Hotels: No Smoking in Room. Slapped with $500 Fine

I recently stayed a night at Crown Meltropol Melbourne, the night stay was transferred to me because mates a recieved a free night as an I outstanding Crown member 🤮

Was evening upon check in. I'm a smoker so I had to have a smoke during my stay. There was no mentioned of no smoking policy anywhere. No sign, no verbal, not in their booking website, nothing.

A few days later when I had a look at my Credit Card balance. A transfer of $500 to the hotel was made. I immediately called up the hotel. Reception says I've been fined $500 for the breach. I explained my situation.

They're not budging. What can I do?

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closed Comments

  • +57

    so I had to have a smoke during my stay

    No you didn't.

    • +2

      OP pays $500 for the privilege. /thread

  • +4

    There was no mentioned of no smoking policy anywhere.

    Were you indoors, or outside glamping?

  • +13

    It would be incredibly strange to be allowed to smoke. Surely you would have double checked before lighting up? Or at least done it on the balcony and then removed the evidence? You must be accustomed to not being allowed to smoke in very many places?

    Even if they had no signs I think you're going to find it very difficult to argue with the hotel. They have your money now and no reason to engage with you. You could try doing a chargeback, then the hotel can present the evidence to your bank.

  • +36

    Feel free to point out any hotel in Australia where you can smoke in a room you also stay in overnight.

    We'll wait.

    • +1

      interesting if you google sydney smoking rooms, trip advisor has a few low grade hotels which they say have smoking rooms. whenbi check in the website they dont talk about it

      weird

      • +1

        Probably because no one other than smokers would want to stay there.

  • +5

    Aren't all hotels non smoking other than designated areas? I thought it'd been that way for several years now.

  • +7

    Don't feed the troll.

  • +2

    What can I do?

    Post on ozb

  • +6

    first post on ozb, complaining about being stupid.

  • +19

    NON-SMOKING POLICY:

    Please note that this is non-smoking hotel, and that any form of smoking (including electronic cigarettes) in a non-smoking room will result in a $500 cleaning fee and any additional costs associated with emergency services attending the hotel.

    https://www.crownhotels.com.au/crown-metropol-melbourne-chec…

  • +10

    We are in 2022 and you think smoking in a room is ok.. please! Pay the fine. No one smokes indoors anymore go to the balcony

  • +6

    They're not budging. What can I do?

    Pay the fine or go to court.

    Everyone knows you can’t smoke in a hotel room in Australia. No one wants to smell that if they are the next guest. The hotel will need a specialist clean and they’ll likely lose one day of business on that room whilst it’s being cleaned.

  • +8

    Bruh literally just search on Google, 'can smoke in room crown metripol melbourne'

    and it comes up with:

    Does Crown Melbourne have smoking rooms?
    Please note that this is non-smoking hotel, and that any form of smoking (including electronic cigarettes) in a non-smoking room will result in a $500 cleaning fee and any additional costs associated with emergency services attending the hotel.

  • +4

    You can’t smoke indoors anywhere. Not sure why your hotel room would be different??

    Your lucky you didn’t set the fire alarm off

  • +5

    What did you use as an ashtray in this no smoking hotel?

    • -5

      The only object on the desk, what looked to me like an oversized ashtray. Was a black open ceramic.

      • +12

        You mean a fruit bowl or ornament..righto
        Did you also wee in an ice bucket because it looked like a bed pan?

        I smoke and you are quite simply in the wrong on this one

  • -6

    The hotel is fully incased so no opening as far as I am aware except for the front entrance.

    I would have been more than obliging had I known. I suppose for a local its unforgivable. I wonder how a foreign tourist/smoker would fare given english is not a universal language.

    • +4

      I wonder how a foreign tourist/smoker would fare given english is not a universal language.

      Give it up already

    • +1

      Generally I'd expect a foreign tourist/smoker would be provided with a Check-in form in the Language of their Country of Origin.

      Also, foreign Tourists may travel in groups with an Interpreter or even be Checked-in by Multi-Lingual staff.

      Are you a foreign tourist/smoker, or just advancing a scenario in search of a loophole?

