Letter to Chicago Hyatt on lack of smokefree areas during National Conference on Tobacco or Health
Author: Bronson FrickHyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601 312-239-4575 fax
To the Management:
I recently stayed in the Chicago Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk as part of the National Conference on Tobacco or Health. Your hotel was a bad experience on many levels.
It was appalling that your hotel did not make your lobby smokefree for at least our three day national conference. Your guests included hundreds of lung cancer survivors, children, and asthmatics. The smoke-filled environment made for an unwelcome and dangerous environment. I am shocked that the Hyatt management was more concerned with allowing some guests to smoke indoors rather than allowing all guests to simply breathe.
It is startling that your management chose to poison thousands of guests in your hotel in spite of the many complaints made during their stay. I believe your decision was short-sighted. Not only will most of our conference attendees never bring business to your hotel again, we will spread the word about your lack of hospitality and common sense from coast to coast. Your competitor, the Sheraton, did go smokefree during the conference, and we will keep that in mind as we plan future meetings around the country.
Your refusal to voluntarily go smokefree on your own underscores the urgent need to achieve smokefree workplaces and public places in Chicago through regulation. Over one-third of Americans now live in a city that provides smokefree hotel lobbies by law and the number is growing rapidly. Also, the number of lawsuits from occupational and guest exposure to secondhand smoke are growing quickly as there is a mountain of scientific evidence showing that even short-term exposure causes diseases.
Finally, it was sad to see your employees being poisoned by secondhand smoke in your hotel. Many of them are miserable from occupational exposure to secondhand smoke . I spoke with one waitress at the bar, who told us she was afraid to speak up, but hated working in the smoke-filled atmosphere. For her sake, and that of other employees and guests, I sincerely encourage you to reconsider your smoking policy.
Bronson Frick Associate Director Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite J Berkeley, CA 94702 (510) 841-3032 phone (510) 841-3071 fax bronson.frick@no-smoke.org www.no-smoke.org
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Mayor Daley's online comment form: http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalPreContactUsAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@1438816207.1115848295@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccdaddehegmfmlcefecelldffhdfhg.0&logObsToolBar=true&topChannelName=Dept
Chicago Hyatt Hotel's online feedback form: http://www.hyatt.com/corporate/contact/email_stayfeedback.jhtml?ssnav=0
Hotel email: caffairs@chircpo.hyatt.com