HotelChatter

Hotel News

Smoking Ban in Hotels Expected to Continue

July 26, 2006 at 12:41 PM | 0 Comments

A new report from J.D. Power and Associates shows us what hotel guests in all budget ranges really care about. Attention smokers: it's not going to get any better for you.

A new hotel satisfaction survey of over 46,000 guests finds that Marriott's plan to go totally smoke-free in September is going to make a lot of people happy. Our condolences to all you smokers out there, but "79 percent of hotel guests prefer a smoke-free environment that exceeds the boundaries of their guest room."

Other clear findings included the not-so-novel notion that people are looking for good value. Listen up all you properties that are tacking on an extra "resort fee" and nailing $400-a-room guests for wi-fi access. "More than ever, travelers are looking for the best value for their money and are becoming more conscious of what each hotel offers as far as complimentary services and amenities when deciding where to stay."

Not surprisingly, high-speed Internet connections are expected as a given, even at the budget properties, and when they don't work properly it's a major frustration. "Fourteen percent of guests experienced difficulties connecting to the Internet during their most recent hotel stay."

The survey also rates the hotel brands by satisfaction, but look past the number one result to get a real feel: Four Seasons is the clear champ in the luxury category. Yet in the upscale category, it's almost too close to call between Omni, Embassy Suites, Renaissance, and Marriott.

Obviously, we here at HotelChatter have many thoughts on this report so tune in tomorrow for our full analysis of the survey.

Image via Nep/Flickr

Related Stories:
· Vast Majority of Travelers Prefer a Smoke-Free Hotel Environment [HotelChatter]
· Marriott Smoking Ban Reactions: Hitler Was An Anti-Smoker [HotelChatter]