A disappointing stay -

A hotel’s first responsibility, as a place of public accommodation, is to the health, safety and welfare of its guests and employees. This hotel, with a self proclaimed 5 star luxury rating and proud certificate holder of the The Leading Hotels of the World Healthy Stays program, that promotes itself as a health and wellness retreat, and is totally dependent upon the earth (water, trees, flowers, plants, food, wildlife, et al) for its business model encourages and enables smoking and e cigarette use inside the hotel, near the entry and at the only access point to the pool area. It is like a pharmacy selling chemotherapy drugs to battle cancer but also selling cigarettes and e cigarettes ( are you listening Walgreens and HEB?) It is not just earth/climate unfriendly and the height of hypocrisy it is deceptive and disingenuous. It is not just morally and ethically reprehensible, it also unhealthy for its employees and guests, many of which are children, allowing people to smoke inside the hotel premises raises the risk factor of a fire and death by fire by an enormous factor according to the latest fire safety research. They are trying to hold onto smoking customers, but doing so at the expense of their employees and customers health. Every stage of the tobacco supply chain poses serious environmental consequences, including deforestation, the use of fossil fuels and the dumping or leaking of waste products into the natural environment. None of the e cigarettes on the market are recyclable. The batteries leach toxic chemicals into the earth. The vapor that is breathed in and exhaled contaminates the air inside and outside as it includes toxic chemicals. Food- in two of the restaurants - Italian and Thai….they were less than average, both lacking in flavor and innovation. The line staff were incredible, sadly the hotel management has not created a positive culture for them, just think how much more amazing they could be with leadership that respects them. .