HospitalityLawyer.com Blog

Earlier this month, Avis Budget Group, Inc. announced that beginning in October 2009, its entire fleet will be smoke free.  Avis Budget Group operates Avis and Budget rental cars.

The company has instituted a new inspection process, and a cleaning fee will be assessed if a vehicle is returned with a tobacco odor or residue, guaranteeing each vehicle is clean and smoke-free.

When he learned of the Avis and Budget smoke-free fleet, Hospitality Lawyer Stephen Barth said, “This is a big step for the smoke-free challenge.  Every hospitality segment in the world, whether hotel, restaurant, or rental car company, should be smoke-free.  Inside and out.  It is the right thing to do for your employees and your guests, for your risk tolerance, for your property, and for your bottom line.”

In December 2007, Stephen Barth issued a challenge to the entire hospitality industry to go smoke-free.

Recently hotels have been describing themselves as “smoke-free.”  I caution the industry to scrutinize what is occurring at their hotels before labeling it “smoke-free.”

Smoke-free means zero smoke on the grounds and the facility, which includes no smoking in the parking lots, garages, pool-side, on balconies or verandas, or anywhere in the facility.

Secondhand smoke drifting from outdoor areas can easily find its way into the hotel facility. Those that smoke in an outdoor area (especially those in close proximity to other smokers and, accordingly, their smoke) bring third-hand smoke (smoke residue) back into the facility on their clothes, hands and hair. Both secondhand and third-hand smoke can greatly diminish the air quality in the hotel’s public area and guest rooms.

Hotels that claim that by allowing smoking areas, they are accommodating all guests are being disingenuous. Allowing smoking around the pool, for instance, means the vast majority of the guests must breathe in tainted air to enjoy the pool area.

That is not an accommodation for all guests.  It is an accommodation for a fraction of guests that disturbs a significant number of other guests.  It is only putting very marginal revenue ahead of the health and welfare of your guests.

If one guest wanted to play music so loud that it disturbed other guests, the innkeeper would not hesitate to insist that the music player turn down the volume so that it does not disturb the other guests.

Allowing smoking in places of public accommodation is a poor customer service decision and a poor business decision.

Read my challenge to the hospitality industry to go smoke free at http://blog.hospitalitylawyer.com/2007/12/05/hospitalitylawyer-stephen-barth-founder-of-hospitalitylawyercom-challenges-the-industry-to-go-non-smoking/.