Smoke-Filled Rooms

Thanks for the Nov. 3 piece on smoke-saturated hotel rooms by Peter Greenberg. It rang a resounding bell for me, a one-time smoker who hated those nicotine-sodden rooms even though his own clothes no doubt were stinking. I never encountered the condition abroad but it is endemic in the U.S.A. Once in Atlanta I changed hotels when the management got snotty about my probably insulting complaint.

I was in a hospital when your new color section came out and thus failed to send my compliments, either to you or to Sports. The improvement is tremendous, and has made your section even more exciting to this chair-bound traveler.

I doubt I shall ever be able to visit Paris again but I clipped Jerry Hulse’s article on his favorite small hotels in that same issue for my granddaughter to consult when she goes eventually. I wish I’d had the list when I was traveling to Paris on somebody else’s money. The big hotels are much alike the world over; it is the little choice ones that stick in one’s travel memories.

BERT HOLLOWAY

Palm Desert