I sent mine to stephanie.hampton@marriott.com

I just sent it off so I haven't received a reply yet.

Here's what I wrote:

My family and friends have stayed at Marriott hotels in the past, but we will no longer use your facilities. If you choose to discriminate against and refuse to accommodate smokers, who are at least 25% of the population, then we will discriminate against you by spending our money at places that welcome us.

Are you sure you want to alienate at least 25% of the population? Sounds like a bad business move.

And we are not alone.

(our names)
former Marriott customers

I read that article too and I find it hard to believe that they couldn't even fill 5% of their rooms with smokers.

I also find it hard to believe that so many complaints are about smoking. THEY CAN'T EVEN FILL UP 5% OF THEIR ROOMS WITH SMOKERS!

What is it, one guy travels from Marriot to Marriot walking down the hallways puffing on a cheap cigar?

It's A or B. It's either too many smokers or not enough smokers. It can't be both.

Good point, squeezer! Wish I'd had that point to make in my letter.

Smokers need to formally thank places that allow smoking while checking in and out and followed up with an e-mail and/or a handwritten note to their customer service. We need to speak out and let them know we appreciate their accommodation so that we drown out the complaints. It's easy to take being able to smoke for granted, but we can no longer afford to do this. We MUST speak up and let them know!

quote:

Originally posted by tnsmoker:
I sent mine to stephanie.hampton@marriott.com

I just sent it off so I haven't received a reply yet.

Here's what I wrote:

My family and friends have stayed at Marriott hotels in the past, but we will no longer use your facilities. If you choose to discriminate against and refuse to accommodate smokers, who are at least 25% of the population, then we will discriminate against you by spending our money at places that welcome us.

Are you sure you want to alienate at least 25% of the population? Sounds like a bad business move.

And we are not alone.

(our names)
former Marriott customers

If you add spouses and kids, there should be more than 50% of the population.

We have waited more than twenty years to have a horse qualify for our breed's World Championships, held in Ft. Worth, Texas, in October. Our stallion is one point away from qualifying in one class, which hopefully he'll do this weekend.

I checked the premium booklet from last year's "Worlds", and guess what the four "official hotels" are...yep, that's right. Marriott. All of them. They're an "official sponsor" of the show.

If our guy qualifies, I intend to email the breed registry and inquire what other hotels are available who will accommodate the membership/exhibitors who smoke and that I'm sure there are many other members who would like the same information.

I will then email Marriott and tell them why we won't be patronizing their establishment for the week of the show.

Just for that reason alone, I hope our stallion qualifies......

quote:

Originally posted by tnsmoker:
Good point, squeezer! Wish I'd had that point to make in my letter.

Smokers need to formally thank places that allow smoking while checking in and out and followed up with an e-mail and/or a handwritten note to their customer service. We need to speak out and let them know we appreciate their accommodation so that we drown out the complaints. It's easy to take being able to smoke for granted, but we can no longer afford to do this. We MUST speak up and let them know!

Not only let these hotels know but let the smoker friendly states know as well. We could write to the tourism boards of all the smoker friendly states and let them know that we're vacationing in their state. I know New Hamshire voted down the smoking ban and I'd be curious to see how they faired this summer with vacation business, as opposed to the surrounding states that have a ban.

In addition, part of the claim that making the hotel chain smoke free, is to protect the housekeeping staff - well, I'll like to know how many of this staff lost their jobs due to cutting down staff as a result of loss of business. I'm very sure we'll see this trend happen just like those in the restaurant business lost hours and jobs as a result of bans.

Thanks!

Good luck with your stallion, Freedom........let us know how you make out! Excellent idea about contacting the breed registry about alternate accomodations.


Varla - good point about local and state tourism boards/commissions...they need to know why folks will will or won't be vacationing there.

The main road around here is the highway, so even for everyday things like grocery shopping I must use it. Parking lots up and down the stretch I frequent are all full of out of state plates: hotels, motels, restaurants, stores, etc. The majority of the plates seem to come from states with strict smoking bans, such as Delaware, New York, Mass, etc........

If you belong to any organization that holds a convention make sure you let them know you will not attend any meeting or convention held in a non-smoking enviroment. Most of these organizations make a great deal of money from these events. Attendance numbers equate to the discounts offered the management for the space.

In most cases meeting rooms are free as well as accomodations for their staff at these meetings based on the number of rooms they can guaranty.

1) Buy stock in the company and than show up at the shareholders meetings to complain.
2) They have hotels which accomodate pets, yet they refuse to have a single hotel accomodate a smoker.

3) In banning smoking, are they going to cave in to the religious right and ban pay-per-view porn movies?

4) If you have to stay in a nonsmoking hotel or city with a smoking ban, make a point of hunting down businesses outside the ban and bring them your business, including bars and restaurants. Limit how much business you do with areas in smoking bans.
5) Remind people, smokers smoke because they can afford to do so. They have strong purchasing power and can move their money elsewhere.

I saw another article on this. The people complaining are supposedly nonsmokers "forced" to stay in a smoking room. I say if a hotel has that high an occupancy rate, take Drewliberty's advice and buy stock in the company. LOL

The Indianapolis Star reportd that fines of 200 to 300 dollars will be imposed by Marriott for a smoking violation in any of their guest rooms.

I saw that, too, Bruce. What a nice bunch of people.

Gabz, the stallion made it. He needed one point, won his class and earned five - so guess we'll be going to Texas to watch him show.

