Smoke-free rooms — and now even entirely smoke-free buildings — have become more common in the lodging and resort business over the past few years as customers have requested them. This has made it easier for families with an asthmatic child to find comfortable accommodations without worrying about secondhand smoke — imbedded in carpets, fabrics, and furnishings — possibly triggering an asthma flare-up.

A New Look

A new trend among the larger hotel companies also may be helpful to your child: They have developed “allergy resistant” rooms for guests sensitive to dust, molds, and chemicals. These are rooms that have been gutted and then retrofitted with environmentally friendly products and materials.

These rooms have been designed to eliminate items that contribute to poor indoor air quality. This meant replacing standard carpeting with hardwood flooring, which is easier to clean and minimizes dust; coating door hardware, plumbing fixtures, and other frequently touched surfaces with an antimicrobial agent to eliminate germs; using paint, adhesives, coatings, and furniture free of volatile organic compounds and other off-gases; and using wallpaper that is perforated to prevent moisture from getting trapped and creating mold.

Also, air-purification systems in each room collect 99 percent of particles and gases. A monitoring system is used to maintain proper levels for odors, gases, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, humidity, and temperature — reducing the amount of dust mites and mold. These rooms, though, usually have a premium price attached to them.

Taking Your Own Precautions

While planning your stay at a hotels or other lodgings away from home, be wary of potential asthma triggers such as concentrations of dust mites and molds in carpeting, bedding, mattresses, and upholstered furniture, along with fumes from cleaning products.

To avoid some of these problems, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has compiled a list of points you can consider when staying in a hotel:

• Ask when you are making reservations if allergy-proof rooms and/or nonsmoking rooms are available.

• If your child has a sensitivity to molds, request a sunny room away from any indoor pool area.

• If your child is allergic to animal danders, inquire about the hotel's pet policy. If pets stay at the hotel, ask for a room that is designated as pet-free.

• If your child's asthma symptoms are triggered by dust mites, consider bringing your own pillows and bedding, and dust-proof or zippered covers for pillows and mattresses during your stay. Also, check to see if the hotel offers synthetic pillows.

• Consider using the air conditioner instead of opening the windows to circulate the air through the room; request that filters be changed, if possible.

• Avoid using a hotel room's closet or dresser drawers if there is a sensitivity to mold.

These tips can be applied as well when staying in other places such as cottages or cabins in woods or near a beach. Take additional steps to make sure the buildings are thoroughly cleaned and aired-out before you arrive to help reduce dust mite and mold concentrations.

Also, if you're being a little more rustic — camping out in tents — remember to air them out before using them again. Also, air out sleeping mats and sleeping bags. If possible, do not use campfires to cook, but instead use self-heating camp stoves.