Non-smokers beware. Lovely resort. Impossible to a...

Non-smokers beware. Lovely resort. Impossible to avoid cigarette smoke. Very expensive. Wall of smoke will await you at all exits and covered hallways.

Not the place to stay for anyone with asthma, COPD, or allergies to cigarette smoke. Before booking, had read old reviews talking about this issue, specifically asked about it prior to booking and was assured they enforce the smoking areas. One would think with all the old posts, they would have addressed this issue by now. They haven't.
And if it does rain, patrons smoke wherever there is an overhang and resort staff don't do anything. I was told, "well, we cannot very well ask people to stand in the rain to smoke" like that is the only option available, since there are covered smoking areas. Sigh.

The biggest issue is you cannot get to the parks or most resort amenities without walking through a smoking section. So, you get on an elevator inside the building and step off the elevator to get to the restaurants, which are connected on that floor to an outside hall and walk right into a huge haze of smoke! And forget holding your breath from the elevator to get inside restaurant because it is too far. I couldn't make it and doubt most people could.

Most importantly to me, I could not get from the resort to the parks without walking through multiple assigned smoking areas, so it is physically impossible to avoid it. The best route is a longer route, out the front lobby, down the driveway (thru smoking area) and down a path, which also passes through another smoking area to get to CityWalk or the boat ramp (to get to boat ramp you walk through another smoking area). Patrons are supposed to confine themselves to the assigned areas, but anytime people are outside walking, they will smoke, so there are also people smoking along this walk. The express passes were great, but I would look for another location where the smoking section layouts will allow me to move from point A to point B without passing through a smoking area forced to inhale smoke.

The resort could address this, if they looked to create a path for non-smoking guests. Starting at the front door, they could restrict smoking to only on the left side away from the path to the parks and remove the section along that path. They could also adjust the location at the boat ramp. It obviously has not been a priority and they have received many, many complaints and are aware of the issue. At the very least, they should be honest when guests specifically ask about smoke and tell people that there is no way to get to the parks without walking through some smoke.

So, if you must stay here and you react to smoke, good luck! I would avoid the downstairs restaurants. And do not get on the elevators, as they frequently have smoke on them after opening to smoking area. The emergency stairs were ok, as long as it wasn't raining. The lobby is actually on the 3rd floor, so ask for a room on that floor and you want tower 2, so you can avoid the other amenity areas. You may be able to use the pool if it isn't busy with smokers, but have to pass multiple smoking areas to get there. Best way is again leaving through the lobby and walking all around the building (tower 2) to approach from the back of the pool, but only during the day because that entrance is closed later and you will have to circle through two more smoking sections to get to main pool entrance. Be sure to bring emergency inhalers and masks for your walk from resort to the parks/amenities. And even if you are not regularly on steroids and respiratory treatments, ask your doctor and bring everything in your arsenal because you are probably going to need them. Also, if you are someone that has attacks with exposure, be sure to keep someone with you on the long walk. It might be too late by the time someone finds you.