Ironically, the day we got the news he qualified, I got the 2006 World Show premium book. They still listed Marriott hotels, but also listed another one as the host hotel and which appears not to be Marriott. I went to their website and you can make on-line reservations, but there was no place I could find to request a smoking room. I emailed them yesterday to see if smoking rooms are available and haven't heard back from them.

However, there is a Ramada Inn even closer to the show grounds and their on-line site does offer smoking rooms. Think I'll give them a call tomorrow...and let them know we'll be staying with them rather than the "official" hotel because they accommodate smokers.

Smokers have to be careful on the hotel issue because the only reason hotels have chosen to go nonsmoking is because many smokers choose nonsmoking rooms. In addition, small hotels, those with less than 200 rooms, can have a real problem with accomodating smokers. I have seen hotels where smoking rooms and nonsmoking rooms were across the hall from each other on the same ventilation system! Smoke from a smokers room would go directly in to the nonsmoking room down the hall. HOWEVER, huge hotels can easily accomodate smokers. The TOTAL bans are ludicrous and stupid and divisive.

I still think people need to start campaigning about the real issues about smoking instead of falling for the statistics which is NOT science.

When I make travel arrangements for a group I try to make sure all members of the group will be comfortable - smokers, those with allergies, vegetarians, etc.

Marriott wont' qualify. Nor will hotels that accomodate pets but can't provide a "pet dander free" room on request, etc.

As for Marriott seeking "fines" if anyone smokes in one of their rooms - doubt they will be able to make that one stick. Didn't think private parties could impose "fines".

As for enforcement - in NYS it is crazy. Most neighborhood 'joints' have a de facto policy that amounts to "don't ask don't tell". Locals know where they can relax and smoke, locals who don't like tobacco smoke know which places to avoid.

Other employers - its crazy. An employer can be turned in (anon) for "failing to enforce" without any evidence that anyone has smoked on premises since the total ban went in effect. Presumption of guilt. At the same time an employer can't put a video monitor (for example) in a bathroom to find out who is smoking. In practice they can't fire anyone for smoking without proof. Even then if the person is female or non-white or over 45 or overweight and could be considered to have a disability or a member of a religious minority or born in another country...the employer gets sued.

The wonder is that anyone stays here!

Guests welcome Westin’s no smoking policy

Hotel guests and clients are applauding the bold non-smoking policy of Westin Hotels & Resorts in Australia & the Pacific, who have become smoke free from yesterday.

One of Westin’s largest clients in this region, research-based medicines company, Pfizer Australia has commended the introduction of the new policy.

“We welcome the move by Westin to provide a smoke free environment for our staff away from our own work place,” comments Pfizer’s Suzanne Blake, Product Manager for Nicorette.

Regular guest to the Westin’s in Melbourne and Sydney, Macedonia Contos of Contos Solicitors has also applauded the new policy:

...81% of consumers dislike it if they stay in a non-smoking room and it smells like smoke*.

link

Pfizer, hmmm. LOL

I wonder how many people stay in a room and think it smells like smoke when it doesn't. I watched a tv show show called Sell My House or something like that. People tour a house for sale with a camera watching them. I remember people saying a house smelled like smoke and the owners befuddled while watching the tape because they don't smoke.

One couple looking at the house thought it smelled like sex. LOL

It's comical though that a hotel that banned smoking because their research dictated it found consumers who apparently at least once found a nonsmoking room that had been smoked in.

Maybe the trouble is, there's not enough smoking rooms. LOL

Maybe the smoke was of another variety?

Some people are predisposed to find something wrong with a hotel room regardless. How many mothers traveled with a can of Lysol?

[QUOTE] In addition, small hotels, those with less than 200 rooms, can have a real problem with accomodating smokers. I have seen hotels where smoking rooms and nonsmoking rooms were across the hall from each other on the same ventilation system! Smoke from a smokers room would go directly in to the nonsmoking room down the hall. [/QUOTE

I disagree with this specific comment. If you are in a smoking room and the door's shut, it wouldn't matter if a nonsmoking room was across the hallway or not. The people in the nonsmoking room will not be getting any smoke. Even if they shared ventilation ducts, by the time it traveled through them, there would be so little left it would be next to nothing, and require a microsope to detect. THIS is why bans are so ridiculous. Twenty years ago, all rooms had ashtrays. If you didn't want to smoke, you didn't. Nonsmokers didn't even "smell" smoke until all of this SHS BS came out...........

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pat,

quote:

Originally posted by Pat:
I disagree with this specific comment. If you are in a smoking room and the door's shut, it wouldn't matter if a nonsmoking room was across the hallway or not. The people in the nonsmoking room will not be getting any smoke.

I also find it hard to believe that SHS first goes up, then down, sneaks under the door, pushes itself across the hallway, slides itself under another door, then rises to nose height and at a detectable level.

If that really does happen I have the perfect solution: Switch the rooms around. The nonsmoker's air will now sneak under the door, walk across the hallway and duck under the smoker's door. LOL

quote:

Originally posted by dujac:
squeezer "find it hard to believe"

it isn't about belief

you're in denial

rational people don't want to be exposed to unnecessary risks

wake up

My guess is this is NicoNazi pretending to be a high schooler. NicoNazi used to take what I said out of context too.

quote:

Originally posted by dujac:
"My guess is this is NicoNazi"

wrong, no surprise though

i'm sure you have never taken anything out of context

you just deny the whole enchilada

the undeniable fact remains:

most rational people don't want to be exposed to unnecessary risks when they know the full consequences

Sorry, I don't cut ANY slack to people who take what I say out of context, unless it's meant to be funny (to the whole).

If you can't work with what I say in context, then keep you mouth shut and wait for an appropriate opportunity.