Hi Helen ... we have actually had to close several topics in the Costa Blanca forum alone, as members unfortunately were not able to discuss this issue in a constructive and friendly manner.

We can certainly try one last time, as long as discussion only involves the naming of establishments where smoking is either allowed or banned.

The slightest deviation on to the dangers or pleasures of smoking, the introduction of smoking bans in general, political issues and decisions, or any form of unfriendliness, etc will just result in this topic having to be closed too.

David

Hiya Helen.
http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/10943
http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2004/11/new-anti-tobacco-reforms.htm

It became illegal to smoke in office buildings, shopping malls, cultural centres and public transportation, amongst other indoor spaces...like telephone booths.
Bars and restaurants with more than 120 square metres of floor space now must have non-smoking areas,(it was 100 square metres, but I believe that has now been changed.)
The area designated to smokers must not take up more than 30% floor space and by August that area must be sealed off and have the required smoke extractors installed.
Any minor will not be allowed in these areas.
The legal limit to purchase tobacco has been raised from 16 years old to 18 years old.
Bars less than 120 square metres must either go non-smoking or smoking, with a sign on the door no less than A3 size stating that smoking is allowed.

Several hotels even though they can provide a smoking area if they so wish, they have decided not too.

Last time I was in Benidorm, the hotel Pelicanos/Ocas, Dalmatas, Nereo and Orange were still totally non- smoking hotels.
The Flamingo Oasis, Ruidor, Regente and Rosamar had designated areas.

It is also illegal to smoke whilst driving and you can be fined for simply throwing a cig butt out of the window.
The Health Minister has said that she will look at this law again and toughen it up, closing any loop holes that various regions are exploiting, if in 12 months the majority of the bars are continuing to allow smoking....and the fines for breaking the law.
HERE

The last time I was in Alicante airport, there were 2 areas designated to smokers.
Sorry, I cannot remember the gate number, but after going up the escalator behind the check-in desks and through the X-ray machines.... if you walk straight ahead pass the duty-free to the very end, then turn left as if you are going to the toilets, there was a very small area to the right of the toilets that had an hideously overflowing ashtray and people.
The other area......after going through the X-ray machine, turn right and then right again...and then just keep walking to the very end until you have passed all the gates and can go no further.
Here there are several huge ashtrays and some seats....and nothing else.!

HTH
SanJi x

Thanks Sanji for that really informative post.

We're going to benidorm for the 1st time in October, two of our party are really hardened smokers so your post was helpful.

We'll be staying at the Ambassador, does anyone no situation regarding this hotel's smoking policy? I'll probably need to e-mail them.

Thanks Karen

hi there

Stayed at the Ambassador last week, there are two blocks to this hotel and though I couldnt swear by it I think the only smoking areas where right at the bar in both blocks. The other thing though is the nightly entertainment was outside and people could smoke away there, and now I think about it there is a walkway between the two blocls where there is a pool table etc and also looks on to the nightly entertainment and you could smoke there to. During the day round the pool lots of people where smoking and ashtrays were out on the tables. I am sure you will have a great time we did.

Deb x

Oh I missed the Hotel Costablanca off that list of being a non-smoking hotel.

SanJi x

From my experience so far of the restrictions in Benidorm, I hav'nt yet been in a Restaurant that has a total no smoking policy, all the ones I have used to date have designated Smoking and Non Smoking areas, you will usually be asked when you ask for a table. I've not been in any of the fast food places so cant comment on them. There perhaps will be totally non smoking restaurants, but non that i've found yet! As far as bars go, again i've not yet found a totally non smoking establishment, only ones with either designated areas, or smoking freely allowed. There probably will be some fumar prohibido bars, buts theres far too many in Beni for even me to try them all, but as I say not found one yet. As Sanji has said as far as the hospitality industry goes it seems to be certain Hotels which are being the most restrictive at the moment, this of course may change!!

Best Regards - Taggy

To all who replied especially the comprehensive reply from Sanji. I do think however that holiday brochures should have made mention of the possibilty of some hotels being non-smoking as this could affect the enjoyment of smokers and non-smokers alike.

Thanks for the feedback

Helen

I do think however that holiday brochures should have made mention of the possibilty of some hotels being non-smoking as this could affect the enjoyment of smokers and non-smokers alike

Yes Helen, I agree with you.
However, I think it may have been an oversight on the TO`s as the brochures would have been published well before the law came into force in Jan 2006.
There is however, no excuse for further and future editions not having this info in their brochures.
Glad to be of help.

SanJi x

Not quite Benidorm, but I'm intending to stay in a hotel in Madrid.

Is it allowed to smoke in your room or is this also against the law?

Mark

Mark, I`ve sent you PM.
Don`t want to get into trouble with another Mod, now do I.?


SanJi x

I was also wondering if smoking was allowed in Spanish Hotel Rooms as well, as that point does not seem to have been clarified as yet, or if it has I have missed it somewhere.

