Well, now this is an interesting topic. Here's a view from the other side...

I always request smoking rooms, and am basically told the same thing as above, about reservations. That is, the somking room will be *requested* but nothing is guaranteed until check-in.

Hilton and Marriott seem positively bent on putting me on the "concierge"-type levels, which are almost always non-smoking. Well, I don't complain about this...their hearts are in the right place, and it is pretty obvious that your profile preferences are not looked at very closely.

I would like to say, though, that I DO NOT smoke in these rooms. If there is a balcony, I use it,otherwise I take the elevator downstairs and smoke outside. Friends ask me how I can stand to do this...

Well, re-read the above replies. Imposed self-control DOES help cutting down, and it does help when the person decides to quit. But also, forget the hotel, look at the work site...I know I'm not alone here, but I am quite accustomed to going down 15 floors at work to grab a smoke. I'm used to it, and doing same at the hotel is not an inconvenience. And, as also noted above, being used to sitting on a plane for umpteen hours without being able to light up has absolutely done wonders for unchaining me from the %%%% weed.

Personal satisfactin note: 1999, changing planes in Boston (Don't ask me why I was using Logan as a transfer point...too long to go in to), came in after 4 hours without a cigarette, had a 45-layover, and went up to a nice young man at the security checkpoint and asked him were there any smoking areas in the airport. He looked down his nose at me and said, "Sir, if you wish to smoke,you will have to LEAVE the terminal!" I looked at my watch and said, "Well, OK, it's only been 9 hours since my last cigarette. That's OK, I'll just wait!" and I went back to wait for my connection. (Yeah, I lied, it had only been 4 hours, but why give him the satisfaction?)
I didn't die of withdrawl, barely was bothered by it, and to this day, I feel SOOOO GOOD about that little victory!

(edited for some rotten spelling)

[This message has been edited by hnechets (edited 03-05-2001).]