bkmn

Firstly, let me apologize to the non-smokers for being a smoker. Even before smoking bans in restaurants became common, I would not smoke around others if it would make them uncomfortable.

The last few years I have noticed a flaw in the Hilton website - Hilton shows a property as having smoking rooms, but the property is smoke free.

I don't have a problem with properties choosing to be smoke free, but I will avoid booking at those properties since I am a smoker. If I book a room at a property that Hilton shows as having smoking rooms and I show up and find the property is smoke free I am not a happy camper. The first time (two years ago) I encountered this in Bangor, ME I was told that corporate required them to build a smoking area outside that met corporate requirements (paved, heated).

I have had some properties walk me to another that allows smoking, others do not want to lose my business so I spend the night and get my exercise running down the fire escape for a cigarette outside.

My question: Is it a corporate issue or IT being current issue that smoke free properties still have smoking inventory listed on hilton.com?

MayorMcKnife

Hilton hotels that have gone smoke-free can have smoking rooms listed for months afterwards. Take for instance the Hilton Garden Inn Tri-Cities/Kennewick (WA), they went smoke-free almost a year ago and still list them as available. Others seem to be able to eliminate them from inventory right away. I think it stems from the staff forgetting to tell hilton.com. But you would think after a few angry people, they would make it a priority to update the reservations system.

rayraf

I'm a smoker too but I don't feel I have a need to apolgize upfront like you did.
I have run into this same situation. It has to be Hilton's poorly managed website.
If a Hilton property is not available where I am going that offers smoking rooms, someone else gets my business. That's the same reason I no longer stay at Marriott properties where I used to be platinum. Haven't spent a dime there since.

JDiver

This is a known and longstanding problem with a number of properties that are 100% smoke-free.

As to those who would avoid these properties, more power to you - you get what you want, I get what I want, which is a carbon-monoxide, carcinogen free environment.

RogerD408

So I guess we can say 100% non-smoking properties still listing smoking rooms are giving 110% for their guests?

As I understand it, the properties are the ones to load their inventory, so any bad entries are the result of the property not doing their job right and not an IT issue. Of course everyone blames the computer...

RogerD408

Does IT handle the quantity of rooms too? Leaving the smoking rooms at zero and upping the number of non-smoking rooms should do the trick. But I'm just guessing and did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I guess I'll just chalk their inability to manage the room inventory properly as a reason to lower Hilton on the priority list.

Those that run into this situation should report it to corporate and not just someone working the front desk.

trm2

Well, hopefully

Keyser

i come across this quite often....there is a property where i have been staying regularly & end up spending anywhere between 30-40 nights a year there....i always get an option to either book a smoking or non-smoking room but this property has been 100% non-smoking for almost 3 years now....

wilp888

I come across this problem a lot, especially in U.S. properties. I tend to book months ahead and many times when I arrive at the hotel, I found they have switched to smoke free properties or in the case of Boston, banned smoking in all hotels. It's not a deal killer for me as I don't mind going downstairs and smoking outside the hotel. Unless it's the middle of Winter on the East Coast, it's rather refreshing to smoke outdoors and return to a smoke free room.

RogerD408

So from this it sounds like they are adding smoking rooms to their inventory when they shouldn't be. Please send a message to Hilton when this happens so they will take action. If they are not told the system is broken, they won't take action to fix it. I can understand rolling old reservations off the system, but the property should be proactive in notifying guest they will not be able to honor their reservation request for a smoking room. I'd rather know before arriving at the property. And if they pulled that on me, I would NOT allow them to bill me for deep cleaning the room afterwards.

Foxhat

I know it is up to the property to correct the information on the website, but many of the decisions to go smoke free are made by new laws concerning smoking in many locations. So if you choose to avoid those hotels that are smoke free you may be in for a very long drive in the morning depending on where you are staying.

Smoke free in 2005 after 30 years

Keyser

i've actually pointed this out to the property a couple of times....it doesn't make a difference to me though since i don't smoke....

bkmn

Congrats to you for successfully kicking the habit after 30 years....quite an accomplishment.

I first ran into this at an HGI in Maine that was recently built. After checking in to the room I called Hilton and the agent forced the manager on duty to let me smoke in the room. The next time I came back to the property they walked me to a Hampton. I was also told that Hilton corporate forced them to list smoking rooms until they built a heated smoking gazebo outside (it CAN get cold in Maine). Cost to hotel => $10k

What kills me is when a state or city has banned smoking and the info is still not correct on the website. Hilton should be able to get that corrected and avoid causing the property a bunch of headaches.