There have been many cases of people being charged over 70,000 yen for smoking in hotels even though they did not smoke, and the words 'Win-Win-Win' are written on the Smoking Sensor website.



Most hotels clearly separate non-smoking and smoking rooms, and if you are found to have smoked in a non-smoking room, you may be charged an extra fee. In one hotel in the United States, there have been many cases where people were assumed to have smoked, even though they had not, and were charged an extra fee.




Travel journalist Jack Griff stayed at the Hyatt hotel ' The Pell ' in Rhode Island in July 2025. Griff was staying with his wife and 8-month-old daughter.

And when I checked the bill at check-out, I noticed that I had been charged an additional $500 (74,000 yen) along with the statement, 'Rest sensor detected smoking at 4:25.' Griff said, 'I have never smoked, much less am I going to start a smoking habit on a weekend vacation with my 8-month-old daughter,' emphasizing that he does not smoke.




Griff explained to the front desk clerk that he had used the hair dryer but had not smoked, but the clerk responded confrontationally, saying that his smoke detector never lied.

Looking at The Pell's TripAdvisor reviews , we see that several reviewers, like Griff's, say they were charged $500 for smoking even though they hadn't.



Similarly, there are numerous

reviews on Google Maps from people who have reported being charged $500 even though they didn't smoke.



The mention of 'Rest Sensors' on the bill suggests that The Pell is equipped with smoking sensors from

Rest , a hotel sensor company. The Rest webpage explains that the sensors use robust algorithms to accurately detect smoking and efficiently notify staff, automating the process from smoking detection to billing.



In addition, they claim that by introducing the sensors, it is possible to increase smoking fee collection by 84 times, generating additional revenue of $1,200 (about 177,000 yen) per room per year.



It is being promoted as a 'win-win-win' product that increases owners' income, prevents guests from suffering from odor problems, and improves employee productivity.



After Griff posted a video on Instagram about the unfair smoking fee, he received an email from The Pell's general manager within two hours, offering a $500 refund. However, Griff has received reports from people who have been unfairly charged smoking fees, saying, 'I tried to negotiate, but I didn't get a full refund, only half the fee, $250.' Griff points out that the hotel's smoking sensor system 'is probably a scheme to generate revenue.'




in Note, Posted by log1o_hf