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CHERYL GLASER: Marriott’s announcing today it’s going to ban smoking in all its hotels in the US and Canada. It hopes to win a competitive edge over Hilton and other rivals. Some hotels are taking it further and experimenting with allergy-friendly rooms as Janet Babin reports.

JANET BABIN: Even if you don’t suffer from allergies, just looking at those hotel AC units can make you start sneezing.

ROBERT BAIER: “Those coils can get completely encased in a biological slime, something called a bio-film.”

That’s University of Buffalo professor Robert Baier. Based on initial results, his team found that allergy friendly rooms can reduce particulate pollution by 75 percent.

The process includes ultra violent lamps to zap germs, underbed filters, deep carpet cleaning and a dose of ozone.

Only a few hotels currently offer the service, but if the concept takes off, hotel hope to charge up to $25 extra for allergy-friendly rooms.

I’m Janet Babin for Marketplace.