The latest non-smoking policy for all Comfort Inn properties underscores the brand’s redefined commitment to enhancing the guest experience through the offering of wellness
In an effort to reinforce its brand new tagline launched recently dubbed ‘Rested. Set. Go.’ as well as promote wellness amongst patrons, American-based hospitality group, Choice Hotels International, has implemented a 100 per cent smoke-free policy for chain Comfort Inn, with the new direction set to match the prestige of its Comfort Suites marque. With more 1,700 properties nationwide, the move renders the brand the largest in the United States to adopt the proposition.
“This smoke-free initiative is the latest in a series of bold steps the Comfort brand is taking to enhance the guest experience and deliver on the needs of today’s business and leisure travellers. In weighing this decision, we looked closely at guest feedback and hotel performance after Comfort Suites properties went completely smoke-free in 2007 and contrasted that with findings based on similar research performed this year,” said Anne Smith, vice president of brand strategy for Choice Hotels.
“We learned a lot about attitudes toward non-smoking policies at hotels and found that, not only have preferences for smoke-free environments continued to increase, but smokers themselves are more likely to choose 100 per cent smoke-free accommodations. These insights could potentially offer hoteliers operational advantages such as better room condition and cleanliness, fewer customer complaints and easier inventory management.”
Further supporting its commitment to wellness, the chain is set to roll out lemon-infused ice water stations at all hotel lobbies as well as new additions to the Comfort brand’s complimentary hot breakfast which will include wholesome options such as Greek yogurt, health-branded cereals, and a selection of toppings such as nuts, granola, and dried fruit. Guests will soon be able to enjoy the new Raio line of bath and hair products, developed specifically for Comfort hotels to feature a citrus-mint fragrance to delight the senses.
Also, plusher towels and new shower curtains have been included to the said string of enhancements to upgrade the bath experience so as to meet the expectations of the upper midscale guest.
These improvements are part of the brand’s transformation which is focused on driving higher customer satisfaction scores and heightened developer interest. In the last 18 months alone, Choice Hotels and Comfort franchisees have invested more than $250 million (£162 million) into existing hotels to elevate the Comfort guest experience.
Moreover, nearly 300 properties that qualified to receive funds from Choice’s landmark $40 million property improvement incentive announced in May 2013 completed the work by the end of 2014. These newly renovated hotels have been seeing solid gains across key performance metrics, including guest satisfaction ratings, the RevPAR, and RevPAR Index.
By the end of the year, almost 600 hotel properties that didn’t fit the long-term direction of the brand will have exited the Comfort system since 2010. Its boom in new construction agreements aims to replace older, underperforming hotels with new, higher performing properties in those markets.
