The image of power brokers striking deals in smoke-filled rooms will soon be a thing of the past in Washington D.C.—and the trend has already begun.

The venerated Town and Country Lounge in the Mayflower Hotel, a mahogany-paneled retreat for lobbyists, lawyers, and consultants in the heart of the nation’s capital, banned smoking beginning June 1—seven full months before a District-wide ban on smoking in restaurants and bars takes effect in January 2007.

The secondhand smoke had gotten so thick at the Mayflower Hotel restaurant and bar that non-smoking customers were complaining and hotel management decided that the adverse health effects were more important than a few extra months of tradition. That’s why the Mayflower decided to ban smoking before the official start date.

"Even at lunch it was smoky," said Chris Madoo, director of marketing at the hotel, in an interview with The Washington Post. "You don't always have to wait for a deadline to do the right thing."

Reactions from customers have been mixed. As one might expect, non-smokers and former smokers tend to support the ban.

"The air quality is much better," Lauren Miller, 26, told a reporter from The Post. "I don't have to take a shower as soon as I get home."

"I quit smoking in 2005. But really, I quit today," said Don Kroll, a regular customer at the Mayflower bar, who said he was delighted by the clean air.

Just as predictably, many smokers objected to the ban and felt as though their favorite bar had suddenly become a less welcoming environment. Some were angry or deeply disappointed and said they wouldn’t be coming back if they could no longer enjoy a cigarette or cigar along with their bourbon or martini. Others were more sentimental.

"It's the end of an institution," said Graham L. Champion, 53, an businessman from Alabama. "I love the Mayflower. I love this place. What's going to happen to politics without cigars?"