Tor-na-Coille Hotel, Banchory – Businesses should be brave and go for it
The Tor-na-Coille Hotel is a privately owned Country House Hotel set in eight acres of magnificent woodland opposite the picturesque Banchory golf course.
Owner, Roxanne Sloan-Maris, bought the hotel in 1988 and gradually introduced smoke free areas throughout the hotel until it eventually became completely smoke free in February 2005.
Non-smoker Roxanne was first prompted to reduce smoking in the hotel after her seven year old son (now 14) questioned her on why there was a cigarette machine in the bar. Aware that this was encouraging customers to smoke, the machine was removed and smoking was banned near the bar and in the lounge to protect the health of staff.
The final motivation was the aftermath of a conference in January 2005 in which it took the staff a week to remove the smell of smoke.
In February 2005, the hotel took out a small advert in the local press to inform customers of the change. They also adopted a personal approach when it came to telling the hotel's regular customers, by writing to each of them individually. Out of the six regulars, three accepted the decision and still frequent the hotel, and since February only one couple has decided to go elsewhere so they can smoke.
Lunch trade in the hotel is booming since the bar became smoke free, with people choosing to eat in the hotel because of the ban. The website also states that the hotel is completely smoke free, and although a few members of staff do smoke, they are happy to take cigarette breaks outside.
To remain successful throughout the ban, Roxanne says it pays to be brave: "Businesses have to stay ahead of the game in situations like this. I suspect many places will have wanted to be no smoking for a while and this legislation gives them the perfect reason to go for it."