Today's WSJ has an article about guests' frustrations with the recent hotel smoking bans implemented by big box chain hotels like Marriott and most recently, Sheraton.
This of course, is not news to us as our Open Thread: Marriott Smoking Ban as been steadily added to for a year and a half. Indeed the story from at least one guest featured in the WSJ's article, came straight from a HotelChatter member. The reporter Sarah Nassauer even contacted us directly about speaking to our Hotel Mavens and thus we set her up with some sources. (Sadly, there's no mention of this in her article.)
Anyways, thanks to all of you who keep contributing to the OpenThread--you're really giving fellow hotel guests some useful info so please don't stop. If you want to contribute your own experiences, you can do so here for Marriott's ban or here for Sheraton's ban.
In other news: · The Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach has started its $170 million makeover. Plans include a new guest tower, pools and cabanas, and a rooftop garden with sky bar. [Hospitality Design] · Luxury Hotel Scene in Sonoma, Calif.? [Bloomberg] · Two good reasons to avoid the Chateau Marmont: Nicky and Paris Hilton. [PageSix] · Desperate to watch Oscar-nominated movies before the Oscars? You could always rent a cheap hotel room with LodgeNet offerings. Or do what we did last year, fly Qantas to Australia and back and make use of seat-back TV screens. [Little Blog on the Prairie]
[Update: Cambria Suites is 100% smoke free as well, according to the Choice peeps]
Despite the growing trend of hotels to go 100 percent smoke-free in their guest rooms and public spaces, not everyone is thrilled with these changes. And "not everyone" is mainly smokers.
Audrey Silk, founder of the NYC C.L.A.S.H. (Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment), sent us an email wondering if all Choice Hotels were 100 percent smoke-free as advertised on the Choice Hotels commercials. She writes:
The television commercial for Comfort Suites (with the catchy tune -- I'll give you that) includes the pronouncement "smoke-free everywhere..." At the end of the commercial several of the hotel chains under the Choice Hotel umbrella are promoted. This leaves the viewer with the impression that all of these brand name chains share/offer the same "100% smoke-free" accommodations.
I'm fairly certain that the only brand name hotel associated with Choice Hotels Int'l that has banned smoking even inside the guest rooms is Comfort Suites and not also Comfort Inn, Quality, and the few others included in the commercial.
Indeed, we tracked down a press release from March of this year that announced the Comfort Suites decision to go smoke-free by May 1, 2007.
We can't vouch for the rest of the brand but we have a feeling it is just Choice Hotels that is smoke-free. However, we've put in an email to a Choice Hotels rep but feel free to share your experiences with smoking at Choice Hotels here.
Meanwhile, we have posted the full email from Audrey after the jump.
Marriott put their infamous Smoking Ban into effect last July but the comments are flowing on HotelChatter's Open Thread on the ban.
The latest comes in from Monmikf who says that he was charged a $250 cleaning fee for emptying old cigarette butts into the hotel room trash can although he never actually smoked inside the room. He writes:
The Marriott hotels must understand that these are hotel rooms and not operating rooms. I paid a hotel rate to stay at this hotel which includes the house keeping staff to clean and freshen up a room for the next guest to arrive after I leave.
They have no right to charge a fee if a room has an "odor" after a guest leaves. Some guests leave trash, piss on bed linens and may spill beer in a hotel room. What's the charge for these types of odors?
If you agree or disagree with Monmikf or Marriott, then add your thoughts to the Open Thread. Meanwhile, we will be devising a pay scale for different room odors left behind for guests. It should make for an interesting Monday.
[HotelChatter OpenThreads are a place for readers to get in here and talk about hot stories and issues of the day in an open forum.
If you are already a HotelChatter member log in to comment, if not become a member for free and comment away.]
We've had it with thin walls and smoke. We also prefer Ritz-Carlton Hotels for our luxury trips.
That's according to the results of a JD Power and Associates Guest Satisfaction Survey, who surveyed 47,634 travelers to discover that the overall #1 complaint about hotels is noise and the best in service is the Ritz.
Hotel guests are also tired of cigarette smells, they like their free continental breakfast and most would really like to know if the hotel they are staying in has environmentally-friendly programs in place or not.
Westin's St. John Resort resort was one of the first of Starwood's hotel to go smoke-free and apparently, it's a big hit, even amongst these partying 20-year-olds shown above.
"It thinks it's great. I wish they would do it at more resorts," said Adam Wood of the no smoking policy, who is from Utah and also in his early 20s. "One person can ruin it for everyone."
Now if only the Westin can smoke out that $25.00 per day resort fee.
Our neighbors to the North in a small town in Alberta, Canada called Canmore where Jake and Heath filmed the gay cowyboy romp, "Brokeback Mountain", are implementing a smoking ban starting October 2.
So if your travel plans take you to this place around then, make sure to put your butts out. Although the hotels are concerned that it might not be enough time to get rid of all the smoke smells and damage. Oh yeah, and all the smokers.
Coun. John Borrowman said he was a little concerned about the Oct. 2 starting date, indicating [hotels] may need more time to honour advance bookings of rooms in which smoking is currently permitted.
Yet it looks like October 2 still stand, although probably with some heavy potpurri smells emanating from the hotels.
If you're staying in a palace, you can expect a little luxury. And since this isn't yours or your friend's palace, you can also expect some big prices. Especially since the location we're talking about is in the not-so-cheap land of Switzerland. But if you want a weekend away in beautiful surroundings and deluxe quarters, the Palace Lausanne is your place.
So what can you expect in a palace? Free WiFi for starters proves this place isn't stuck in the past. Rooms have individually controlled climate remotes, terry cloth robes, stereo sound in the bathroom, and just more good ol' luxury. The hotel also has a spa and restaurant.
But in all of these incredible reviews, we finally broke the case. If you're a smoker, this truly will be your paradise, if not, prepare to live your palace existence in a cloud of smoke:
Our whole experience at the Lausanne Palace was spoilt to a considerable degree by the smell of cigarette smoke that pervades the entire hotel - including the non-smoking suite on the non-smoking floor we were on!
All restaurants in the hotel allow smoking throughout - even at breakfast! As non-smokers used to far greater control of smoking in the UK and US, we found it really off-putting.
Unless you're totally averse to cigarette smoke, French parts of Europe should probably be avoided. If you are OK with it, sign up for the Palace Lausanne newsletter and take advantage of big time promotions via email.
[HotelChatter OpenThreads are a place for readers to get in here and talk about hot stories and issues of the day in an open forum.
If you are already a HotelChatter member log in to comment, if not become a member for free and comment away.]
While Marriott Hotels has earned kudos for its recent Smoking Ban amongst health nuts and social-smoking employee wives, but the backlash from smokers still continues.
Luckily for those addicted to the butts, USA Today reports that other hotel chains are still going to accommodate smokers. Extended Stay Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton and Hyatt Hotels are some such chains.
And today we got another piece of mail in our inbox, slamming Marriott for the ban which they think might have something to do with...religion?
So before everyone goes all Mel Gibson on this whole thing we figured it was time to declare this a HotelChatter OpenThread. Let's move the whole smoking debate into the comments area attached to this story. Comment away. Discuss amongst yourselves, be passionate, be informative, and fear not we will be constantly checking this thread to see where things stand.
Oh, and if you want to read the email quote that kicked this thread off, it is posted unedited after the jump.
The Marriott Smoking Ban has been elevated to OpenThread Status, Comment Here
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by juliana
Marriott put their infamous 
