I posted this photo on Facebook last week and now I’m posting it here.
It’s the covered smoking area cum cafe at the Rosewood Hotel, home of last week’s Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF) in London.
Nice, isn’t it?
Before GTNF I’d never heard of the Rosewood, even though I must have walked past it many times over the years.
In my defence the entrance is set back from the road, through an arch, so easy to miss unless you’re looking for it.
Inside it was pretty sumptuous - book an executive king room tonight and it will cost you £630 - so you might expect the smoking area, if one exists, to be tucked out of sight.
But no. It was in a corner of the main courtyard, close to reception. Discreet but easy to locate.
Nor were smokers restricted to the area above. I saw several people light up in other parts of the courtyard and no-one seemed in the least bit bothered.
My point is that smoking may be considered by some to be a dirty working class habit that needs to be eradicated, but even at the top end the market knows better.
Smokers are a minority but they’re still an important economic driver. Why else would one of the poshest hotels in London provide a warm, comfortable smoking area for their well-heeled guests?
Ultimately though this is about simple, basic hospitality which still includes the need to accommodate guests and visitors who wish to smoke.
So hats off to the Rosewood and thanks to GTNF for allowing Forest to ‘own’ the smoking area for the duration of the conference!
