Marriott hotels to go non-smoking!

[cardaway]

Smokers are going to smoke anyway. There's no way to enforce this and Marriott probably knows that. This is good PR though.

It also just makes things worse IMO. Rather than smoke in their rooms they'll be out in the common areas where everybody can enjoy people lighting up.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

We have a Sheraton booked in Newport News, VA in a couple of weeks. They stated on the phone and the confirm that we received that there is a $150 fine charged to your cc if they find that you smoked in their non-smoking hotel. My DH decided he didn't want to go to the wedding anyway. I'm taking my mom.

 

[BuckNaked]

well I can delete them from my list

Yep.

 

[Planogirl]

We have a Sheraton booked in Newport News, VA in a couple of weeks. They stated on the phone and the confirm that we received that there is a $150 fine charged to your cc if they find that you smoked in their non-smoking hotel. My DH decided he didn't want to go to the wedding anyway. I'm taking my mom.

How will they ever know? I doubt that even the smell of smoke is enough evidence to fine you.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

How will they ever know? I doubt that even the smell of smoke is enough evidence to fine you.

Don't know but my DH didn't want to attend so he used it as a nice excuse.

 

[librarygal]

The Westin chain went smoke free in February. The ban includes bars and other public areas.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I believe that the Marriotts are going TOTALLY smoke free, not only the rooms, but the entire property.

Every other weekend in the summer for the past 5 years we get hotel rooms at the Marriott O'Hare to use the outdoor pool, a couple months ago, when I called to make our summer reservations the in-house reservationist told me that they are completely smoke free. I don't smoke in the rooms anyway, so I didn't care.....she then told me that everywhere is smoke free - I said, "even the pool area?" of which we are usually the ONLY PEOPLE THERE as its mainly a business hotel. She said "yes, no where on the property can you smoke". I said, well, no where on the property will you get my money either.....we have since found an even better hotel that will let me have an occasional cigarette if I please and now they get my money.

 

[ToriLammy]

I believe that the Marriotts are going TOTALLY smoke free, not only the rooms, but the entire property.

Every other weekend in the summer for the past 5 years we get hotel rooms at the Marriott O'Hare to use the outdoor pool, a couple months ago, when I called to make our summer reservations the in-house reservationist told me that they are completely smoke free. I don't smoke in the rooms anyway, so I didn't care.....she then told me that everywhere is smoke free - I said, "even the pool area?" of which we are usually the ONLY PEOPLE THERE as its mainly a business hotel. She said "yes, no where on the property can you smoke". I said, well, no where on the property will you get my money either.....we have since found an even better hotel that will let me have an occasional cigarette if I please and now they get my money.

Don't think so.

NEW YORK, July 19 (Reuters) - Hotel chain Marriott International Inc. (MAR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will announce on Wednesday that it is banning smoking in all rooms of its 2,300-plus hotels in the United States and Canada, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site on Wednesday.

The move is part of an effort to stop an increasingly common source of guest complaints, the report said.

More than 90 percent of Marriott's hotel rooms in the United States and Canada are already nonsmoking, but smoking will now be banned in public spaces, such as restaurants, bars and meeting rooms, the report said.

The change in policy will start in September, and guests who smoke in hotel rooms face a clean-up fee ranging from $200 to $300, according to the story.

A spokeswoman for Marriott was not immediately available to comment

Nothing about the outside, although the pool area could be considered a "public space." That still won't stop people from smoking on the sidewalks, in the parking lot, etc.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

double post - nothing to see here

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Don't think so.



Nothing about the outside, although the pool area could be considered a "public space." That still won't stop people from smoking on the sidewalks, in the parking lot, etc.

I also asked the in-house reservationsist "what would happen if I did smoke at the pool"; she said if we catch you we would charge your credit card $300" I said "I don't even want to get into the legalities of that, I will just find a place that will accept our 3 rooms every other weekend".

Also, to tell you the truth, I don't think there will be alot of parking lot or sidewalk smokers. I think the smokers just won't be going to Marriott (unless of course its the only hotel around). My thinking is that this isn't a 2 hour dinner that I can't smoke at; this is an extended period of time that I can't smoke, so why on god's earth would I choose to go and leave my family and friends to go to a sweaty parking lot to smoke when I can just go down the block to a hotel that will let me do it?

