[slick]

Gonna try and make this short. Parents own a small Hotel (60 rooms). 10 rooms are smoking, down from 12 last year, which was down from 14 the year before. Basically, every year the smoking rooms get less and less. We were thinking about just having a hand full of smoking rooms starting this summer.
Well today the person staying in the only occupied smoking room decided that he is going to smoke his cigarette in the hall, elevator, and front lobby. This annoyed the hell out of me, as the smoke wasn't easy to mask and a potential customer left due to the unwelcoming smell in the lobby.
I am considering going all non smoking, no smoking in the the hotel any where. I'll do my own research on how to implement this, but I am just wondering what you guys thought about this as customers.

When travelling, if you stopped and had two hotels to choose from, one has smoking rooms and the other is 100% non smoking, would one get more consideration over the other? Where would this issue rank amongst rate and ammenities?

Head-Fiers are the best crowd I have seen to ask a question like this (none of the other forums I am a member of has as many mature members). I am really looking to do some serious research for my parents. We are going to be making a lot of changes and want to do our best for the customers this year, we are recovering from a massive highway construction job that interfered with hotel business for almost 2 years.

BTW, we would not be the only 100% non smoking hotel in town (I am going to visit these properties for research).

 

[MikeB06]

If both hotels were equal price and equal quality, I'd pick the non-smoking hotel. But, as long as hotels have non-smoking rooms I'm fine with it. That's one thing about hotel rooms, you always can tell if someone's been smoking in it. I guess there is a lot of stuff the smell sticks to (carpet, beds, lots of linens and comforters). I don't mind smoking (for the most part) in other public places, but since I don't smoke in my bedroom, sleeping somewhere else that smells like smoke is definitely uncomfortable.

However, you may want to think about potential customers turned away if your hotel is pretty full and you only have smoking rooms to offer. I definitely don't know much about running hotels at all, but as a customer, if there were other hotels in the area, I'd likely try another one if only smoking rooms were available.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I'd love a 100% smoke-free hotel. I hate smoking, and avoid it when/wherever possible. I'd be willing to pay slightly more or have a slightly less nice room at the same price, to be in a smoke-free hotel.

 

[rb67]

I would definitely choose the non-smoking hotel.

I have never had smoking parents nor friends and am very bothered by the smell of cigarette smoke in spite of the fact that I was raised in Las Vegas. Whenever I go on a trip, I ensure that my room is non-smoking. I am certainly willing to pay more (~1.5x) in order to have a non-smoking room.

A quick anecdote:
That said, there was one time I was traveling in Japan with a friend of mine. We stayed in a small hotel that had stated there were non-smoking rooms. What we discovered there was that it seems a number of past smoking rooms were simply cleaned many years ago and converted to non-smoking. I had a lot of trouble sleeping because there was a slight hint of smoke that still lingered. Additionally, a few rooms down the hall were smoking and it totally ruined our night. We decided not to go to that hotel again.

I feel that people in general are leaning towards the non-smoking route. While I can't say this from a personal perspective, it seems as if it is a lot easier for smokers to just not smoke in their rooms than non-smokers to try to sleep through the stench of cigarettes.

On a final note, my family owns a small restaurant in Las Vegas. (Amlee Gourmet, visit next time you're in town!) We switched over to complete non-smoking about 1.5 years ago against the vehement disapproval of my mother. We lost a few heavy smoking customers, but we gained many more customers! The complements started pouring in. Long time customers who had been there during the 1/2 smoking days gave huge complements, much more than we expected. Those customers that left due to the new rule ended up coming back and just smoking outside whenever they needed to.

 

[bhd812]

I am a smoker and to be honest the two hotel rooms I stood at in my life were horrible..in fact any time I ever stay at a hotel again will not be a smoking room..this coming from a smoker.

The thing of one room was I had to keep my luggage closed because the room was so stank, it was bad like 10 of my friends staying over and each one of us smoking a pack the night before..but no air has entered or escaped my room, that's how bad that room was. In Vegas the room was a bit cleaner but I could only smoke in the bathroom cause I still didn't want my sheets,clean cloths,etc to smell that bad. I ended up smoking less staying in the smoking room then if I would of stayed in a non smoking room..cause If was not smelling it all the time I would say "hey i wanna smoke" and being in Vegas i could walk down to the casino floor and smoke away..


If you do make any room nonsmoking you better rip out the walls and redo the entire room floor to ceiling..once you smoke a cigarette the tiny little bitty particle will go threw anything. so its going to cost some money cause you really cant do it half-ass. like you read from other (non smokers) is that a non smoker (pending how anal the person is) can easily detect the smell of cigarettes...like a mile away to some people. so if your going to go any room non smoking then make sure you replace the drywall,carpet,ceiling,every piece of furniture,etc,etc..yes I think you need to go that hardcore cause like you can read here on headfi people can smell it easily.

