Client Story: Casino Hotel
In-room smoking detection system reduces smoking and provides additional revenue stream
Property Type:
Casino Hotel
Location:
Detroit, Michigan
Size:
400 Rooms
Challenges
- Frequent guest complaints caused by smoking odors
- Inability to quickly identify where and when smoking violations occurred
- Difficulty collecting fees from guests who violated the smoking policy
- Time and money spent cleaning and repairing smoking-damaged rooms
Solution
- Monitor rooms for tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke with FreshAir’s patented sensors
- Receive immediate notification with logged scientific proof of smoking
Results
- Collected all smoking fees and won 100% of chargebacks
- Generated positive return on investment from collecting smoking fees and reduced cleaning costs, property damages, and rooms out of inventory
- Improved hotel Market Metric scores and guest satisfaction
- Simplified a no-hassle process to handle smoking violations
- Maintained cleaner, safer, healthier rooms for guests
“The use of FreshAir Sensor’s technology has allowed us to create a cleaner and more pleasant atmosphere for our guests, while adding revenue for our hotel operation. We now feel closer to being able to ‘certify’ or guarantee a non-smoking experience for our hotel guests… Our Market Metric scores have gone up, because our complaints have gone down.”
Director of Hotel Facilities
In-Depth Review
A 400-room casino hotel had a problem with guests smoking in its rooms. The hotel frequently received complaints about the smells of cigarette and marijuana smoke. A security officer would walk the area or floor in question, trying to determine the source of the smoke. From the hallways, the security officer would have a hard time definitively identifying the smokers’ rooms. Even when security personnel were able to determine where a guest was smoking, the hotel rarely had conclusive proof.The hotel found FreshAir Sensor, the only technology available to monitor for and immediately detect tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke. The FreshAir devices work over Wi-Fi and were quick and easy to install.
Initially the hotel ran a 30-room pilot program. The devices were immediately catching smokers, so the hotel went to a full implementation in all 400 rooms.
As part of the hotel’s effort to reduce smoking in guest rooms, the hotel also increased its cleaning fee to $500.
Now when someone smokes in a guest room, the hotel receives an alert. Security responds immediately, and FreshAir Sensor sends a time-stamped chart of the smoking event. The chart provides the hotel with scientific proof that smoking took place. When cleaning fees are charged, the hotel is always able to collect them, because credit card companies accept FreshAir Sensor’s charts as evidence of smoking.
“It was NOT easy to collect smoking penalties before we got the FreshAir Sensor smoking detection system. We collect deposits from guests at check-in, but half the time we lost the chargeback. We have zero problems with the credit card companies since we installed FreshAir in our rooms.”
Director of Hotel Facilities