jsteph Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 I recently won a bid for a 3-night stay at the Kitano in June that I was so excited for. Now I'm reading so many neg reviews about smoking and smelly roooms.I suppose I'm naive but I didn't think people could smoke in hotels anymore. It didn't even occur to me to make that an issue in my search for a hotel.Now I'm freaking out! I absolutely cannot spend 3 nights in a smoking room or any room that has previously been smoked in.How will the hotel handle any request about a non-smoking room? Will the fact that I got the hotel on PL for signifantly less than their posted rates mean we'll get second-rate treatment and they won't take a non-smoking request seriously? I can't even handle a non-smoking room on a smoking floor. Do most hotels in NYC have designated smoking rooms or did I just get one of the few that aren't smoke-free? :) Help! Any advice please.I'm really worried about this. Link to comment
AaronJB Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 There is no set rule regarding PRICELINE and smoking/non-smoking rooms. In some cases during busy periods, it may come down to availability if that's all that's left. In many cases, PRICELINE has booked me into a non-smoking room or if not, I've never had a problem (so far, at least) asking for NS.The best recommendation would be to write or call the hotel and politely request/tell them you would greatly appreciate being assigned a no-smoking room. Link to comment
jsteph Posted March 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Thank you AaronJB. I appreciate you taking the time to reply to what some might consider a trivial matter.I will have to contact them directly. I don't want this to ruin our getaway.Can you tell me though, do most NYC hotels offer smoking? I saw the Kitano listed on a travel website and it had the non-smoking icon. In my opinion that should mean no smoking anywhere on site. kwim?I don't ever remember it being an issue at the previous 2 NYC hotels we've stayed at.ps. Still loving the price we paid using the PRICELINE link on this board. Link to comment
AaronJB Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 There are no guarantees, but I guess my view is this: there is a lot of discussion on the board about tripadvisor reviews. While I definitely think serious issues mentioned in reviews should be cause for concern, there's a lot of reviews where the hotel didn't likely live up to the expectations based upon the high prices in NYC, where $250-350+ is not uncommon for upscale properties. The Kitano has a 4.5/5 and a 91% recommended; given that I think that's pretty difficult in NYC given the prices and expectations, I would hope that customer service would be willing to work with you on smoking/non-smoking, which I feel is a basic request (not like asking for an upgrade) and should not be denied (unless there's an availability/inventory issue) due to PRICELINE/HOTWIRE status.Additionally, these two reviews from last fall discuss the smoke issue and how it was resolved:http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews...y_New_York.htmlThis one talks about it in relation to a PRICELINE reservation: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews...y_New_York.htmlNot sure exactly about the smoking status of the property, but there do appear to be smoking/non-smoking floors. I'd definitely call them and ask ("I'd greatly appreciate if there was any way I could be assigned to a non-smoking room", or something along those lines.)Please let us know what happens. Link to comment
jsteph Posted March 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 I emailed the Reservations desk and cc'd the GM a simle yet honest letter about my concerns and our request for a nonsmoking room on a nonsmoking floor... the GM emailed me back within hours! His response was very genuine and he assured me they would have a nonsmoking room for us. I am now looking forward to our stay at the Kitano more than ever. I think the fact that the GM would personally respond with such a lovely email speaks volumes about how this hotel is run. :) Thanks for the advice. I feel so much better now.Kudos to this forum and PRICELINE Link to comment
AaronJB Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Fantastic! Glad to hear that the hotel responded well to your request and that you are more comfortable/looking forward to your stay. :) Link to comment
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