We got back a couple of weeks ago from the Hotel Medititteraneo and smoking was banned there except for a small smoking area in the bar. Smoking was permitted in the rooms.

As for the bars most of them still seemed to allow smoking, certainly The Morgan Tavern and others close.

Katy

IMHO, (and im a non-smoker), When it comes to smoking in the rooms, I dont think people really care and just smoke anyway, have seen loads of people on their balcony smoking, its just one of those things that people will continue to do, even though its not allowed, that is until someone falls asleep with a lit ciggarette, and burns the whole hotel down. Just think how much it would cost to put a smoke alarm in every room in every hotel, that detects ciggarette smoke.

Unless it allowed in your room, because its really not a public place

kross wrote:

have seen loads of people on their balcony smoking, its just one of those things that people will continue to do, even though its not allowed

Hello kross. That statement implies that smoking is prohibited on Hotel Balconies, which I assume it is not if smoking is still allowed inside Hotel rooms.

I think you will find that there are already smoke detectors in Hotel Rooms. Every Hotel I have stayed in in Benidorm over the past six years has definately had a smoke detector in the room.....you can see the little red light flashing on and off, especially when you turn you light of at night.

I am also sure that the installation of smoke detectors would be mandatory now for the Hotel to be able to be licensed and to operate. It might not have been the case prior to the late 90's but I am sure it is now.

kross wrote:

Just think how much it would cost to put a smoke alarm in every room in every hotel, that detects ciggarette smoke

Smoke Detectors are Smoke Detectors surely I am not aware of any specific type of smoke detector that can distinguish cigarette smoke from the smoke given off by fire. Maybe we are confusing smoke DETECTORS with smoke ALARMS.....or are they not one and the same thing.

I think its also safe to say that guests still smoke in IN BED although that is strictly forbidden in Hotels....there are signs to tell you that, but I have had sheets on my beds that clearly have cigarette burn holes in them.

But to clarify then....smoking is still permitted in Hotel Rooms and on balconies in Spain?

First of all, any hotel used by British TO`s have to comply with health and safety rules, which includes notices usually on the back of the accommodation door giving instructions on what to do if there is a fire, the rules also include fire extinguishers placed in the corridors at strategic points, and illuminated fire escape exit signs, a plan of the building and an unblocked escape route.

There are different types of smoke detectors, some work by pulsating a beam that when the smoke blocks the beam it will trigger the alarm off this type of alarm is made to pick up the large particles in smoke like smoke given off from a smouldering mattress.
The other type is an ionisation device which picks up smaller particles in all types of smoke, therefore reacting when smoke enters the two plates, some alarms react to heat, some to smoke and can be finely tuned, for example smoke detectors in aircraft toilets and airport toilets to pick up on the small particles in cigarette smoke.
Asking you not to smoke in bed is for obvious reasons.

The information that I was told from a director of a 4* hotel in Benidorm, who decided to make his hotel a non-smoking hotel is as follows.

What you do in your room is no ones business and if you smoke then there is nothing he or anyone else can do about that however, he is NOW required to make 30% of the rooms in his hotel non-smoking.
So, as far as I'm aware, you can smoke in bedrooms and on balconies, unless you are in a specific room that does not allow it.

The Copacabana/Farggi bar on the promenade did go from a bar where smoking was permitted into a non-smoking bar on the 1st Jan 2006 and still was a non-smoking bar in June on my last visit.

SanJi x

Sanj wrote:

So, as far as I'm aware, you can smoke in bedrooms and on balconies, unless you are in a specific room that does not allow it

So presumably at some point in the near future, Tour Operators are going to have to ask you when you book a Hotel room in Spain if you require a Smoking or Non Smoking room. But would this be the same as asking you if you have any other special requests.....ie Pool View, Low / High Floor, Adjoining Rooms etc.....none of which can be guaranteed by the Hoteliers.

Therefore I assume if Spanish Hotels are forced to provide a certain percentage of Smoking and Non Smoking rooms at some point, then there can be no real guarantee that if you are a Smoker then you will be booked in to a Smoking Permitted room? And if you ARE a smoker and you find on arrival that you are booked into a No Smoking room, what then?

What a curfuffle

now is the perfect time to quit

I did actually quit after my heart by pass operation in 1999, but I'm afraid to say I started again last October (Too long a story).....and my parents do not know I have started again, they would be mortified if they knew.

I had to grab a quick puff on my balcony whilst in Beni last October, but yes, maybe now is indeed the time to quit....especially at £4.50(ish) a packet.

Also, getting back to the point, are you allowed to walk around Benidorm and smoke? or sit on the beach and smoke? or sit outside the cafes, bars and restaurants and smoke? All these places are PUBLIC places afterall?

I mean if you light up whilst having a stroll along the seafront walk, would you now be commiting an offence?