Smoking in Hotels / Resorts

[EasternPromises]

So I’m currently on vacation in Cebu and staying at a resort that belongs to one of the big US hotel chains. 

When I’m on vacation, especially a “beachy” vacation, I always like to bring a few cigars with me to smoke on the balcony (most likely), at the bar (getting increasingly difficult these days) or by the pool (essentially impossible unless it’s a private pool villa). On this trip, I brought four sticks with me:

- LGC Glorias (the best cigar I’ve smoked in the last 12 months)
- RYJ Churchill (a top-4 cigar from the last 12 months)
- QDO 54
- Montecristo Petit No 2

The missus and I check into the hotel and later that evening I start getting ready to smoke on the balcony. The missus then reminds me that we were told both the room and the balcony were non-smoking. WTF. I don’t remember that. Dutifully, however, I put my smoking plans on ice and resolve that I will smoke by the bar the next day (I had checked earlier that afternoon and they had confirmed there was a smoking section at the bar). The next afternoon, I head to the bar and ask for the smoking section. The waitress smiles and leads me to the “smoking section”: three chairs crowded around three ashtrays in a corner of the bar next to construction work. WTF. 

Nevertheless, I was there and so I smoked the QDO54. Despite dark oily wrappers and a 2021 box code, the cigar still smoked young, harsh and full of ammonia. Perhaps the flavors were a reflection of the less-than-salubrious environs of the “smoking section”? Anyway, in the middle of this QDO 54 , two ladies stopped by and plopped themselves next to me to smoke some cigarettes. I mostly ignored them until, for whatever reason, I had the misfortune to turn my head in their direction. I then bore witness to one of these ladies casually dribbling a long stream of saliva into the ashtray. No, not spitting but actually dribbling saliva into the ashtray. The most amazing part was how nonchalant she was about it.

Three thoughts immediately came to mind from this incident:

1. You wouldn’t see a cigar smoker doing that (I would hope)

2.  Putting aside the health reasons and virtue-signaling, perhaps another reason why we do have non-smoking rules at hotels and resorts is to limit the indiscriminate saliva dribbling to the smoking section, and away from the children and the freshly-manicured grounds

3. Maybe I should stop smoking cigars while I’m on vacation

Anyway, the rest of this vacation has been mostly positive. Managed to swim with the whale sharks in Bohol, did some snorkeling at the resort and had some quality time with the missus. Probably won’t be back to Cebu anytime soon though!

[VeguerosMAN]

I would just smoke at the balcony and face the consequences later if there is one.

[Chibearsv]

1 hour ago, VeguerosMAN said:

I would just smoke at the balcony and face the consequences later if there is one.

I’ve done this at almost every hotel I’ve stayed in without incident. You just don’t want smoke getting into the room or ash in the trash. If other guests are visible on nearby balconies, I ask if they are ok with me having a cigar and they have always said they don’t mind. I guess I’ve been fortunate. 

[EasternPromises]

I usually would also smoke on the balcony. On this occasion, however, the balcony was literally a half-metre (3.5 feet) wide and barely had enough space for a small arm-chair and table. I figured if i was smoking a Churchill or the Glorias, they deserved a more comfortable smoking environment!

[ShaazK]

Just go to Dubai for your holidays. Almost everywhere I’ve been is very cigar friendly with cigar ashtrays handy and no stress or judgement. This includes restaurants with outside terraces


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[SigmundChurchill]

I just booked our annual family Christmas ski trip. This year it is going to be in Zermatt, Switzerland, and the hotel where the travel agent placed us has a “Cigar Lounge” in the lobby.  

I didn’t request it. This travel agent doesn’t know me from Adam. I didn’t even know that this was still a thing. But I’ll take it.

And yes, I always smoke on the “non-smoking” balcony as well.

 

[Ford2112]

Greece is really cigar friendly. I smoked anywhere I wanted basically.

[Havanaaddict]

I was in Las Vegas with a cigar group and we were checking in and they said the rooms were non-smoking. The guy next to me asked what happened if he smoked and they said you would be fined $100. He said go ahead and charge him now as he would be smoking! 😂

[raggie]

I’ve had a few buddies who managed hotels and one mentioned there’s a significant difference between cigar and cigarette smoke. Cigars are stinky and do leave residue, but is way less intrusive compared to cigarettes. A cigar on the balcony often leaves no trace after just 24 hours. On top of that, cigarette smokers generally work through multiple loosies or even a whole pack a day. Compare that to one, two, or even three cigars and the effective difference is quite noticeable. 

[Edicion]

Your experience is reflective of the smoking ban/laws in the Philippines. There are very few places you can smoke at all and just a heads up, I wouldn't recommend smoking where you are not allowed to, because you are not breaking any restaurant or hotel "policy", you're breaking the actual law. 

[ChangBang]

If you look around, I'm sure you can find a cigar lounge or a bar that allows smoking. A google search immediately yields F Cafe and Bar in Cebu.

The dribbling maybe a cultural thing haha. 

[VeguerosMAN]

Vegas is very cigar friendly as well (a lot of hotels have smoking rooms), but you have to deal with weed smell around the city.

[Cayman17]

Smoke on the no-smoking balcony. Just tip the cleaning staff. No one cares (from the hotel). A guest could complain but it’s never happened to me. 

[Ford2112]

Rapscallions and scallywags, the lot of you.

[EasternPromises]

On 5/6/2024 at 8:43 AM, Edicion said:

Your experience is reflective of the smoking ban/laws in the Philippines. There are very few places you can smoke at all and just a heads up, I wouldn't recommend smoking where you are not allowed to, because you are not breaking any restaurant or hotel "policy", you're breaking the actual law. 

Thanks, I did not know this. It does seem like they take it seriously as they apparently mentioned the non-smoking in the room and balcony explicitly during check-in (i don’t remember hearing this buy my missus assures me they said it). 

Will probably stick to Thailand for my beach vacations going forward!