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HONOLULU (AP) - Smokers who light up in nonsmoking hotel rooms in Hawaii face hundreds of dollars in fines.
Hotels say the fines cover the cost of shampooing the rugs, drapes and bedding to eliminate the cigarette odor.The Aqua Palms & Spa in Waikiki charges $500.Guy Underkoffler, senior vice president of the property, says the nonsmoking hotel raised the penalty last month to discourage smoking violations. There has been only one violation since, he said."Five-hundred dollars seems to be the magic number to make them think twice," he said, adding that the hotel hasn't had much trouble getting violators to pay.Barry Wallace, of Outrigger Enterprises Group, said the hotel chain has noticed decreasing demand for smoking-allowed rooms."Over the last few years, we have noticed ... an increasing sensitivity to any odor or exposure to cigarette smoke by our guests and employees," Wallace said.Outrigger Hotels and Resorts and its budget Ohana properties have been smoke-free since 2006. The hotel chain imposes $250 fines for guests who smoke in its rooms.
Wallace said the chain experiences about two violations a week. For the most part, the shift to nonsmoking has been accepted by guests, including Japanese visitors, who tend to smoke more than Americans, he said."It has not been a big deal," Wallace said.Travel Hawaii, a Hawaii-based Internet travel agency, has set up a database with the smoking policies of hotels throughout the state.The company's owner, John Lindelow, says the site is constantly updated."This is a rapidly changing area of hotel policy," he said.Hawaii hotels are not alone in going smoke-free. A number of hotel chains with properties across the nation, including Marriott, have also banned smoking.
Hotels say the fines cover the cost of shampooing the rugs, drapes and bedding to eliminate the cigarette odor.The Aqua Palms & Spa in Waikiki charges $500.Guy Underkoffler, senior vice president of the property, says the nonsmoking hotel raised the penalty last month to discourage smoking violations. There has been only one violation since, he said."Five-hundred dollars seems to be the magic number to make them think twice," he said, adding that the hotel hasn't had much trouble getting violators to pay.Barry Wallace, of Outrigger Enterprises Group, said the hotel chain has noticed decreasing demand for smoking-allowed rooms."Over the last few years, we have noticed ... an increasing sensitivity to any odor or exposure to cigarette smoke by our guests and employees," Wallace said.Outrigger Hotels and Resorts and its budget Ohana properties have been smoke-free since 2006. The hotel chain imposes $250 fines for guests who smoke in its rooms.
Wallace said the chain experiences about two violations a week. For the most part, the shift to nonsmoking has been accepted by guests, including Japanese visitors, who tend to smoke more than Americans, he said."It has not been a big deal," Wallace said.Travel Hawaii, a Hawaii-based Internet travel agency, has set up a database with the smoking policies of hotels throughout the state.The company's owner, John Lindelow, says the site is constantly updated."This is a rapidly changing area of hotel policy," he said.Hawaii hotels are not alone in going smoke-free. A number of hotel chains with properties across the nation, including Marriott, have also banned smoking.
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