Budget hotel chains Travelodge and Premier Travel Inn (soon to be Premier Inn) are to ban smoking in all their hotel rooms from January 2008.

Following the introduction of the smoking ban on 1 July all public areas in hotels will have to be no-smoking areas and the impact of the ban is now being felt beyond its legislation.

Grant Hearn, chief executive at Travelodge, which operates 318 hotels in the UK, said: “Just 12% of our customers are smokers and over half of those were supportive of smoke-free hotels.”

Smoking rooms account for 18% of the 32,600 rooms in the 480 Premier Travel Inn hotels in the UK and the budget operator has trialled a complete smoking ban already in several Scottish sites.

Patrick Dempsey, Premier Travel Inn Managing Director said: Our research also showed that guests are confused by the ban and its limitations especially in hotels, so a complete no smoking ban will make it more straightforward for everyone.” 

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By Christopher Walton

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