No Smoking At Marriott Grande Vista [Merged threads]

I just want to know if anyone else is upset or concerned with the fact that without any notice to Owners (Like us) The Marriott Grande Vista changed to a total no smoking timeshare now. We bought with the expectations that we would always have smoking buildings available for our use. I tried to get a refund but good ole Marriott said tough s**T basically
Any Thoughts??

Weather it's fair or not it seems like all major hotel chains are going in that direction. Timeshares wont be far behind.

This will certainly lead to a lot of argument between both sides but I highly praise Marriott for keeping pace with the times. Being from Ontario Canada where there is a total ban on smoking in any public place including bar, restauraunts, hotels, work place etc. etc. and having a Father who is currently dying from emphysema I, as an owner at Grande Vista, welcome this change. I do not want to get into an argument about this but there is absolutely no benefit to anyone in smoking.

One effect will be lower costs in cleaning, and replacing smoke damaged items. Great decision.

As a non-smoking, with kids with asthma and myself with sensitive respiratory system, I am so thrilled that I now do not have to go through the trouble of specifying non-smoking requirements, and repeatedly need to exchange room when I checked into a room with strong smell of smoke from previous residence who ignored non-smoking sign on the floor.

My understanding is that all Marriott properties in United State are non-smoking now.

When we toured Marriott Grand Chateau last year, we were told they had made a decision mid-construction to make the whole timeshare non smoking.

I take what I wrote to be too controversal, I apologize to the moderator I meant no disrespect.

Several of my resorts are non-smoking now, and I appreciate that. I just received a newsletter from Barony Beach informing owners that the only permissible smoking area at the resort is the villa balconies effective 4/1/07. While I can appreciate the burden placed on smokers, the realty is that it is not practical to maintain smoking only units. It is very difficult to remove the smell of smoke from the villas, and smoke can be an irritant to many guests long after the smoker has vacated the unit. It can't be that much of an inconvenience to smoke outside on the balcony, especially considering that in most office buildings workers have to leave the building to smoke. That said, It seems a little extreme that smoking is not permitted outdoors on the resort grounds.

I could be wrong

But wasn't this change highlighted in the annual newletter that the GM sends to owners?

I agree that smoking isn't good for our health or for room maintenance, and I know that smokers probably realize that they can't fight these changes, but it still does seem a little unfair from a purely business perspective to change the rules/amenities of a resort after charging people thousands to buy in. For example, if they made all the rooms smoking after we thought non-smoking rooms would be available, wouldn't that be a bit shady?

somerville said:

Several of my resorts are non-smoking now, and I appreciate that. I just received a newsletter from Barony Beach informing owners that the only permissible smoking area at the resort is the villa balconies effective 4/1/07. While I can appreciate the burden placed on smokers, the realty is that it is not practical to maintain smoking only units. It is very difficult to remove the smell of smoke from the villas, and smoke can be an irritant to many guests long after the smoker has vacated the unit. It can't be that much of an irritant to smoke outside on the balcony, especially considering that in most office buildings workers have to leave the building to work. That said, It seems a little extreme that smoking is not permitted outdoors on the resort grounds.

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I think you meant to say that they "must leave the building to SMOKE." Was that a freidian slip. Are you implying that they, the smoker, would be more productive if they worked while they smoked or that they take an aweful lot of breaks so as to be less productive?

In any event, I agree with you whole heartedly.

My husband is a smoker, but hasn't smoked inside (at home, in hotels, or in timeshares) since DD was born. She turns 21 in a couple of weeks.

Still .... I hope that he isn't going to be too annoyed by the smoking restrictions. When we stayed at the Marriott Custom House (no balconies) he became great friends with the valets from sitting in front of the building to smoke. Luckily it was nice weather.

Sheila

I recently stayed at a Marriott and was told that ALL Marriott properties are now non-smoking. If you decide to smoke anyway, there is a $250.00 cleaning charge. I smoke, but have always done it on the terrace of my resort.

Jimbo said:

I think you meant to say that they "must leave the building to SMOKE." Was that a freidian slip. Are you implying that they, the smoker, would be more productive if they worked while they smoked or that they take an aweful lot of breaks so as to be less productive?

In any event, I agree with you whole heartedly.

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You are correct. Although, I was not intending it to be a comment on work habits or productivity, just that during my working career, I have experienced changes in smoking policies where it was permitted anywhere in the building, to certain locations in the building, to now only outside the building. One suburb in the DC area even wanted to prohibit smoking on public sidewalks. I am not a smoker, but even I thought that was a little extreme.

somerville said:

You are correct. Although, I was not intending it to be a comment on work habits or productivity, just that during my working career, I have experienced changes in smoking policies where it was permitted anywhere in the building, to certain locations in the building, to now only outside the building. One suburb in the DC area even wanted to prohibit smoking on public sidewalks. I am not a smoker, but even I thought that was a little extreme.

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I am not a smoker either, but I think some places are taking it too far. A person should be able to smoke on a sidewalk or on a balcony if they are out of the way of other people. I think the non smoking thing has been carried too far.

I don't like having alcohol/drunks around me at ball games (I've had a few drunks spill stuff on me before). But I don't feel I have the right to set the rules for those people.

