Glentress Hotel, Peebles
The Glentress Hotel is situated in Peebles, 25 miles south of Edinburgh, surrounded by stunning scenery and heritage, with Traquair House, Scotland’s oldest inhabited house, a few minutes drive away.
The hotel has been operating under Brian and Liz Taylor since October 2003 and they now employ five permanent staff with an additional 10 part-time staff joining them during the summer months.
They took the decision to go smoke-free in September 2004 because they wanted to ensure a clean and pleasant atmosphere for diners and guests.
The Taylors take great pride in the hotel’s restaurant and were keen to make every effort to help diners enjoy the eating experience. With great care being taken to cope with special diets, such as gluten and dairy intolerances, the Taylors felt they should also do something to help alleviate guests’ exposure to passive smoking.
Previous attempts to segregate smokers and non-smokers in the dining room had not worked. Smoke constantly drifted in to the non-smoking section meaning families, especially children, were breathing in second hand smoke, even though they were seated in the non-smoking section.
Glentress is now a totally non-smoking establishment. Although most staff were smokers themselves, they welcomed the ban and some have since made efforts to quit.
Customers have also welcomed it – even smokers have said they agree with it and have added that it could help persuade them to stop. Customers also regularly make positive remarks about how clean the air is in the hotel.
The non-smoking policy is demonstrated with cards on every table and on bedside tables and would-be guests are told of the policy when making a booking. Although there was an initial small dip in trade, it was temporary and difficult for the Taylors to put a figure on. As owner, Liz Taylor, says: “It was difficult to tell, so it can’t have been that bad!”
Mrs Taylor adds: “It was a daunting step to take, but it has been well worth it. We have been pleasantly surprised and delighted by the public’s response. In fact, we feel quite proud some days. Oddly enough, most of the praise has come from smokers!”
“Even if there was to be no ban in Scotland, we would not change our policy now. For us, eating is an event and staying in a hotel is a treat. We believe that dining in particular ranges from functional to romantic, celebration to education and in all cases, a smoke-free atmosphere is best.”
“What’s more, if we are going to teach the next generation healthy eating habits, then it can’t be done through a haze of cigarette smoke!”