    • +1

      Part of a persons responsibility on visiting a foreign country, is becoming familiar with the norms in a country. This responsibility is on the person, not the business. Should they also advise not to poop in the shower, or boil underwear in a kettle or take all the bedding home? No. It's the users responsibility.

  • +10

    Smoking is disgusting. Pay up.

  • +7

    Smoking is so cringe.

      • +1

        LOL. Defending smokers is maximum cringe.

        Why do drugs when you can just mow the lawn?

        • -5

          Most of us use/consume/do some sort of drug. Stop being so judgy. They're not smokers. It's just a human being that also smokes.

  • +5

    For a start, it's not a "fine", it's a cleaning levy, fee or penalty. Only official government bodies and/or their representatives can issue "fines".

    Outside that… good on them for charging you. Pay the "fine". I hate going to a hotel where the last tenant smoked in the room. It makes the whole room smell like someone shit in it.

    so I had to have a smoke during my stay

    LOL… rightio, champ.

  • +2

    I explained my situation.

    Did you explain that you were a smoker? What did they say to that? lol

    I'm a smoker so I had to have a smoke during my stay

    • It's a medical condition, OP can't help they haven't read a sign indoors since 1978.

  • -6

    Wow, guys. I am really blown away by the level of objectivity in this discussion!!!

    I'll know better next time.

    • -1

      No smoker will defend you because they don't want to cop the same crap and negs.

      Non smokers are going to give you grief because smoking today is considered disgusting.

      What sort of responses were you expecting?

      • -3

        Nothing less, nothing more than objectivity. ☺️

        • Objectively, everyone knows you haven't been able to smoke inside anywhere for the last 20 years. You aren't even allowed to smoke X metres from a building entrance, let alone inside it.

  • +2

    Smokers - some are unaware that when they smoke outside they drag the smell inside right away upon entry. All your clothes etc would have impregnated the soft furnishings with the cigarette smell.

    • Exactly the reason I wear a condom when smoking.

  • +3

    As a fine, it would be excessive. But as a cleaning fee, have you any idea how hard it is to get rid of the stench?!
    I have friends who are smokers, and they would never smoke indoors, not even in their own homes. Pay up, and send the poor cleaners an apology.
    Next time, use the balcony. With the door shut!!

    • -1

      One dart is unlikely to leave enough residue to stain or even a lingering smell after the short term, basic cleaning would easily be enough to fix the perceived issue. And for your information smoking on balconies is also against policy in every no smoking hotel I've ever stayed with.

    • Ever cook steak with a good sear. Same kind of smell.

      • +1

        Not in my hotel room, no.

        • +1

          I don't know what you're talking about, most hotels I stay at have inbuilt Korean BBQ set-ups next to the mini fridge.

  • You can pay the fine.

  • OP sounds like a typical smoker who has no consideration for others lol

  • +2

    Yet I have to put up with my (profanity) neighbor everyday for free.
    I'd like to fart in their face and say sorry that's a bi product that comes from eating garlic and eggs a bad smell that occurs just like ciggaret smell.

    • Jeez,jizmo. That'd be stepping it up a notch.

  • don't (profanity) smoke in hotels bruh, idgaf even if they allow it, if it some reaches my face in my room, im causing a scene

  • +1

    to OP

    If you love your life and money, please stop smoking. you will have better health, more income [if you did not smoke that day, you would have saved $500 by now],
    if you get lung cancer, it would even cost you more or tax payers money at least….& you will save environment if you stop smoking.

    Smoking causes cancer.
    https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/cancer.ht…

    I also dislike to see cigarette butt litter whenever I go, so irresponsible.

  • Sounds like you got off lightly
    Nothing worse than checking into a hotel room where the previous occupant has fouled the air with smoke.

  • What can you do? Develop some self awareness as to the impact of your habit upon others, for starters

  • fine pic or it didnt happen

  • Smoker's Justice

    Q: What can you do?
    A: Nothing

    No amount of cleaning is going to get rid of that tainted smell

  • Smoking has been banned indoors since 2004 and you didn't know? Pay the damn fine. Take responsibility for your negligence.

  • You're lucky that it didn't trigger the smoke alarm in the room. Would have costed you much more than $500

  • Karen style complain is what I'm seeing

  • Deserved it.

  • As it appears the OP has their answer, discussion is now closed.

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