SAINT CHARLES, MO.—FreshStay.com now has more than 5,000 reasons for hotels to go smoke free. With the addition of nearly 200 new hotels, including numerous Comfort Suites hotels, FreshStay.com now has more than 5,000 properties that are committed to being 100 percent nonsmoking.
“Reaching 5,000 hotel partners is a milestone that we are not only proud of, but it speaks to the growing commitment throughout the hospitality industry to the health and comfort for frequent breathers everywhere,” says Ray Burger, founder of FreshStay.com, which was launched in 2006. “Eliminating smoking isn’t just a trend, or isolated in a few geographic regions anymore. It’s proven to improve guest satisfaction and increase profitability. We truly believe that it should be standard operating procedure for all hotels, motels, inns, and B&Bs everywhere.”
As the world’s leading online directory of smoke-free hotels, FreshStay.com now has partners in all 50 states, Canada and around the globe. Among those properties are more than 640 Comfort Suites hotels within the United States.
Smoke Free Since 2007
“The Comfort Suites brand made the decision to go smoke free in 2007,” says Christina Williamson, senior director of brand planning and management for the Comfort brand family. “We knew that providing a healthy, smoke-free environment to our guests and our employees just made good business sense. Comfort Suites is focused on providing a relaxed and renewing healthy environment that enables guests to leave hotels feeling refreshed, so it was also a strong fit with our brand promise. Today we have more than 640 domestic Comfort Suites hotels and all are 100 percent smoke free.”
“We appreciate the support of this important lodging initiative that Choice Hotels and Comfort Suites properties provide to guests that prefer better indoor air quality when they travel,” Burger says.
For each of FreshStay’s 5,000 partners, each has its own unique reasons for extinguishing smoking. Many are reaching out to their increasingly health conscious guests. Some are just tired of cleaning up the smoke, ash, and burn marks that come from allowing smoking. Others have found that isolating smoking rooms or smoking floors is simply an exercise in futility.
Then there are those who are tired of turning away paying guests because the only rooms left to book are the smoking rooms.
More Demand for Nonsmoking Rooms
“More and more midscale guests are demanding a cleaner, fresher stay and healthy accommodations,” says Williamson. “The number of guests requesting smoke-free accommodations has risen significantly in the past decade. We saw the opportunity to meet our guests’ needs. At Comfort Suites hotels, we have larger than average guestrooms that are 100 percent smoke free so guests can truly experience a ton of ‘breathing room’ when they stay with us.”
Since the site launched in 2006, there has been a growing awareness on the effects of second-hand smoke, and a movement amongst numerous states and cities to ban smoking indoors.
“An increasing number of state laws are restricting smoking in hotels and other public places, so it’s not just a concern for hotel guests,” says Williamson. “People have become more sensitive to the smell of smoke, so for Comfort Suites hotels, we found that the best thing to do was to go entirely smoke free, rather than allowing some rooms within the hotel to remain smoking rooms.
“We had strong data to support the decision to go smoke free, but there was some apprehension about turning away any customers,” she adds. “In the end, the program has turned out to be a great success. The great majority of customers have a strong preference for a smoke-free room. Knowing that all our rooms at Comfort Suites hotels are 100 percent smoke free has actually created more loyal guests for the Comfort Suites brand.”
Beyond Smoke Free
Burger says that FreshStay.com will continue to evolve beyond 5,000 members. Not only will FreshStay.com continue to reach out to both hotels and travelers looking to embrace the smoke-free experience, but FreshStay.com will look to include other indoor air quality enhancements. Many FreshStay members have incorporated clean rooms that don’t just eliminate smoking, but also filter out allergens for the most fresh-smelling, restful room possible.
Williamson agrees this is where the hospitality industry is headed.
“People need to be able to relax and sleep peacefully in their hotel rooms, and air quality has a significant impact on their ability to do so,” she says. “Beyond smoke-free rooms, there is an increasing trend to address other sensitivities and allergies in our rooms. We continue to look for opportunities to make our guests more comfortable in this way.”
Another new member of FreshStay.com, Matt W. Markopoulos of the South Beach Biloxi Hotel & Suites in Biloxi, Miss., says that smoke-free hotels reach across a broad spectrum of guests.
“Being smoke free is better for overall air quality and benefits everyone,” he says. “Guests with allergies know they can count on entering a fresh room without worrying about the lingering scent of smoke from past guests or guests across the hall. If a nonsmoker is placed into a smoking room, that creates an unpleasant atmosphere; it’s an impression that could be irreversible in the eyes, and nose, of your guests.”
Go to FreshStay.com for more information.