Last fall we buried one of my uncles who was hit by a drunk driver while he was mowing his grass in his front yard. My uncle lost his legs out of it and ultimately, his life from it. I wish they would take off the alcohol ads from TV like they did the smoking ads. They sure make it look attractive, but it hasn't been attractive/cool for our family.

Joe L said:

I recently stayed at a Marriott and was told that ALL Marriott properties are now non-smoking. If you decide to smoke anyway, there is a $250.00 cleaning charge.

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Marriott has made all of its hotels - every Marriott brand - nonsmoking. However, MVCI isn't included and you won't see it listed in Marriott's various press releases on this issue.

Marriott doesn't control the smoking designations in its timeshares. The HOAs do. Thus, all Marriott could do is recommend to all of its timeshare resorts - which it has done - that they become nonsmoking. Where Marriott still controls the HOA because the resort is still in active sales, it was easy to make the change. A few others (such as Grand Ocean) had already committed to becoming nonsmoking before Marriott made the recommendation.

One by one, most other Marriott timeshare resorts are announcing that they are joining the nonsmoking group.

I think this is great news that the Marriott timeshares are slowly going non-smoking. I would also like to see no smoking on the balconies. I really enjoy sitting on my balcony during the morning and evening hours. It becomes very uncomfortable when a neighbor comes out to smoke and I have to smell his/her second hand smoke blowing my direction. My enjoyment is over and I have to go indoors. So I also vote for non-smoking on the balconies.

Yahoo for Marriott!!!

I am sorry if I come over too strong on the anti-smoking front.
BUT
I totally agree with ml855 (previous post). We are all non-smokers and find it annoying when we want to sit on an outside balcony only to have someone else's smoke wafting our way.
I have an allergy to cigarette smoke. Only now are all the venues in my home state becoming non-smoking which make life a lot easier.
The problem with any place is, however, that even though they smoke outside, the smoke on the smokers clothes and hair permeates the couches they sit on & particularly the pillows they sleep on!
Many times when we travel I have to take my own pillow or go and buy a new one because the non-smoking rooms have pillows that stink of smoke.
This is REALLY inconvenient - especially if you are travelling overseas and going from place to place. Pillows are not always allowed in cabin baggage and do not always fit into suitcases.
For all those smokers out there - put it into perspective. If you have an allergy or medical condition that gets aggravated by something, wouldn't you like to go on holiday without worrying about getiing sick?
This is all that people who can't handle smoke (due to allergies, asthma or other afflictions) want - a pleasant holiday!

lostinjapan14 said:

For example, if they made all the rooms smoking after we thought non-smoking rooms would be available, wouldn't that be a bit shady?

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or if they made the resorts alcohol free. I like littlestar have lost friends and family to drunk drivers but the alcohol industry must have a stronger lobby .it is the way we are subjected to it all the time from when we are kids . you see a family come out to the pool and daddy or mommy drinking because " we are on vacation " or whatever bs excuse they are using . so little jimmy or joannie grews up thinking the only way to have a good time at these resorts is with alcohol and they raise there kids the same way. I 'm not saying to ban alcohol because I am a live and let live person but the non smoking faction doesn't see it that way anymore .I had one guy from worldmark in las vegas tell me he could smell smoke from people balconies. this resort is right on las vegas blvd with hundreds of trucks going by a few feet away . I thought this was crazy but to each his own . oh and by the way I don't smoke anymore

There is a big difference between alcohol and cigarettes. Alcohol in moderation is healthy. Any amount of cigarettes are harmfull.

Alcohol in moderation harms nobody. Smoking harms everyone around.

gmarine said:

There is a big difference between alcohol and cigarettes. Alcohol in moderation is healthy. Any amount of cigarettes are harmfull.

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wow I guess that could be another way of looking at it .

jyork9 said:

I just want to know if anyone else is upset or concerned with the fact that without any notice to Owners (Like us) The Marriott Grande Vista changed to a total no smoking timeshare now. We bought with the expectations that we would always have smoking buildings available for our use. I tried to get a refund but good ole Marriott said tough s**T basically
Any Thoughts??

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I would not be as upset if Grand Vista allowed smoking on the decks, but now they will not allow that either. I can understand Marriott's' position on their hotel chains as everyone has a choice to stay or not stay at their property. It is different when you purchase the property and own the deed for several years and then the rules change

That's the nature of timeshares, condos, townhouses, and other planned-unit communities. There is a set of rules which the developer or HOA, depending on how mature the development is, can change from time to time. One should never buy into any such development (including timeshares) without reading the provisions that are spelled out in the legal documents (such as, for Marriott, the reservation, lock-off, check-in and other policies). Anything not detailed in those legal documents is fair game to be changed.

Smoking rules fit into that "fair game" category. Other similar polices that could change include whether fees will be charged for activities, whether there will be a restaurant, whether small children will be banned from certain pools (that happened at Grande Ocean) and whether a pool will continue to be heated.

Thank you Marriott

As a non-smoker and a relative of several people highly allergic to smoke, I am so happy that some MVC properties are going smoke free.

swainj said:

As a non-smoker and a relative of several people highly allergic to smoke, I am so happy that some MVC properties are going smoke free.

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Me too!!

And to add to the discussion about smoking on balconies- I am glad they are restricting that as well. I know some have posted that it doesn't disturb others, but the smoke really carries over onto neighboring balconies and for those sensitive to the odor it really is a problem.