Rest Sensors Marketed to Hotels for '84-Fold' Revenue Increase from Smoking Fees, Drawing Scrutiny Over Alleged False Charges

Travel reporter Zach Griff recently brought to light a controversial business model employed by Rest Sensors, a company providing smoke detection technology to hotels, after he was allegedly wrongly charged a $500 smoking fee at The Pell, a JDV by Hyatt property in Rhode Island. Griff, a senior reporter at The Points Guy, publicly detailed his experience, which involved a disputed charge based on a Rest Sensor reading despite his claim of not smoking. The hotel ultimately reversed the fee after his public outcry.

Griff's investigation revealed that Rest Sensors markets its technology to hotels as a means to "unlock a new revenue stream" and "collect fees from smoking events." The company's website reportedly claims their product can "increase a hotel’s smoking fine revenue by 84 times," potentially generating an additional $1,200 per room annually. This aggressive marketing strategy emphasizes revenue generation through smoking detection, utilizing a "robust algorithm" to identify smoking events.

Further digging by Griff and subsequent reports indicate a broader pattern of guests being wrongly charged smoking fees at The Pell and other hotels using Rest Sensors. Numerous online reviews and social media messages from other travelers corroborate similar experiences, where individuals were hit with substantial fees despite denying smoking. Concerns have been raised about the accuracy and sensitivity of these sensors, with some guests suggesting common activities like using a hairdryer might trigger false positives.

Following Griff's viral social media posts, The Pell's general manager reportedly disabled the sensors for review. While Griff's charge was reversed, many other affected guests have struggled to obtain refunds, prompting discussions about potential class-action lawsuits. The incident underscores a growing trend in the hospitality industry to generate ancillary revenue, but it also highlights ethical questions regarding the implementation of technology that could lead to consumer disputes and alleged unfair charges.