All U.S. Marriott hotel properties will go completely smoke-free in September, company officials announced Wednesday. The blanket policy applies to all Marriott brands, which including the Ritz-Carlton, Residence Inn and Courtyard properties.
Marriott smoking policies were previously set on a hotel-by-hotel basis, which allowed each hotel to individually assess the needs of its clientele.
“You take a look at your client mix and assign rooms accordingly,” said John Wolf, a spokesman for Marriott said in a July 3 interview. “It’s going to vary at each hotel.”
In the District, about 85 percent of the Marriott rooms were already smoke-free.
“Creating a smoke-free environment demonstrates a new level of service and care for our guests and associates,” JW Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO of the Bethesda-based company, said in a statement. “Our family of brands is united on this important health issue, and we anticipate very positive customer feedback.”
“I’d have to think a company as smart as Marriott has analyzed [this policy] and determined they will gain more business than they will lose,” said Emily Durso, president of the Hotel Association of Washington.
Marriott is the association’s largest member, accounting for 15 of its 90 hotel members, said Durso. The Marriott Wardman Park is the city’s biggest hotel with 1,348 guest rooms. Once Marriott goes smoke-free, Durso estimates that between 50 percent and 70 percent of the city’s hotel rooms will be smoke-free.
Marriott’s hotel brands
» Marriott
» JW Marriott
» The Ritz-Carlton
» Renaissance
» Courtyard
» Residence Inn
» SpringHill Suites
» Fairfield Inn
» TownePlace Suites
» Marriott ExecuStay
