Toronto, Sept. 15 (Reuters): US actor Sean Penn flouted no-smoking laws this week at the Toronto film festival but a hotel is paying the price.

Penn lit up during a news conference for his new film, All the King's Men, at the downtown Toronto Sutton Place Hotel. That was in violation of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which bans smoking in all enclosed spaces that are open to the public.

Christopher Ashby, spokesman for the Sutton Place, confirmed today that the hotel has been slapped with fines for allowing Penn to smoke. Asked why hotel staff did not inform Penn of the no-smoking rules, Ashby said:“It was a private event.”