soap box, I'll

LOL, I have been smoking for a very very very long time and have never had a problem with it, but, since the "new" fragrances have come out IE: Georgio, Red, etc. I have discovered allergies I never knew I had. As to stopping, as I stated, it is my goal to stop after the holiday season.

 

[dcfromva]

Werner Weiss,

DVC "solves" this by treating smoking and non-smoking as preferences, not as guarantees -- and by making the vast majority of the rooms non-smoking. This, in turn, leads to situations where smokers wind up in non-smoking rooms.

It seems to me the outcome is the same--except you can better plan for it. If there are no more non-smoking rooms available, someone is going to get stuck with a smoking room. Wouldn't you rather know about it ahead of time? If having a smoking room doesn't matter to the person, then it would be no big deal.

If I knew only smoking rooms were left, I would adjust my vacation plans accordingly.

Perhaps it is more complicated than the DVC computer system can keep up with, but it is sure something that I would appreciate.

-DC

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

You can not breath with scented perfume than think how it is for an asthmatic who always has a hard time breathing to have to breath second hand smoke?

I think I have already stated that I understand the problem.
Also, I was married to a severe asthmatic. Certain cigs. really bothered him, others had no effect. I know it sounds weird, but, it was the way it was with him.

I only stay at OKW, (hotel type timeshares don't trip my trigger), so I will reserve comment on that.

Before you purchased DVC did you not think that people smoked in the resorts? It is a little late now to be moaning about smoke.

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by wilderness01
But when the smoking rooms butt up to the hall of the non smoking rooms (as is with VWL) than that becomes a problem. The hall stinks when you walk through it, then your clothes stink, then you go into your unit and it starts to stink.....Get the picture? I agree people's rights should not be violated but that goes for EVERYONE'S rights, including non-smoker's who do not choose to breath in second hand smoke.

Very well said. The states of Calif,N.Y. and now Florida have completely banned smoking in work enviroments,restraunts,etc.
And those states have produced results that restraunts business have even "increased" because of the smoking bans.
I know we are talking about resorts(DVC) here,but are WDW(housekeeping,maintenence,etc)workers not considered employees?Should they have to work in "smoking enviroment"??
Bottom line is it will happen(non-smoking resorts) ,they said it would never happen in bars and restraunts(Calif,N.Y.Fl) and it DID.
Also check your contract with DVC, there is nothing written in the "CONTRACT" that you signed, about smoking. Which means DVD and DVC can do whatever they like.
If and when DVC goes non-smoking,if a member decides to sell because of non-smoking, there will be numerous people waiting to buy the re-sales.But I doubt that any smoker would sell, if all he or she has to do is walk outside and light up.

 

[Dean]

I have no problem with someone smoking in a smoking room. I can also see how one would be upset to find smoking is no longer allowed at DVC. It is DVC’s responsibility to try to match the number of smoking and nonsmoking requests over time. If there is an ongoing discrepancy of one requests compared to rooms designated, they will need to change the relative number of each, potentially either way. They just did that at HH where the made all GV unit non smoking because they only had ONE request for the year. While the “treatments” they do really help, it takes a while to get all the irritants out including changing out the bedding, curtains and steam cleaning the carpet and upholstered items. I don’t see DVC going all nonsmoking unless that is the breakdown of requests. What I can see is less and less smoking rooms and then for some weeks there will be more requests than smoking rooms available. What won’t hold water is a legal argument that it was smoking when someone bought and that means that DVC can’t change it as there is no legal mention of the smoking arrangements in the POS. What one asked the guide and what he/she answered is irrelevant.

I would have great issues with one smoking in a nonsmoking room and could easily support a fine with strict enforcement because one would be hurting many other people by doing so.

 

[WDWguru]

Utah also as a "clean air act" that has been in place for several years. Unless you're in a bar, food establishments don't even HAVE a smoking section. Smokers can do so outside a public building or workplace, but must stay at least 25 feet from any entrance, to prevent clouds of smoke to pass through when entering/exiting. We really notice a difference when visiting other places that don't have it - Vegas and especially Europe are awful! I was glad to see Florida pass their resolution on it when we were there over election day.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

This, in turn, leads to situations where smokers wind up in non-smoking rooms.

But, whe smoking preference for reservations is know ahead of time, and DVC clearly understands how many reqests thay have for non-smoking versus smoking, then they should be able to communicate that to member, especially when health issues may inhibit a non-smoker from staying in a smoking room.

This isn't the same as room preferences for overlooking Epcot with the Illuminations view, this is a health issue that can keep some individuals from being able to stay in the room. If that means a smoking room stays empty to make sure an excessiver number of non-smoking reservations are not made that exceed non-smoking inventory, then so be it. Computers can easily track this. The situation the original poster described is unacceptable in my view.

I'm not talking about whether smokers should quit or not, they purchased believeing they could smoke in thier room. Perhaps all smoking suites could be put over at the OKW where there is usually more DVC availability for reservations than anywhere else, and internal hallways wouldn't carry the smoke.

If you'd like my opinion of smoking, your welcome to join me at the cancer hospital where I work to discuss it. But this is about room preferences, and being forced into an unhealthy intollerable situation.