Smoking in New York

[jeanwales]

Can anyone help me here.

I am planning a trip to New York for next year for my friend and myself.
I am a non smoker but my friend is a very heavy smoker. We have agreed to have seperate rooms but she has to have a smoking room.
Lots of the sites have offers with smoking rooms, but the last two I have tried to book have informed me they no longer have smoking rooms.
does anyone know which hotels within a reasonable price limit - ie under 100 a night are available.
Been googling all night but getting nowhere.
I thought I had found one but read the reviews on Trip advisor and saw it was a dirty hotel for hookers so maybe not - lol!

[ukdiva]

I'm not sure whether they have smoking rooms now, as like here, smoking in public places is banned, and hotels are considered public places, so i'm not sure if you will get one to be honest! We visited in Feb and all three of us smoked at the time, although more socially than anything else, and it didn't bother us to be honest, although i must admit that we did have a sneaky smoke out the bathroom window one night after a few too many wines! *lol*

[Pedro]

I think you may have a problem to find smoking rooms. NY has had the ban in public areas in place much longer than UK so it is more a way of life nowadays.

Peter

[jeanwales]

Thanks - I am going to keep trying.
I emailed one hotel last night and they replied that it would depend when we were coming as I didnt specify what date. I have now given them the dates and am waiting a reply.
It is just the rooms I am worried about, accept that you cant anywhere else.

[LolUK]

most of them are completely non-smoking, and those that do have a few smoking rooms tend to keep the worst rooms for smoking. I think your friend will have to accept that they will have to keep going outside for a cig (which is what I have to do). Remind them, that if the hotel do suspect you have been smoking in a non-smoking room, they tend to have $500 (min) clean up fees that you agree to in the small print when you book and check-in.

[jeanwales]

Thanks
I think I have found a days inn that has smoking rooms but it is about 6 miles away from Times Square. I think we need to sit down and have a serious chat lol!
Even the sites that are advertising smoking rooms, when I email them, they are replying to say it is all non smoking!

[ukdiva]

Yeah, they probably haven't updated their websites since the smoking ban came in! *lol* I wouldn't stay that far out in NYC to be honest, you don't want to have to trapse into town every day. Tell your mate she'll have to go outside for a smoke like everyone else *lol*

[LolUK]

agree with ukdiva. You really don't want to be too far away from the centre of Manhattan imo. Surely it isn't that much of an imposition to head outside whenever the craving strikes? After all, she will have to go 10+ hours without one on the flight over anyway!!!

Put your foot down :)

[jeanwales]

I agree with you both, but when we went to Copenhagen recently, she had to go 6 hours without a smoke due to a delay and said she could never manage the NY flight and if she did by any chance she really wanted a smoking room.
I agree about staying out from the centre a bit - I don't think that would work.
Am seeing her this weekend so I think we need to sit down and have a good chat!

[jeanwales]

Just put a hold on 2 rooms at the Milford Plaza. I am awaiting confirmation that they still do smoking rooms. Anyone stayed here before. Reviews are mixed. All we want is basic accomodation and a bed to sleep on!!! But not quite YMCA standards lol!

[ukdiva]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Jean! I haven't stay there myself, but i have passed it when i've been in NYC, it's in a great location, so as long as the room is clean then you will be fine!

If they don't do smoking rooms anymore, then i would say ask on the NYC forum over on tripadvisor.com , someone there should definately know if there are any hotels in NY that still do smoking rooms.

[jeanwales]

Thanks Tracie
I will do that. the Copenhagen forum over there was brilliant so may suss out the ny one.

[LolUK]

I would agree with having a look over on tripadvisor, but would seriously not compromise my choice of hotel because a companion wanted a smoking room!!!

And before I get assaulted by the smokers, I am one myself! I had this very conversation with DW this time last year who said she could never go to Florida as it would mean 10 hours without a cig. My response was to remind her that if she wanted to go anywhere, she would have to put up without smoking - and she did :)

Same with hotels - I actually don't ask for a smoking room anymore as you can pretty much guarantee that the rooms allocated for smoking (if there are any) are the worst, mankiest and most in need of decoration in the establishment. Give me a non-smoking room anyday and I can walk 5 minutes outside to have a smoke.

For what it's worth, when I was looking for Manhattan hotels a month or so ago, I was surprised by the fact that nearly all of the ones I viewed on hotels.com, were non-smoking completely.