As a customer I would not mind all rooms being not smoking, but I would not mind the hotel having something of a "smoking lounge" there close by so in case I want to smoke all I have to do is walk over there and smoke away.
to me you should think about adding on a second smaller building or someplace where a smoker can smoke with out having to hang outside (besides smokers outside is dumb cause all they are doing is smoking and pissing the non smoker *****'s off..then the fighting comes,thats probelms). so think about making some sort of lounge area and call it a smoking room,throw some tables and chairs,sofas,tv's,maybe some games...just some place where a smoker can go have one or two smokes and leave..but at the same time not be board of death doing nothing. just make sure you have this lounge far enough away from the non smokers..don't get stupid with it but respect both people!

the loss of business I think you might suffer you just make the hotel non smoking is the groups of people, you know some people have the non smoking rooms and some people from the group have smoking rooms. if you don't satisfy the smokers in the group you will loose the whole group of people, remember most groups do like sticking together.


also you may want to place "smoking is NOT allowed in hallways,elvators, and guest lobby..thank you for your patience." signs in all rooms now..this may stop the people like you just seen in your lobby....


and btw: headfi peeps for the most part hardcore anti-smokers, so don't expect to much 2 sides from this forum..this coming from a smoker so maybe i am defensive...regardless you may want to join or find some forums for smoking, like cigar forums or something also.

 

[kramer5150]

100% non smoking for me. My wife and kids are allergic to it. It doesn't bother me too much other than I just don't like the smell. I don't really mind a little cigar and pipe smoke. Its the Cigarettes that I find are very offensive.

I'd spend more money and stay at a smoke free motel 6 than a smoke filled Luxor or Bellagio.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I don't think you'll have many complaints or loss of business from going 100% non-smoking. Here in California, bars and restaurants have been nonsmoking for years, and I haven't seen any drop in business. The transition seemed somewhat painless, as well.

However, as has been mentioned, you're going to have to fully renovate the formerly smoking rooms. My family rents apartments and I work on them, too. Personally, I like to use Kilz to mask/cover odors on walls. That, 2-3 coats of paint and new carpet should take care of it. It's a pain, yes, but your guests will appreciate your efforts.

Also, I'd recommend setting up some kind of designated smoking area outside. Put out a table, some chairs, maybe a bench or two, and at least 4-5 ashtrays/receptacles out there. Put up a few signs and be sure to tell everyone that they're welcome to smoke there. I think that would be enough to make them feel welcome and it would also cut down on stray butts around the property.

 

[Mr.PD]

I stay at a 100% non smoking hotel every other day. It has been that way since they built it. It's nice in that the rooms don't stink, but I find it a pain to have to go down from the third floor to the outdoors to smoke. I very seldom get a room on the first floor because those are held for the general public customers.

I think that you would be money ahead to make your hotel totally non smoking. New drapes and carpet, with a fresh paint job and some thorough cleaning should make the rooms livable. Replacing the beds and any upholstered furniture would be nice, but you may be able to keep all but the most sensitive people happy with some heavy duty cleaning.

Around here most places advertise a $100 fine/fee for smoking in a non smoking room. The place I stay at didn't think much of my offer to just pay the hundred bucks up front when I checked in so I could smoke in my room.

As a smoker, I would pass on any hotel that stated they are a 100% non smoking facility. In fact I have passed up some good places that way. Once I ended up sleeping half the night in my car because there was no place to stay that had smoking rooms. But that's a long story and not as simple as it appears. I can't imagine that you would loose any business by going totally nonsmoking, unless you are the only place in town that offers smoking rooms.

edit; I agrree with Uncle Erik about the outdoor smoking area. The place I stay at has a gazeebo for us to smoke in. They have a bench at the other end of the building, and ashtrays and/or those "smoker's outposts" at all entrances. I don't see too many butts lying around.

 

[NacMacFeegle]

100% non-smoking every time...In fact, with a wife and 2 sons to consider, I would move hotels (and have done so) to a non-smoking facility should the need arise.
Living in NY where the government is banning just about everything, the no-smoking rules are one of the few things I totally agree with. It is very strange going on vacation to different parts of the world (even just to different US states) and bumping up against people smoking in spots they would be banned from in NY.
So to the OP...go for it! My family and I would stay at your hotel should we ever be down that way.
Best of luck.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NacMacFeegle /img/forum/go_quote.gif 100% non-smoking every time.

Adding to the chorus!

 

[gordolindsay]

Yep, neither my wife or I smoke so 100% smoke-free is cool for us.

 

[aaron-xp]

I'd personally go for non-smoking. I don't really like the lingering smell of cigeratte smoke in the room. Wouldn't mind a non-100% non-smoking hotel, though I would try as best as possible to get a non-smoking level.

 

[iq160plus]

I am not attacking any smokers with this question, but can you really prevent someone from smoking in the rooms? I imagine that if all rooms are full, there are a few smokers among them.

Not knowing where your place is, can you imagine 20 degrees F outside, and it's 3:00 AM. Are ALL the smokers going to go to a smoking area? I imagine that many won't, so personally I would always keep smoking rooms available in anticipation of weekly business conventions where every room is always full.

I am a non-smoker. While I prefer a non-smoking room, I have only had one or two rooms that really smelled like cigarette smoke to the point of irritation. I don't really care about that smell as much as others.

Unlike 100% non-smoking restaraunts, motels have "closed doors" so people can't be monitored.

 

[jjhatfield]

I am a pack a day smoker, and I would rather stay in a 100% non-smoking hotel. I don't smoke in my own home, I don't smoke in my own car. I think everything about cigarette smoke is filthy, I'm just too terrified to quit.

EDIT: Reading the above post, I'd like to point out that I am in the deep south, and pretty much at no point throughout the year is it too cold to step outside and have a smoke, so long as I throw on a jacket.

 

[Blitzula]

A non-smoking hotel wouldn't be something I'd normally care about one way or the other. If the prices were the same I'd go with the non-smoking hotel, but I wouldn't pay a premium for it at all.