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Designated Smoking Zones
Designated Smoking Zones
Smoking Rooms for Hotels and Restaurants, Designed Around the Rules
A designated smoking room for a hotel or restaurant is a separate, ventilated space where guests can smoke without affecting other diners, rooms or corridors. SmokinMe supplies enclosed smoking cabins and lounges for hospitality venues, with built-in filtration and no external ducting, planned around the conditions Indian law sets for these spaces.
For leased restaurant premises in malls and high streets, avoiding façade ducting alone can decide the project. Contact Us!
The guest who walks out mid-meal
A table of six at a busy Gurugram restaurant. Two of them smoke. Halfway through the main course, they get up, walk past the host stand, and stand right outside the front door. Smoke blows back in each time someone arrives. The couple at the window table are not pleased. Twenty minutes later the smokers come back, the food is cold, and the table turns over later than it should. Multiply that by every evening service. Hotels see their own version. The designated area is a storeroom near the service lift, or a corner of the terrace with a single ashtray. Guests try it once, decide it’s grim, and smoke on their balconies or by the pool instead. Housekeeping deals with the result. Most venues already know they have a problem. What they often don’t know is exactly what the rules allow.Can a restaurant in India have a smoking area?
Yes, if it seats 30 or more. Under COTPA and the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008, a restaurant with seating for 30 or more may provide a designated smoking area. Smaller restaurants may not. The same applies to hotels with 30 or more rooms.What are the rules for a hotel or restaurant smoking room?
The rules set out several conditions. In plain terms:- It must be a separate space. A smoking area is a separately ventilated room, not a section of the dining floor.
- It can’t be at the entrance or exit. Guests shouldn’t walk through smoke to get in or out.
- It’s for smoking only. No food, drink or other service may be provided inside the smoking area.
- It must be signed. A board marked “Smoking Area” in English and one Indian language, plus the prescribed warning at its entrance.
- Smoke must not reach non-smoking areas. For hotels that designate smoking guest rooms, those rooms must sit together in a separate section, and smoke must not reach lobbies or corridors.
The rule that catches most owners out
“No service inside” surprises a lot of restaurant owners. The smoking area can’t double as a hookah corner, a bar extension or overflow seating. Guests step in, smoke, and step back out to their table. That changes what the space should look like: compact, comfortable for a few minutes, and close enough to the dining area that guests aren’t gone for long.What a good hospitality smoking room looks like
Close to the guests, away from the guests
The best location is a short walk from the dining room or lobby, but not on the way in or out and not next to seating. Think corridor off the main floor, a corner of the terrace with its own door, or an area near the washrooms.Sized for the evening rush
Restaurants peak after the main course; hotels peak after dinner and late at night. Size the room for those moments, not the afternoon lull.Smoke handled at the source
A converted storeroom with an extractor fan lets smoke fill the whole space before removing it. SmokinMe units capture smoke close to the user and filter it inside the unit, so the room stays clearer and less escapes when the door opens.A finish that fits the venue
A premium hotel and a casual-dining chain need different looks. The unit should feel like part of the property, not a portable toilet in the corner of the terrace.Easy to clean
Hard, fire-safe, wipeable surfaces. Smoke residue clings to fabric and carpet, and housekeeping should be able to clean the room in minutes.Small details guests notice
Hospitality is judged on details, and a smoking room is no exception. These are the ones that come up most in guest feedback. Temperature. An enclosed room in a Delhi or Chennai summer gets hot fast. If it’s uncomfortable, guests will smoke outside the front door instead. Conditioned air inside the unit fixes that. Lighting. Bright, clean lighting makes a small room feel cared for. A dim, flickering tube light makes it feel like a storeroom, because it probably was one. Somewhere to put things. A small ledge for a phone, a drink left outside, a lighter. Guests notice when there isn’t one. Smell on the way back. Guests returning to a table or lobby shouldn’t carry smoke in with them. Good filtration inside the room and a self-closing door reduce what follows them out. Clean ashtrays. Emptied often. Nothing makes a smoking room feel worse than overflowing butts. Signage that matches the property. The mandatory signs are required, but they don’t have to look like a government office. Clear, well-made signs at the right height do the job and fit the décor. None of these cost much. Together they decide whether guests use the room or the pavement.Smoking options for hotels
Lobby-level smoking lounge. A larger enclosed unit near the lobby bar or business centre, for guests and visitors. Floor or wing smoking areas. Smaller cabins on guest floors so guests don’t smoke in rooms or on balconies. Terrace or pool-side zones. Outdoor cabins with filtration, so smoke doesn’t drift across sun loungers. See our outdoor smoking shelters. Staff smoking areas. Away from guest areas and service entrances, so staff aren’t smoking by the loading bay in uniform.Smoking options for restaurants, bars and clubs
Indoor cabin off the dining floor. A compact indoor smoking unit for restaurants without outdoor space. Outdoor or terrace cabin. For rooftop restaurants and venues with a courtyard. Lounge configuration. For large bars, clubs and banquet venues where many guests may step out at once. See our smoking lounges and rooms.Why the cabin route is easier for most venues
| Factor | Converted room with exhaust | SmokinMe cabin |
|---|---|---|
| Building work | Walls, door, ducting to outside | None; place and power |
| Landlord approval | Usually needed for façade ducting | Usually simpler |
| Time to open | Weeks | Typically a day |
| Smoke control | Depends on exhaust and door | Captured and filtered at source |
| If you renovate or move | Rebuild | Move the unit |
Smoking rooms for hotels in the UAE
Hotels in Dubai and across the UAE face their own rules on where guests may smoke, and many properties offer designated smoking areas or rooms. If you operate in the UAE, the same cabin and lounge units apply. Talk to us about local requirements for your property.How a hospitality project works
- Site visit. We walk the property with your manager, look at guest flow and identify suitable locations.
- Recommendation. Unit type, size, position and finish.
- Quote. A written specification and price.
- Installation. Planned around service hours, usually completed in a day per unit.
- Maintenance. Scheduled filter changes and servicing.
