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• J.D. Power and Associates Reports: 'No Smoking' at Hotels Could be the Latest Marketing Strategy, as a Vast Majority of Travelers Prefer a Smoke-Free Hotel Environment 

Offering a completely smoke-free environment is poised to become the latest differentiator in the competitive hotel industry, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM) released today.

The study finds that 79 percent of hotel guests prefer a smoke-free environment that exceeds the boundaries of their guest room. While guests of luxury hotels (Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, etc.) are most likely to prefer a non-smoking environment, upscale hotels (Hilton, Westin, Marriott, etc.) have been quicker to adopt this policy. Marriott International Inc., for example, recently announced that all of its lodging brands in the United States and Canada will be 100 percent smoke-free starting in September, and Westin Hotels & Resorts have been 100 percent smoke-free since earlier this year.

"What was once a differentiator is now expected by consumers," said Linda Hirneise, executive director of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates.

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