Life after Smoking.

Are you ready yet? Have you made preparations for the introduction of a total ban on smoking in your hotel?
Many hoteliers have appeared to take a head in the sand approach - some are even in denial. Given the experience of Victoria and Queensland there is little doubt that we can expect a decline in business due to the removal of smoking from our hotels.
We are going to push the smoker outside in the middle of winter. What measures have you made for climate control? How do you cater for that out door smoker? Many hoteliers are going to experience this decline in sales during their seasonally poorest trading period. It would be wise to plan some extra promotions - motivations for people to retain the habit of going to the pub; all timed for the June, July and August period. We need to work hard to minimise the loss of the clientele we already have. It has often been said to me that retaining our current patrons is easier than finding new ones.
One of the greatest profit regions in today's hotels is the gaming machines. Victoria and Queensland have shown that the removal of smoking has cut gaming revenues. In the period following the total ban; hotels who have best catered for the smoking gamer have recovered whilst those who simply continued as they were are yet to regain their pre-smoking profits.
The ideal gaming room may be one that is situated in a private enclosed outdoor area where smoking is allowed, full climate control offered (don't know how we stop the rain - if there was not a drought) and business would continue as normal ….. Difficult to achieve? Some of the better Victorian venues have the gaming machines able to be viewed through glass from a private smoking courtyard - on winning a feature the patron walks out of the room for a cigarette break, whilst still being able to watch their machine roll through.
One of the major issues for gaming patrons will be security over their money in machines when they leave the room for a cigarette. We could see the advent of full time gaming staff who will oversee patron credits and possibly increase the service we currently offer today …… more wages.
The hotel industry continues to be of the most dynamic retail markets as different fads and ideas come and go. Successful hoteliers continue to adapt and change to meet the demands of today's public. All this during an ever increasing administrative workload.

  (Nick Tinning April 2007)