Haute Hotels: 100% smoke-free hotels discuss non-smoking trends and the ROI of going smokeless and joining FreshStay.com
On the Cutting Edge
Longtime members of FreshStay.com reap the benefits of staying ahead of the smoke-free curve.
We all understand the health concerns connected to smoking. But how effective are smoking bans at combating second-hand smoke?Well, recent research from the Harvard School of Public Health notes children who live in nonsmoking homes are less likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke if their communities have smoking bans.
Using a national survey of more than 11,000 children and teenagers, the researchers compared children who lived in counties that have smoking bans with children who live in counties without such laws. According to the study, “More than half of all the children had detectable levels of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine found in the blood. But the prevalence of cotinine was 39 percent lower among children who lived with nonsmokers in counties with smoking bans, compared to children in counties without such laws.”
Surely more research like this is on its way, as smoking bans really only started to gain traction in the past five years. We know some of the earliest adopters of public or indoor smoking bans had to overcome much skepticism. But the preliminary results are promising, and those communities will be among the first to see long-term rewards.
The same should be said for members of FreshStay.com, the most comprehensive on-line listing of 100% smoke-free hotels in the world. Many of FreshStay.com’s members were among the earliest adopters of a 100 percent smoke-free policy — and as time goes on, they are reaping the rewards.
As more and more independent and branded hotels make the move to eliminate smoking, those long-standing FreshStay.com members have years of positive experiences that keep guests coming back, knowing they will have clean, refreshing environments to relax in after work or recreation.
“When we purchased the property nearly 10 years ago, it had been operated as a boarding home/apartment house for many years. During the conversion phase, we decided the home would offer a smoke-free environment and we would market it accordingly,” says Joe Rabhan, Innkeeper/
Proprietor of the Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast in New Orleans. “We detected a trend at the time and only a few years later, major chain hotels began converting to non-smoking. We are proud to be on the cutting edge of what is becoming more commonplace.”
Likewise, Sharon Graese – General Manager for the Best Western Walla Walla Suites Inn – notices that many hotels in Washington are going smoke-free, particularly in light of a statewide smoking ban passed in 2005.
“The law does have an exception for hotel rooms, but we had changed to smoke-free before the law went into effect,” Graese says. “It’s worked out really well for us. Especially around here, customers expect us to be smoke-free. We even have smokers who stay with us who say that if they don’t smoke in their homes or offices, they won’t smoke in the hotel rooms either.”
“For more than five years, members of FreshStay.com have experienced the economic and health benefits that come along with going smoke-free,” says Dave Janicke, the CBO (Chief Breathing Officer) for FreshStay.com. “We’re proud that our members stay with us and see the value we provide in reaching out to a customer base that not only expects smoke-free lodgings, but actively seeks them out.”
FreshStay Stalwarts
The Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast in New Orleans is a 17-room Grand Victorian mansion built in 1891 for wealthy merchant, Henry Picard and his family. It has 11, 000 square feet and is three stories tall; all floors have 13-foot ceilings. The home was built on St. Charles Avenue in the historic Uptown/Garden District of the city. The streetcar stops in front of the residence on its way to the French Quarter.
The Avenue Inn went smoke-free about 10 years ago during a complete refurbishment of the property. It has been a part of FreshStay for the past three years.
“Being smoke-free is a huge selling tool. It almost sells the room for us with those seeking smoke free environments,” says Rabhan. “The air quality and fresh smell of the home is a real plus to guests. Smoke tends to fade upholstery and drapes over time and we understand it also has some effect on wood. The home is built completely of cypress, which is very expensive and not easy to replace. The second-hand smoke factor is also well documented.”
The Best Western Walla Walla Suites Inn, meanwhile, has been with FreshStay.com for more than five years now. Graese says banning smoking has had a big impact on the hotel’s bottom line.
“Even before we went smoke-free, most of our rooms were non-smoking,” she says. “The smoking rooms were always the last to fill up, or would stay empty. Since going smoke-free, we do have a higher occupancy; we’ve been able to sell all of our rooms now and we don’t have to worry about unhappy customers stuck in smoking rooms.”
Even in Colonial Williamsburg, where things are expected to be a little old-fashioned, FreshStay.com members are on the cutting edge. There, the 66-room Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Historic Area made the move to smoke-free years ago.
“Our property is very warm and welcoming with a homelike feel to it,” says Kimberly A. Armstead, VP of Asset Management for HMP Properties. “We respect people’s decisions to smoke. However, we like to promote a clean and allergy-free environment. Plus the dangers of secondhand smoke are of a large concern.”
Never Too Late
Of course, while FreshStay.com is proud of its long-standing members, there’s always room for more.
The Hampton Inn Tallahassee is one of the newest members to join after going smoke-free just a few weeks ago. The hotel includes 78 guestrooms, all featuring new 37-inch flat-screen TVs, free wireless Internet and other cutting edge amenities.
“We decided to go smoke free a couple of months ago due to the decline in smoking guests and an increase in guest complaints about smelling smoke,” says GM Gyrod Harris. “We believe going smoke-free will create overall happier guests and a cleaner environment. Plus, eliminating smoking rooms shows awareness of a national problem.”
Like most hotels, Harris says there was reluctance amongst some smoking guests when the new policy was implemented, but the overall happiness of all guests will be better off in the end.
“Kelco Hotels has been monitoring the changing demographics of today’s travelers, and in response to the requests of our guests, we have created a 100% non-smoking environment at our Hampton Inn Central hotel in Tallahassee, Fla.,” says Ray L. Hobbs, Senior Vice President – Kelco Hotels, operator of the property. “The elimination of ‘smoking’ rooms from our guestroom inventory at the Hampton Inn Central has been met with extremely favorable responses from our guests, and our employees.”
“We are very pleased to have our hotel join the FreshStay alliance of 100% non-smoking hotels, and we are very happy to provide each of our guests with a ‘fresh stay,’” Hobbs adds.
About Pineapple Hospitality
Headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, Pineapple Hospitality™ brings fresh ideas to hospitality guests’ doors and owner/operators’ bottom lines — including FreshStay®(www.freshstay.com), EcoRooms & EcoSuites (www.EcoRooms.com, and GreenerHotels (www.GreenerHotels.com) Amenity programs include Eco.Fresh, Ecossential Elements, Environmentally Sensitive Amenities™, EO®, Earth Perfect, Earth Simple, Pharmacopia, Save Your World, Sonoma Soap Co. and greenSPA™ amenities. Pineapple also provides AVIVA and WAVE dispensers, Energy Efficient Lighting and Controls, Custom Linen & Towel Re-Use Programs, Green Earth Key Cards, Energy Management Systems and Controls, High Performance showerheads, , Zero Odor, and dozens of other products and programs. For more information, please visit www.pineapplehospitality.net, or call us at 636-922-2285.
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