WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Lodging giant Marriott International Inc. announced on Wednesday that all its 2,300 hotels in the United States and Canada will ban smoking in every room.

    The company will start putting the change into effect in September, and by the end of that month, nearly 400,000 rooms are expected to be smoke-free.

    "Creating a smoke-free environment demonstrates a new level of service and care for our guests and associates," said J.W. Marriott, chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott international, headquartered in Washington D.C.

    "Our family of brands is united on this important health issue and we anticipate very positive customer fee back," he said.

    The new policy includes all guest rooms, restaurants, lounges, meeting rooms, public space and employee work areas. Currently over 90 percent of Marriott guest rooms are already non-smoking and smoking is prohibited in many public spaces due to local laws.

    Guests who sneak a smoke could face a cleanup fee of between 200 and 300 U.S. dollars, plus additional charges for any lost revenue if the room is taken out of service. And Marriott will post no-smoking signs in all rooms, though the signs likely will not spell out the penalties, according to U.S. media. Enditem