80 Percent of Travelers Disrupted by Odors in Hotels

LEBANON, New Hampshire—FreshAir Sensor, a leader in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, found that four out of five travelers have experienced discomfort due to exposure to cigarette or marijuana smoke, perceived chemicals, and other pernicious odors during their stay. More than 90 percent of respondents said they saw value in the ability to choose a room that hotels can guarantee to have a higher standard of air quality. These trends show a rising number of travelers who value enhanced indoor air quality (IAQ) as an integral feature of the guest experience, and they’re willing to pay more to get it. 

FreshAir Sensor surveyed more than 200 consumers who frequent hotels regularly, and all but three said taking care of their health and wellness is a significant concern while traveling. 84 percent of survey respondents said they have stayed in a non-smoking room with clear signs of smoking on arrival. Roughly the same number of respondents reported that these odors negatively impacted their stay experience. 

Other key takeaways from the study: 

• 95 percent of respondents said they would prefer to stay in a hotel that allows travelers to guarantee their room has not experienced a smoking event before arrival. 

• 56 percent consider hotel guest rooms “safe” and “clean” to stay in after 60 days of being smoke-free. 

• More than 60 percent of respondents said they would be willing to pay an extra 3 percent premium on top of their room rate to receive a guarantee that their room has not experienced a smoking event prior to arrival. 

“Travelers are becoming more and more conscious of wellness during travel, and FreshAir Sensor’s survey results reflect these trends while showing hotel owners a clear path to increased guest satisfaction and expanded revenue opportunities,” said Will Darrah, chief commercial officer at FreshAir Sensor. “The majority of hotel guests have zero tolerance for irritable odors in the guestroom, particularly cigarette and marijuana smoke. Today, hoteliers have an opportunity to embrace new technology to improve their ability to monitor activity in the hotel guestroom, maintain consistency for the guest experience, and expand revenue opportunities.” 

Selling Fresh Air 

In response to growing demand for “fresh air” solutions, FreshAir Sensor recently launched FreshAir Certified, a low-cost, high-margin bookable room attribute that allows hotels to leverage air quality as an exclusive guest purchase option. 

FreshAir Sensor’s molecular air quality monitoring solutions are installed directly in the hotel guestroom to track and certify rooms that are free of common irritants (including odors from unauthorized smoking of tobacco and marijuana, scented sprays, and conditions for mold). Operators can then offer these rooms to guests as part of their booking journey as a rate plan, booking/upsell enhancement, or loyalty feature.