When running a hospitality business such as a hostel, it is typical for damages from guests to be made. One of the most costly damages is from unwarranted smoking. Unwarranted smoking can cause damage to the paint, furniture, and linens. Cleaning the room after unwarranted smoking becomes more expensive, too. This is because different cleaning materials are required to remove the smell, which tends to cost more than standard cleaning materials. Rooms that have been smoked in also take longer to clean, and unwarranted smoking can even cause a room to be put out of commission for a few days. Between the extra costs of indoor smoking and the negative reviews that can come from the lingering smells, it is important to do what you can to prevent this. With all this being said, let’s take a look at the best ways to prevent smoking in your unique hostel.
Why it’s important to prevent smoking in hostels
Especially if you run a uniquely styled, non-party hostel, it should be imperative to you to prevent indoor smoking. As we have previously said, smoking indoors causes damage to the paint, furniture, linens, and curtains. Replacing furniture and repainting costs you time, money, and effort. It is also very likely to disrupt your scheduled bookings if it is to be taken care of right away. Cleaning rooms after unwarranted smoking also costs time, money, and effort. You need to pay your cleaning team more for the longer hours they’ll need to spend cleaning. You will also need to pay for more expensive cleaning products since the standard ones do not remove the smell of cigarettes. No matter the scale of the damage, it will inconvenience and cost you. This is why it is crucial to take preventative measures against it.
Not only does smoking in doors cause damage to the room, but it can also be harmful to your staff and other guests at the hostel. This is due to the secondhand smoke that you, your guests, and your staff will experience. While it might not seem like such a big deal, it can greatly impact a person’s health. Of course, sometimes we are in situations that make it hard to avoid. However, you can limit these instances by ending guests smoking in your hostel rooms.
Think about charging a small deposit
Of course, not all hostel owners will care about unwarranted indoor smoking. This likely doesn’t apply to you if your hostel is a party hostel. However, it does apply if you run a themed or uniquely styled hostel. Running a unique hostel should keep you more incentivized to prevent unwarranted smoking from taking place in your hostels. By doing this, you protect your carefully decorated interiors and chosen furniture. Charging a small security deposit to your guests is an excellent way to incentivize them not to cause any damages purposefully. While it does not guarantee that your guests won’t cause damage to your room, either accidentally or maliciously, it does offer you a safety net just in case any damages occur.
Make it clear your rooms are non-smokings rooms
Clear communication with your guests is vital. If you make it known that smoking is not allowed, then most of your guests will not smoke in the room. However, if you get a group or individual that ignores this rule, you can hold onto their security deposit to help cover some of the extra charges. If you still need to make a set of rules, it would be a good idea to do so. When you do, you set clear expectations for your guests. It would be best if you made these room rules available not only in the rooms but on your online listings too. This way, your guests will not feel blindsided upon their arrival. In the spirit of communicating clearly with your guests, If you choose to charge a security deposit, you should also include it in your online listings as a possibility.
Install room monitors
An inexpensive and privacy-safe way to prevent smoking in your hostel rooms is by installing room monitors. Alertify is a room monitor that not only detects smoke from cigarettes, marijuana, and vapes but also detects noise decibel levels and occupancy levels and monitors air quality indexes. With Alertify, hosts are notified via customizable messages if any of these activities have occurred. Using Alertify, hosts can intervene before any potential damages or noise complaints arise. After installing Alertify, hostel owners will also have access to an online portal where they can view reports of the infractions that occurred. The reports available on the online portal can also be printed and used as documentary evidence. This will be especially useful if you are fighting against fraudulent chargebacks after holding onto a guest’s security deposit. With Alertify, you can now prevent unwarranted smoking from occurring in your unique hostel.
