If they make the others have to go nonsmoking they will be more competitive while having lower costs and lower unfilled rooms when at capacity for nonsmoking.
Why should they have to make the others go non smoking to remain competitive? Marriott claims they did this because of customer requests. Why shouldn't other hotels have the same choice? Seems kind of strange that everyone accuses smokers of being a small miniscule, poverty ridden , uneducated bunch. Out of the other side of the mouth, a upper scale hotel is so mortified of losing their business, they want to force others to follow their lead.. If their cleaning cost was so high in smokers rooms, why do they care about losing them to someone else?
Ask them. The trend is that the larger hospitality companies are pressuring local gov'ts to enact smoking bans using the associations they belong to. I assume they do this because it will increase the bottom line.
Don't take my word for it (even though the smoker list despises me, they know I'm truthful). Ask them.
If their cleaning cost was so high in smokers rooms, why do they care about losing them to someone else?
Businesses have no feelings, they operate for profit. Forcing the other guy to have to go nonsmoking is simply a profitable move to make after deciding to go with nonsmoking policy.