Kid-free Hotels: A luxury or an outrage?

When Ronald Ballner, proprietor of the posh Hotel Cortisen on Austria's Wolfgangsee lake, announced that, as of next May, his hotel would no longer be lodging guests with children under twelve years old, he expected a positive reaction. What he got instead was public outcry. "My guests have a right to quiet and relaxation without the noise of children," he said, but even the deputy governor of the province called the move "outgrageous" and the President of the Austrian Association of Hoteliers cited it as an example of how the hotel business is "getting more and more intolerant and more and more egotistical."

What do you think? If a no-kids-allowed hotel opened up in your state, would you book your reservation right away or cry foul? Do parents have a right to lodge with their children at any hotel, or do travelers have a right to lodging without hearing the pitter-patter of little feet?