And this isn't a strictly California phenomenon. But some national chains maintain a much larger percentage. The reasons for the change are obvious. Demand is greater for smoke-free rooms. It's easier to put a smoking guest in a no-smoking room than vice versa.
Hoteliers report fewer cleaning hassles and damage problems in no-smoking rooms.
And if you're not a smoker, you don't want a smoking room,'' manager Michael Lennon says. But many hotels, particularly those that do a lot of convention business or host guests from Europe, Asia and other regions not accustomed to restrictions on smoking, are wary of imposing rules that could cost them business. To enforce the policy, some hotels require guests to acknowledge the ban upon check-in and warn they'll be charged for cleaning fees if they light up. Even in California, however, where a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants has made smokers more amenable to stepping outside to light up, no-smoking hotels occasionally report scofflaws.