<p>as of January 1, 2006. It’s good to hear news like this. I hope other chains follow suit.</p>
<p><a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051205/ap_on_he_me/smoke_free_hotels[/url]”>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051205/ap_on_he_me/smoke_free_hotels</a></p>
<p>Great move, but good luck enforcing it. Even the no-smoking rooms I request often stink of smoke. The hotels attempt to cover up the smell with cleaners and air fresheners but after a while it comes through. I mentioned this to a smoker once who told me he always requests a no-smoking room and smokes in it. He told me he doesn’t want to stay in a stinky room either! Great!</p>
<p>NJres, that’s terrible!</p>
<p>
I smoke regardless. If they have smoking rooms, I take those, but if they do not offer/have none left I still smoke in these rooms. Having no smoking rooms available is akin to having rooms where blacks can’t stay, or rooms where no children are allowed. Do not stay in smoking rooms if you do not smoke. It’s as simple as that.</p>
<p>the hotel having no rooms where smokers can smoke in- is the same thing as telling african americans that they are not welcome-
or that the hotel is adult only, no families with children.
Just wanted to be sure I wasn’t misunderstanding</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone would want to have a smoking room if they didn’t smoke- what they are saying is that smokers don’t want a smoking room either.</p>
<p>joev- hope you won’t find yourself in washington soon
it is days before the smoking ban goes into affect- not only will smoking be banned in all public & work places- but also 25 feet from doorways and must include 75% of rooms in hotels</p>
<p>its interesting that the westin is th efirst to go smoke free- I would have thought that the marriotts would have done this long ago- being that they are owned by mormons ( who don’t smoke or drink including coffee!)</p>
<p>My younger s. used to have severe allergy/asthma problems. We always REQUIRE a non-smoking room, and if some inconsiderate individual smoked in the non-smoking room, we had to move. This isn’t discrimination, this is a health issue. The other potential sources of discrimination will not make you sick, except for maybe being in the room next to a bunch of screaming kids! But I’ll take the little screamers any day over a room that smelled of stale smoke.</p>
<p>
I think that is quite an absurd analogy. Black people do not choose to be black, and a person’s race has absolutely no effect on the room whatsoever. Smokers choose to smoke, and it effects the room afterwards. I would say that it is more akin to having rooms in which pets aren’t allowed. They can stink up rooms and cause allergic reactions in people in nearby rooms or staying in the room afterwards. There are also, of course, numerous hotels that ban pets for those exact reasons. I have no problems with smoking being treated the same way, since the effects are similar.</p>
<p>I was forced to stay in a smoking room once because they overlooked that note on our reservation when we got there and there was only a smoking room left. Other hotels were not an option as a major festival had everything booked.</p>
<p>If smokers can not find a smoking room somewhere and must smoke, the can stay at KOA. Without a tent. In rain and sleet.</p>
<p>All it really means is that smokers, including Westin Hotel staff, will stand around doorways (or 25 feet away from the doorway in California) and stink up the hotel entrances with fumes and cigarette butts.</p>
<p>corranged-
Joev just likes to yank people’s chains. And this isn’t really an issue for most smokers. The Motel 6 will still allow smoking.</p>
<p>
NJres,
Was that You?!;)</p>
<p>Actually I dont smoke in hotels pipe smoking has long been verboten in public. I only smoke my pipe in my woodshopfor health reasons.</p>
<p>Last year the NYC ‘City Council’ tabled a proposal to make it illegal to smoke in your own domicile since potential service workers might be exposed to second hand smoke. Talk about putting the liberal in liberty;)</p>
<p>GSV, nah, the designated smoking area will be out back by the dumpsters.</p>
<p>
TheDad-
Which do you think will smell worse??</p>
<p>The Motel 6 chain still provides an ash tray in supposedly non-smoking rooms, and blankets in those rooms often have holes from cigarette burns.</p>
<p>Yes, that African American analogy was not correct, because the Westin Hotel is not banning smokers from staying at the hotel, just from smoking on hotel property.</p>
<p>I wonder if the hotel will also ban tobacco sales on hotel property? Probably not, which will make their no smoking policy a little hypocritical.</p>
<p>Oh, thanks for the clarification, Jym. :)</p>
<p>
Come to think of it this really is a nonissue as most smokers cannot afford the Westin anyways.
Just be prepared to walk through a cloud of smoke on your way out of the hotel doorway, F the unenforceable 25 foot rule. Unless they threaten me with Singapore type jail time, if I am forced to go outside, I am NOT walking 25 feet away.</p>
<p>Careful joev,</p>
<p>most here would not approve of the ultimate punishment for drugs, al la Singapore…but smoking is just more than their fragile hearts can bear:)</p>
<p>why do people smoke anyway?
because they like it?
or because they don’t like not smoking?</p>
<p><a href=“http://whyquit.com/[/url]”>http://whyquit.com/</a></p>
<p>I just quit drinking 8 months ago. I currently room with a smoker. The lease is up in two months. Then I can quit because I won’t be around it. One thing at a time.:)</p>
<p>I’ve seen articles that suggest that being around smokers makes it more likely that someone with alcohol problems will resume drinking. Note: I am not suggesting that anyone with alcohol problems join a convent or monastery as a support group.</p>