To Hotel Managers: A Guide to Successfully Converting Smoking Rooms to Non-Smoking

HONU Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Akasaka, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kenichi Uchida) has released new content titled "Learning from 6,000 Rooms: A Guide to Successfully Converting Smoking Rooms to Non-Smoking" for hotel and ryokan owners, managers, and facility management personnel, offering insights on how to transform smoking rooms into rooms suitable for non-smoking sales.

The reason our company receives requests from across Japan is due to the convergence of two key elements:

Overwhelming room cleaning capabilities and overwhelming deodorization technology. It is the combination of these two that allows us to handle the conversion of smoking rooms to non-smoking.

In hotel rooms that have been used as smoking rooms for many years, even if the odor seems to weaken immediately after cleaning, it can return over time due to air conditioning operation or bathroom humidity.

Through renovation work in over 6,000 hotel rooms nationwide, HONU has confirmed that tobacco odors not only linger in the air but also remain in hard-to-see places such as walls, ceilings, bathrooms, air conditioning systems, bedding, and around curtain rails.

The guide released this time explains odor sources to check when switching smoking rooms to non-smoking sales, considerations for cost and construction period, paid trial work, consultation for construction avoiding peak seasons, and the causes of odor recurrence remaining in bathrooms, air conditioning systems, and ceilings.

Background: The primary cause of failure in non-smoking conversions is "invisible odor sources."

Due to the increasing demand for non-smoking rooms, hotels and ryokans are seeing a rise in consultations to convert existing smoking rooms or floors to non-smoking sales.

However, the following issues are occurring on-site: - Tobacco odor remains upon room entry - Complaints arise due to smoky bathrooms or toilets - Odors return when the air conditioning is operated - Odors persist even after re-wallpapering - While rooms may seem fine after cleaning, odors return a few days later - Desire to convert smoking floors to non-smoking floors, but uncertainty about the extent of necessary renovation

Particularly in bathrooms, tar stains may remain accumulated behind mirrors, in ceilings, on entire doors, under washbasins, and within ventilation fans. If cleaning is insufficient, tar stains can trigger odors due to the high humidity in the bathroom, leading to complaints during bathing.

Furthermore, areas like inside ceilings and concealed air conditioning units are difficult to inspect during routine cleaning. If odors, mold, or dirt remain inside air conditioning systems or outlets, they can return to the room during operation, degrading the overall impression of the guest room. HONU's Strength: Wide-ranging cleaning capabilities enable effective deodorization.

For the conversion of smoking rooms to non-smoking, simply weakening the odor is insufficient.

Stubborn tobacco odors require identifying the remaining odor sources in walls, ceilings, bathrooms, air conditioning systems, bedding, and fabric items, followed by cleaning, decomposition, and deodorization tailored to each cause. HONU possesses comprehensive cleaning capabilities that inspect the entire room, including refreshing hotel rooms, dismantling and cleaning concealed air conditioning units, bathroom detailing, limescale removal, and carpet cleaning.

By combining these with deodorization techniques targeting the odor sources, we can bring smoking rooms closer to being suitable for non-smoking sales.

Track Record: Over 6,000 rooms nationwide, with measured data showing approximately a 4-fold recovery in airflow from air conditioning dismantling and cleaning. HONU has performed renovations in accommodation facilities nationwide, including major city hotel chains, with a cumulative track record of over 6,000 rooms.

In dismantling and cleaning concealed air conditioning units in 21 rooms at a city hotel in the Kanto region, the average airflow velocity at the outlet recovered approximately fourfold, from 0.50m/s before work to 2.00m/s after. Airflow improvement was confirmed in all 21 rooms. A decrease in airflow and air velocity directly leads to reduced heating and cooling efficiency, increased electricity costs, and odor diffusion. HONU conducts airflow tests before and after air conditioning work to provide quantifiable results.

Main Contents of the Released Guide:

- Locations where tobacco odors remain, identified through experience with over 6,000 rooms

- Main reasons why tobacco odors return after cleaning

- Key points to check in ceilings, air conditioning, bathrooms, bedding, walls, and around floors

- Reasons why tobacco odors in bathrooms are prone to complaints

- Considerations for cost and construction period using special agents to reveal inconspicuous tar stains

- Information on paid single-room trial work

- Consultation on construction timing to avoid peak seasons

- Curtain cleaning to be handled by the hotel

- Frequently Asked Questions

Recommended for Hotels and Ryokans:

- Those wishing to sell smoking rooms as non-smoking rooms

- Those looking to convert smoking floors to non-smoking floors

- Those aiming to reduce tobacco odor complaints in guest rooms

- Those troubled by tobacco odors in bathrooms or toilets

- Those with rooms where odors return when the air conditioning is operated

- Those whose odors have not been eliminated by wallpaper replacement alone

- Those considering paid trial work in one room first

Published Page: Learning from 6,000 Rooms: A Guide to Successfully Converting Smoking Rooms to Non-Smoking URL: https://honucare.co.jp/https-honucare-co-jp-hotel-non-smoking-guide/

Future Outlook: HONU will strengthen its information dissemination for accommodation facilities based on the knowledge accumulated in the field to support improvements in hotel and ryokan room quality, transitions to non-smoking sales, and reduction of odor-related complaints.

Converting smoking rooms to non-smoking is not merely about weakening odors. It is crucial to determine the necessary extent of renovation while considering the hotel's sales plan, peak seasons, room occupancy, and cleaning workflow. HONU accepts initial consultations based on photos and room numbers alone. Construction timing and paid trial work will be individually arranged after a free consultation.

Company Profile:

Company Name: HONU Inc. Address: 9-1-7 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Representative: Kenichi Uchida, President and CEO Business Activities: Deodorization services for hotels and accommodation facilities URL: https://honucare.co.jp/ Services: https://honucare.co.jp/catalist/

Inquiries Regarding This Matter:

HONU Inc. Inquiry Form: https://honucare.co.jp/contact-us/

List of Press Releases from HONU Inc.: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/searchrlp/company_id/59713