NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hotel chain Marriott International Inc. will announce on Wednesday that it is banning smoking in all rooms of its 2,300-plus hotels in the United States and Canada, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site on Wednesday.

The move is part of an effort to stop an increasingly common source of guest complaints, the report said.

More than 90 percent of Marriott's hotel rooms in the United States and Canada are already nonsmoking, but smoking will now be banned in public spaces, such as restaurants, bars and meeting rooms, the report said.

The change in policy will start in September, and guests who smoke in hotel rooms face a clean-up fee ranging from $200 to $300, according to the story.


A spokeswoman for Marriott was not immediately available to comment.

Does this mean that the Big Smoke will no longer be held in New York City at all?

I don't know. I'll see what I can find out.

Doc,

This could provide a model case scenario. I will speak with Marriot management at South Beach / Miami in August to get insights into the local suspicions with said forthcoming changes.

With a significant Cuban culture and predominately Spanish speaking contingency of South Beach, Little Havana, and surrounding tourist areas it seems hard to believe that a local market driven approach is not applicable in this supposed “known cigar friendly area.”

One could surmise that the 90% number could be inflated, that infrastructure considerations, ventilation regulations or other liabilities are legitimate, and thus their absence only can add to the bottom line.

I have a non-smoking room yet I will be smoking up a storm on the ocean view balcony, and other outdoor hotel lounge areas. It will be interesting to see corporate policing of outdoor common space. If they think they have an "increasing common source of guest complaints" now . . .

Anyone from Miami?

unbelievable. At least the bar at the Marriott in Paris at the La Defense is NOT smoke free........

Being the cpaitalists that they are, I'm sure that the Marriot will gladly take CA's and the vendors money.

Hey Barry, let's have the Big Smoke and pay the $300 clean-up fee for the room.....after all it does not say convention room...

I see more and more hotels doing this. I taker a non smoking room but do not begrudge anyone a smoking room or smoking floor.

I take exception to the "outdoor common space" I think smoking in a pool area or outside should be allowed