How to Stop Your Guests from Smoking: Maintain a Smoke-Free Hotel

February 16, 2024By Maranda Reyes

As a hotel owner or manager, one of the most challenging problems you may face is how to prevent smoking in your hotel. Although you may do your best to implement additional cleaning fees relating to your non-smoking policy to try and deter smoking, there are guests who may still smoke regardless of the rules you have in place. Therefore it is important to be proactive and have a strategy in place to minimize and prevent this from happening. This article will help prevent smoking and better prepare hotel staff on how to catch someone smoking.

Smoking in hotels can significantly impact various aspects of guest experience and hotel operations. Smoking in hotels compromises guest satisfaction, triggers complaints from non-smoking guests, and poses health risks due to secondhand smoke exposure. These smoking incidents negatively impact hotel reviews, affecting the establishment's reputation and deterring potential guests. Additionally, smoking causes extensive damage to hotel rooms, including lingering odors, stains on furnishings, and increased cleaning costs to restore the room to its original condition, leading to a loss of revenue.

5 Tips To Prevent Smoking in Hotels

1. Implement strict no-smoking policies throughout the hotel, backed by fines and disciplinary actions. Consider collecting a damage deposit or charging a smoking fee to deter guests from violating the policy and ensure compliance.

Documenting smoking incidents with collected cleaning fees can result in an additional revenue potential of $2,500-$5,000 per room, per year

Consider using a recreational smoke detector, such as WYND Sentry, to detect smoking incidents in non-smoking rooms. This will help in validating the collection of smoking related cleaning fees.

2. Effectively communicate smoking policies with guests by prominently displaying no-smoking signs in guest rooms and common areas. Remind guests of associated fees and penalties, and inform them about the presence of smoke detection devices across the property to reinforce compliance.

3. Offer designated smoking areas for guests to smoke while maintaining a smoke-free environment in other areas of the hotel. Clearly mark these areas with signage and provide ashtrays to encourage compliance with the hotel's smoking policies.

4. Install advanced cigarette smoke detectors like WYND Sentry, capable of detecting cigarette, marijuana, and vape smoke. If your hotel has a recreational smoke detector, make sure to mention this when communicating your smoking policy with guests to help with deterring smoking incidents. Installing a recreational smoking detector will help to enable hotel staff to take a more proactive approach before smoking incidents escalate.

Sentry installed in hotel room to detect cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke, vape smoke, and noise.

5. Continuously evaluate and improve non-smoking policies. Provide your guests the opportunity to provide feedback on your policy. Identify pain points for both smoking and non-smoking guests. Create solutions and modify existing policies to ensure the best guest experience possible.

Take a Proactive Approach

Being proactive requires you to have a system in place that notifies you immediately upon a rule violation. WYND Sentry is an advanced recreational smoke detector that detects cigarette smoke, as well as other recreational smoke from marijuana and vape. This system offers unparalleled features designed to bolster and help enforce your hotel’s smoke-free policy and ensure a comfortable environment for all guests.

What does Sentry do?

Recreational Smoke Detection: Unlike traditional smoke detectors, WYND Sentry is uniquely equipped to identify recreational smoking, including cigarette, marijuana, and vape smoke. This comprehensive approach ensures that no smoking incident goes unnoticed, distinguishing it as an essential tool for maintaining a smoke-free environment in hotels.

Noise Detection: In addition to smoke detection, WYND Sentry is equipped with noise detection capabilities. This feature allows hotel management to monitor and address noisy disturbances promptly, enhancing overall guest experience and comfort.

How does Sentry help?

Instant Alerts: WYND Sentry doesn't just detect incidents; it also notifies hotel staff in real-time via instant push alerts. Whether it's through SMS, app notifications, or email, staff members receive immediate alerts upon detecting smoking or noise incidents, enabling swift intervention.

Enable instant push alerts through SMS, app notifications, or email.
Ensure all staff members are set up to receive immediate alerts.
Train staff on how to respond swiftly to alerts indicating smoking incidents.
Establish protocols for addressing smoking incidents upon receiving alerts.
Utilize the real-time alerts to intervene promptly and prevent further smoking.

Detailed Documentation: Every smoking or noise incident detected by WYND Sentry is meticulously recorded and documented. With a time and date stamp, along with the device name indicating the room number, hotels have irrefutable proof of violations, facilitating enforcement of smoking policies and ensuring accountability.

Utilize timestamps and room numbers to pinpoint the exact location and time of smoking incidents.
Use documented evidence to enforce smoking policies and hold guests accountable.
Leverage timestamps and room numbers to refute any potential credit card chargebacks initiated by guests.
Utilize detailed documentation as valid proof in the event of guest chargebacks, ensuring successful defense against disputed charges.
Share incident reports with relevant staff members for awareness and action.

With detailed documentation of smoking incidents, hotels can successfully claim smoking policy fees by maintaining detailed documentation of smoking incidents, providing valid proof to refute any potential credit card chargebacks initiated by guests.

Web App Accessibility: Monitoring and managing WYND Sentry is made effortless with its user-friendly web app. Hotel staff can easily access and review incident logs, track trends, and take proactive measures to maintain a smoke-free environment.

Take the next steps to Maintain a Smoke-Free Hotel

Effectively addressing smoking in hotels is paramount for maintaining guest satisfaction, preserving the hotel's reputation, and minimizing operational challenges. Implementing measures like strict smoking policies, clear communication, designated smoking areas, and advanced smoke detection systems like WYND Sentry. WYND Sentry emerges as a vital tool for hotels seeking to enhance safety, mitigate risks, and optimize revenue generation. With its advanced features and tangible benefits, it proves to be more than just a cigarette smoke detector—it's a strategic investment in elevating the guest experience and protecting hotel assets.

For more information on WYND Sentry and how it can benefit your hotel, visit WYND Sentry - Hotel or connect with our team to Book a Demo.