All Marriott's non-smoking?

[JoeMO]

I was told by our salesman that all Marroitt timeshares are non-smoking and they do not allow alcohol in public places, like around the pools. He correctly assumed that this would appeal to me. I realized he was telling me what I wanted to hear.

Is this true? Are all Marriotts smoke free with resticted alcohol in public places?

Thanks

 

[ciscogizmo1]

I don't know about the non-smoking thing. But I do know that many places do not allow alcohol in public places. For example, in Hawaii because of the strict laws there you aren't allowed to bring your own alcoholic beverages to the pool. But that doesn't mean there isn't any alcohol around it just means that you must purchase the alcohol from the bar. So I think the alcohol thing would vary from resort to resort based on the current laws.

 

[KenK]

I know there are smoking rooms at the Manor Club.....some of the old sections.....

I also know that changing smoking rules on the condo docs would probably have to be voted on.

I've seen folks buy drinks (hard) at the travern located in Cypress Harbour which is right next to one of the pools. I also have seen special areas set up around the pools there for smoking....and non-smoking. (Last spring I didn't notice any smoking areas....maybe changed?

 

[bnevins]

I was at Desert Springs Villas II last week and the people in the next villa were smoking on the patio and it was a non-smoking villa. I wanted to call the office because I found it very offensive and ended up not sitting out on the patio when they were out there. I don't know if the no-smoking applies only to the room. Does anyone know?

 

[Potential Buyer Scott]

My understanding is that Grande Ocean is 1/2 non-smoking units and the other half will become non-smoking when the units are redone next year.
Alcohol is sold near the pool (PBJ's), however.

Scott

 

[dougef]

All Marriotts in North America to be smoke free:

http://marriott.com/news/detail.mi?marrArticle=137410

 

[maggie mae]

Interesting that the press release does not specifically mention MVCI just the hotel/motel brands.

I have bought alcohol at the Newport Coast Villas when on vacation there at the pool side bar and while on other vacations to Hilton Head have often seen several people with beer and/or spirits in the pool area at Marriott t/s resorts. In fact on one vacation we even saw people with coolers at the pool area and decided that was a pretty good idea for our party of four so we did the same thing.

Maggie Mae

 

[KenK]

I also note they left off MVCI managed properties. Maybe they do have to have the condo docs changed to make 100% non- smoking....I know someone once mentioned it is less expensive to maintain non-smoking rooms.

This goes on to say there will be no smoking in restaurants, meeting rooms, and so forth:

"...Washington , DC - 19 July 2006 -
Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) announced today that all of the Company’s lodging brands in the United States and Canada will become 100 percent smoke-free, beginning in September. This represents the industry’s largest move to a non-smoking environment, with more than 2,300 hotels and corporate apartments and nearly 400,000 guest rooms under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites and Marriott ExecuStay brands..."

 

[PerryM]

Is that a Tsunami I see?

With the Surgeon General finding, just 4 weeks ago, that there is NO safe level of secondhand smoke, any company or organization not banning smoking from everywhere on their premises is wide open to lawsuits from the employees and patrons.

Our little town outlawed smoking from all public gathering places – bars, restaurants, hotels, stores, sidewalks, and even parks – anywhere secondhand smoke could be inhaled by anyone else. They understand the tsunami of lawsuits headed for anyone with deep pockets.

If your HOA has not banned smoking from EVERYWHERE on the premises, including patios and outside grounds, they are opening themselves to massive lawsuits.

 

[ArtsieAng]

Off hand, I can think of quite a few Marriott's that sell alcohol at their pool/beach bars. Don't really know about smoking.

 

[KathyPet]

At GO the change to non-smoking ws made by the Board of Directors. THere was no vote by the owners taken. Smoking is permitted on the balconies.

 

[Werner Weiss]

I'm going to assume that Marriott's "100 percent smoke-free" policy applies to Marriott Vacation Club. After all, the press release start off, "Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) announced today that all of the Company’s lodging brands in the United States and Canada will become 100 percent smoke-free, beginning in September." (I added the bold attribute to the word "all" in this quote.)

However, I don't expect the policy to apply to patios, balconies, pool areas, walkways, or other outdoor areas. The press release lists various different indoor areas, but says nothing about outdoor areas. This means that you could sit down for breakfast on your balcony, only to find that the couple next door is sitting on their balcony for their morning cigarettes, and their smoke is drifting in your direction.

I don't think it's reasonable to ban smoking everywhere on the premises. Smokers can't go 7 days without smoking. Smoking is already banned in rental cars, most restaurants, and many attractions, so smokers need to smoke where they're staying. However, I think it is reasonable to limit smoking to areas where the smoke won't bother others. I could see designated smoking areas in gardens and gazebos around each property.

One issue that will need to be addressed is how Marriott will deal with guests who choose to ignore the rules. I was once greeted by the smell of stale cigarette smoke when I opened the door to our non-smoking Cypress Harbour unit. Fortunately, it was a time of year when we could keep the door to the screened porch open overnight, and that aired out the room sufficiently.

When checking into AmeriSuites, I've had to sign a paper saying I would be charged a specific, hefty cleaning fee if I smoked in the room.

Finally, let's not let this thread turn into a debate about smoking. Smokers know the health issues. And most smokers are courteous and follow the rules.

 

[Dave M]

I don't believe the announced no-smoking policy applies to MVCI for several reasons:

1. The MVCI brand wasn't included in the press release.

2. MVCI individual resort policies are not controlled by Marriott, except for those resorts where the board is controlled by Marriott because the resort is still in original sales.

3. The HOA sets smoking polices (as KathyPet accurately related for GO), except where controlled by law or by legal documents (the CC&Rs) for the resort.

4. MVCI is not a true "lodging" brand, in the sense that one generally can't just call up and make a reservation for a night. Marriott often distinguishes its "lodging" brands from MVCI. One simple example is the title of Part 2 of Marriott's June 2005 meeting with security analysts, which I profiled here in late June 2005. The examples in the slides in the PDF file (linked at my link) for that meeting make the distinction even more clear.

The bottom line is that Marriott can make recommendations to HOAs, but can't force an immediate change where the HOA is owner-controlled.

 

[Dean]

GO will be all NS come this spring when the redo is complete. Surfwatch has smoking floors and non smoking floors. They still have letters in the units asking people to smoke on the balcony. They do no limit smoking on the balcony of NS units though I wish they would. I asked on the the Assistant managers at GO if they'd had any enforcement of the associated fines and she said not to her knowledge.