(blimey, I sound like the worst anti-smoker in the world! After all that, I need to go outside for a smoke :) )

[ukdiva]

I would agree with having a look over on tripadvisor, but would seriously not compromise my choice of hotel because a companion wanted a smoking room!!!

And before I get assaulted by the smokers, I am one myself! I had this very conversation with DW this time last year who said she could never go to Florida as it would mean 10 hours without a cig. My response was to remind her that if she wanted to go anywhere, she would have to put up without smoking - and she did :)

Same with hotels - I actually don't ask for a smoking room anymore as you can pretty much guarantee that the rooms allocated for smoking (if there are any) are the worst, mankiest and most in need of decoration in the establishment. Give me a non-smoking room anyday and I can walk 5 minutes outside to have a smoke.

For what it's worth, when I was looking for Manhattan hotels a month or so ago, I was surprised by the fact that nearly all of the ones I viewed on hotels.com, were non-smoking completely.

(blimey, I sound like the worst anti-smoker in the world! After all that, I need to go outside for a smoke :) )

I agree, i do smoke, not a lot, more socially than anything else, but have been suffering with chest infections and stuff lately so have seriously cut down to none during the week if i don't go out, and a max of about 5 on a night out if i'm drinking, but in the past i used to smoke more, but holidayed with friends who didn't, and being in a non-smoking room never bothered me and going without on a flight isn't even an issue! Last year i was smoking more than i do now, and i managed to survive a flight to Hong Kong and then onto Melbourne, without a ciggie, and i was by myself *lol* But everyone is different and Jean's mate obviously hasn't got the will power or inclination to give up or go without yet!

[jeanwales]

lol - as an ex smoker myself I know exactly what you mean.
I have checked out on trip advisor but the only reply so far tells me the Milford is the pits!!! The latest reviews on there about the hotlel are actually pretty good so I wonder if things have improved. Still, we have lots of time to plan and prepare so I am sure we will get there in the end. Hoping to book flights with airmiles so all we will pay is the tax - which is whopping these days!!!!

[jeanwales]

Our posts crossed Tracie - sadly my friend is in her late 60s and has smoked over 40 a day for most of her adult life. she did have a spasm of trying everything to give up about ten years ago but now admits she will never do so. She coughs like mad every morning and to be honest I think she is mad, but I respect her choice. It wont bother me so long as I can find a decent basic hotel with a room that suits me. She is talking about putting loads of patches on just to get through the flight and nearly backed out at the thought of going that long.
Got used to her over the years - she's lovely really lol!
I really don't mind and have done it in Europe every year with her, it is just annoying that the websites say there are smoking rooms then when I book they change their minds!

[ukdiva]

lol - as an ex smoker myself I know exactly what you mean.
I have checked out on trip advisor but the only reply so far tells me the Milford is the pits!!! The latest reviews on there about the hotlel are actually pretty good so I wonder if things have improved. Still, we have lots of time to plan and prepare so I am sure we will get there in the end. Hoping to book flights with airmiles so all we will pay is the tax - which is whopping these days!!!!

From reading the reviews on TA, i think it's a bit hit and miss depending on what room you get to be honest! The first time i went to NYC i was on a tight budget so we stayed at the Ramada New Yorker, now if you read the reviews on TA, most aren't that complimentry! But we were given a great corner room on a high floor, over-looking MSG, with ESB in the distance in one direction and the Chrysler building in the other. The room was massive, with two double beds and a fold-out sofa bed, the beds were comfy, and the room very clean, if a bit worn, so my experience of that hotel was only good. But i'm sure if we had been given a smaller room in a bad location, we would have thought differently! As long as the majority of the reviews say that the place is clean and safe then anything else can be put up with if that's your only option.

[jeanwales]

Tracie, the Ramada New Yorker was probably my first choice with the budget we have, needing seperate rooms, but they wont commit to giving us a smoking room next November. if we were going before May they can but not sure after that!

[tomnj]

Ramada is owned by Wyndham Hotels and they are converting to smoke-free environments. They are following Westin and Marriott companies.

[jeanwales]

Well, I have since found the Broadway Plaza hotel. I sent them an email and they assure me that they have a smoking floor so I have put a booking in for two rooms there. So cross fingers we might be ok. Hotel reviews don't look too bad, no worse or better than any of the others in New York