by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:00 AM ET, Fri September 11, 2015
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
As more and more establishments take a stance against smoking, hotel giant Comfort Inn and Suites will be implementing a 100-percent smoke-free policy starting on July 1, 2016.
By going smoke free, Choice Hotels International-the parent company of the 1,700 Comfort brand properties across the United States-will become the largest hotel brand in the country to make the commitment to wellness and cleanliness.
The brand has made a serious commitment to the health and wellness of its customers, recently unveiling the new tagline "Rested. Set. Go" to underline the focus on keeping patrons refreshed while on the road.
Choice Hotels Vice President of Brand Strategy Anne Smith released a statement about the company's decision to ban smoking at all of the Comfort brand properties:
"This smoke-free initiative is the latest in a series of bold steps the Comfort brand is taking to enhance the guest experience and deliver the needs of today's business and leisure travelers. In weighing this decision, we looked closely at guest feedback and hotel performance after Comfort Suites properties went completely smoke-free in 2007 and contrasted that with findings based on similar research performed this year. We learned a lot about attitudes toward non-smoking policies at hotels and found that, not only have preferences for smoke-free environments continued to increase, but smokers themselves are more likely to choose 100-percent smoke-free accommodations. These insights could potentially offer hoteliers operational advantages such as better room condition and cleanliness, fewer customer complaints and easier inventory management."
Going smoke-free isn't the only improvement the company is making to its hotel chains, though, as it is also adding lemon-infused ice water stations in all hotel lobbies and adding healthy alternatives to the complimentary hot breakfast stations.
All of the upgrades befitting the wellness of the customer are part of a plan for the Choice Hotels and Comfort franchisees to invest more than $250 million into existing hotels to make the experience better for people staying at the facilities.
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