 

[lunchmomd]

No more Marriotts for us!

 

[Deb in IA]

 

[cinmell]

Thumbs up for Marriott!

 

[ducklite]

I LOVE it! As far as how to enforce no-smoking, simple. R equire a credit card at check-in, and charge a $250 cleaning fee to it if they smoke. The language regarding this will be on the forms people sign when they check in.

DH and I stay at a place every year that has this policy, and I have no doubt that your card would be charged before you checked out if you violated the no-smoking policy.

While I do belive that smokers have the right to smoke in their homes/cars/smoking rooms of hotels, it pisses me off to no end when they are so inconsiderate as to smoke in non-smoking rooms. I turned in someone at the Airport Hilton in Philly for doing this, and they get booted to the curb!

Anne

 

[Cool-Beans]

I like the idea, except I'm sure people will just break the rules and smoke anyway. That's a major pet peeve of mine--if you want to smoke, then book a smoking room, don't just smoke in a non-smoking room.

In defense of smokers (I used to be one - 2 packs a day - quit cold turkey with the patch!), they usually do request smoking rooms. I had it happen to me many-a-time. Request smoking when making reservation. Remind desk clerk that I need a smoking room. Get to room - no ashtray! Dial O for the desk, say, "I think I'm in a non-smoking room. Am I? Should I come down to the desk or is this a smoking room?" The clerks pause and say, "Oh, we'll send you up an ashtray."

I sure wasn't going to demand to see charts and find out if I was or was not in a smoking room and then demand to be moved if I was in a non-smoking room. I was tired from traveling and ready to relax and have my smoke.

One time at the Boardwalk I had made my reservation and got my blue paper in the mail. Smoking room, concierge, water view. Gave it to the clerk. Reminded him that I needed a smoking room. He was kind of short, black, good-looking, extremely nice and had a name that started with "L."

Got to my room and had a courtyard view, non-smoking room. Called down to the desk, they sent up an ashtray and told me that while I couldn't see the water (that I'd paid for!) they didn't have any water-view concierge rooms. They would have one the next day and we could move, and we'd have a view of Illuminations. (I smoked on the balcony and never got my water room or my money back, but that's another thread. )

I think that since this happened to me so often that it probably happens to a lot of other people, too.

 

[wnissen]

I applaud Marriott for having the courage to make the environment more pleasant for the 95% (that's straight from the Wall Street Journal Article) of their guests that don't request smoking rooms. It makes no sense to spend millions of dollars on decor and then permit 5% of the guests to produce foul smells that annoy the other 95%. The article also said that there will be designated smoking areas away from the doors, pools, etc., so this is not a total ban.

I feel sorry for smokers, it is a terrible thing to be addicted to cigarettes. However, clouds of tobacco smoke in restaurants and hotels will soon seem as gross and inappropriate as outhouses.

Walt

 

[Luv'sTink]

YEAH!

 

[arminnie]

I'm sure they did this to save money. Once they put in a total non-smoking policy, it becomes easier to tack a cleaning charge onto the cheaters. Plus the maintenance costs on smoking rooms are so much higher. It's all about the money.

I found this is an article in NYT (I think) this am.

Marriott International Inc., the nation's largest hotel chain, said yesterday that it will ban smoking in its nearly 400,000 hotel rooms in the United States and Canada, casting the decision as less about public health and more about taking care of the bottom line.

It's the money. Smart business move.

 

[Fannie_Marie]

I work at a national reservations center for a competitor hotel chain and I've gotten a lot of angry comments from callers as more and more of our hotels become 100% non smoking. Most of these hotels do allow smoking on balconies(if they have them) and open air areas. One of our hotels in Anaheim is 89% non smoking (yes, it's listed to me as exactly 89%!) and it works great. Most of my callers for this particular location prefer non smoking, but I still have the ability to offer a smoking room for those guest who enjoy smoking. I really wish that more of our hotels would do something similar to this instead of the all or nothing trend we're seeing now.

 

[Honu]

Way too go Marriott!