Back in July, we wrote about how some hotels are using air-quality monitors to detect whether guests smoke or vape in their rooms—and automatically charge a fine if the sensors pick it up.
That story included a hotel that had several complaints from guests who received a “surprise” charge for smoking, even though they claimed they hadn’t.
We ended up staying there anyway. From the reservation process to check-in and even in the room itself, the no-smoking policy was clearly stated. We didn’t have any problems—but honestly, how could you know that until your stay ends?
A New $500 Controversy
Now there’s another viral case. A guest at M Social Hotel Times Square in Manhattan posted a TikTok claiming she was charged a $500 smoking fee even though she wasn’t in the room at the time.
@rhayleicy beware of this hotel scam!!!! The worst experience ive ever had at a hotel #msocialtimessquare #hotelnyc #hotelscam #nyc
The video, which has since gone viral, shows the guest explaining that the hotel posted a notice on her door during her stay, alerting her to a $500 penalty for violating the hotel’s smoking policy.
The hotel initially provided graphs from its Rest brand sensors showing when smoking was detected. The first report showed data from a time when the guest said she wasn’t in the room. In reports from some nationwide social media outlets, there’s also a second report—this time showing a different reading from the correct room.
While TikTok framed that as the hotel trying to change its story, the more likely explanation is that the wrong room’s graph was sent first—a clerical mix-up, not necessarily deception.
Who’s Really Telling the Truth?
As with most of these social-media dust-ups, it’s nearly impossible to know who’s right. Maybe the guest is telling the truth. Maybe someone in the room was vaping without realizing the sensitivity of the sensors. Or maybe the system triggered falsely.
Either way, when it’s your word versus the monitor, it’s hard to prove you’re being billed unfairly. According to the guest, the hotel manager was uncooperative after providing the printout and refused requests to confirm whether she was in the room by checking lock records or hallway cameras. The matter was finished, and the charge could be disputed with the credit card if desired.
In this case, the hotel eventually removed the charge from the bill before they checked out, presumably after the video went viral and major outlets picked up the story. You can follow the story on @rhayleicy, where there are several videos about the series of events.
The hotel generally has positive reviews, but a quick look at TripAdvisor shows several guests have complained about the same issue.
What Hotels Disclose (and What They Don’t)
To its credit, M Social is fairly transparent — if you book directly. On its website, the hotel clearly discloses that its rooms use Rest sensors:
“M Social Hotel Times Square is committed to providing its guests and associates with a smoke-free environment. Smoking tobacco, pipes, vapes, e-cigarettes and marijuana is strictly prohibited within the hotel. By booking through this website, you acknowledge that the hotel has installed smoking detection sensors provided by Rest in its rooms… Tampering with the sensor is strictly prohibited.”
However, there’s no mention of the $500 fine in that disclosure. When I clicked through several room types and rate plans, I noticed the disclaimer appeared on some listings — but was missing from others. That means, depending on which rate you choose, you may or may not see the policy at all.
If you’re booking through a third-party site like Expedia, the language is even more limited. You’ll only find a brief mention buried in the “Policies” section:
“This property has a strict no-smoking policy. Violators will be subject to a fine of USD 500.”
There’s no reference to the sensor technology, nor any indication that the fine might be billed automatically without staff confirmation.
How Accurate Are These Devices?
Hotels with smoking monitors like Rest have invested heavily in this technology, so it’s no surprise they want to recoup their investment—and then some. Rest, for its part, claims its devices are highly reliable:
Is it accurate?
Yes. Our proprietary algorithm has been rigorously tested and validated across thousands of rooms and real-world conditions. It’s backed by years of development and extensive field testing.
Even if that’s true, accuracy is only half the story. Guests deserve clear disclosure before booking—not just a hidden line in fine print or a surprise charge during their stay.
The Bigger Picture
Smoking and vaping in hotel rooms create real costs for properties that have to clean, deodorize, and sometimes replace furnishings. These sensors give hotels a way to catch violators—and, as the sensor companies themselves admit, they also generate extra revenue.
But until hotels implement consistent, transparent policies across both direct and third-party bookings, honest guests will remain vulnerable to unexpected and hard-to-dispute charges.
Final Thought
Technology like Rest’s can protect hotels from bad guests—but it may also unfairly punish good ones. If you’re booking a stay, read the fine print, ask about monitoring policies at check-in, and take photos of your room when you arrive and leave. Because when it’s your word against a sensor, you’ll want all the proof you can get.
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