"Intimacy kits" replace bibles in hotel rooms
SuzannePjam
Posts: 411
Thought this was an interesting commentary on society today and how much things have changed.
Newsweek
By Roya Wolverson
In the rooms of Manhattan's trendy Soho Grand Hotel guests can enjoy an eclectic selection of underground music, iPod docking stations, flat-screen TVs and even the living company of a complimentary goldfish. But, alas, the word of God is nowhere to be found. Unlike traditional hotels, the 10-year-old boutique has never put Bibles in its guest rooms, because "society evolves," says hotel spokeswoman Lori DeBlois. Providing Bibles would mean the hotel "would have to take care of every guest's belief."
What might be surprising to many Americans is that the Bible-free room isn't a development just in hip New York City hotels. Across the country upscale accommodations are doing away with the Bible as a standard room amenity. And in its stead have arrived a slew of "lifestyle" products that cater to a younger, hipper (and presumably less religious) clientele. Since 2001 the number of luxury hotels with religious materials in the rooms has dropped by 18 percent, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The Nashville-based Gideons International, which has distributed copies of the Christian scripture to hotels since 1908, declined to comment on this trend.
Edgier chains like the W provide "intimacy kits" with condoms in the minibar, while New York's Mercer Hotel supplies a free condom in each bathroom. Neither has Bibles. Since its recent renovation, the Sofitel L.A. offers a tantalizing lovers' dice game: roll one die for the action to be performed (for example, "kiss," "lick") and the other for the associated body part. The hotel's "mile high" kit, sold in the revamped gift shop, includes a condom, a mini vibrator, a feather tickler and lubricant. The new Indigo hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., a "branded boutique" launched by InterContinental, also has no Bibles, but it does offer a "One Night Stand" package for guests seeking VIP treatment at local nightclubs and late checkout for the hazy morning after.
The reason for hotels' shift in focus? Leisure travel is up, business travel is down, and younger generations are entering the hotel market. Leisure now leads business by more than 10 percent in U.S. hotel stays, according to travel research firm D. K. Shifflet & Associates. With the lead in technology, design and nightlife, the boutique market is where Generations X, Y and young baby boomers want to be, says CEO Doug Shifflet. And with the boutique sector booming (boutique hotel rooms have grown by 23 percent since 2001, compared to only 7 percent for standard rooms), more traditional chains, which once catered to business clientele, are now desperate to emulate.
Sofitel's brand, for example, is taking "a new direction," says Daniel Entenberg, the "romance concierge" at the chain's flagship Los Angeles location. He was brought in two years ago in an effort to reposition the entire company's image. The chain once had Bibles in all guest rooms, but the corporate office in Dallas recently removed them due to guest inquiries about why other religious texts weren't available.
Even the staid Marriott chain, founded by a Mormon, is debating whether or not to include Bibles in its yet to be named boutique chain, which is set to launch in partnership with hipster hotelier Ian Schrager, who created the '70s disco Studio 54 and later New York City's Morgans, Royalton and Paramount hotels—which are largely credited with kicking off the boutique hotel craze. Schrager says he hasn't yet discussed the Bible amenity with Marriott, though he adds that his properties have never had in-room Bibles.
Marriott spokesman John Wolf says the Bible question is premature for the new venture, which he describes as "cutting-edge," "more urban" and "less values-oriented." Now, there's a marketing slogan no one's tried yet: "Sleep with us. Leave the values at home."
Newsweek
By Roya Wolverson
In the rooms of Manhattan's trendy Soho Grand Hotel guests can enjoy an eclectic selection of underground music, iPod docking stations, flat-screen TVs and even the living company of a complimentary goldfish. But, alas, the word of God is nowhere to be found. Unlike traditional hotels, the 10-year-old boutique has never put Bibles in its guest rooms, because "society evolves," says hotel spokeswoman Lori DeBlois. Providing Bibles would mean the hotel "would have to take care of every guest's belief."
What might be surprising to many Americans is that the Bible-free room isn't a development just in hip New York City hotels. Across the country upscale accommodations are doing away with the Bible as a standard room amenity. And in its stead have arrived a slew of "lifestyle" products that cater to a younger, hipper (and presumably less religious) clientele. Since 2001 the number of luxury hotels with religious materials in the rooms has dropped by 18 percent, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The Nashville-based Gideons International, which has distributed copies of the Christian scripture to hotels since 1908, declined to comment on this trend.
Edgier chains like the W provide "intimacy kits" with condoms in the minibar, while New York's Mercer Hotel supplies a free condom in each bathroom. Neither has Bibles. Since its recent renovation, the Sofitel L.A. offers a tantalizing lovers' dice game: roll one die for the action to be performed (for example, "kiss," "lick") and the other for the associated body part. The hotel's "mile high" kit, sold in the revamped gift shop, includes a condom, a mini vibrator, a feather tickler and lubricant. The new Indigo hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., a "branded boutique" launched by InterContinental, also has no Bibles, but it does offer a "One Night Stand" package for guests seeking VIP treatment at local nightclubs and late checkout for the hazy morning after.
The reason for hotels' shift in focus? Leisure travel is up, business travel is down, and younger generations are entering the hotel market. Leisure now leads business by more than 10 percent in U.S. hotel stays, according to travel research firm D. K. Shifflet & Associates. With the lead in technology, design and nightlife, the boutique market is where Generations X, Y and young baby boomers want to be, says CEO Doug Shifflet. And with the boutique sector booming (boutique hotel rooms have grown by 23 percent since 2001, compared to only 7 percent for standard rooms), more traditional chains, which once catered to business clientele, are now desperate to emulate.
Sofitel's brand, for example, is taking "a new direction," says Daniel Entenberg, the "romance concierge" at the chain's flagship Los Angeles location. He was brought in two years ago in an effort to reposition the entire company's image. The chain once had Bibles in all guest rooms, but the corporate office in Dallas recently removed them due to guest inquiries about why other religious texts weren't available.
Even the staid Marriott chain, founded by a Mormon, is debating whether or not to include Bibles in its yet to be named boutique chain, which is set to launch in partnership with hipster hotelier Ian Schrager, who created the '70s disco Studio 54 and later New York City's Morgans, Royalton and Paramount hotels—which are largely credited with kicking off the boutique hotel craze. Schrager says he hasn't yet discussed the Bible amenity with Marriott, though he adds that his properties have never had in-room Bibles.
Marriott spokesman John Wolf says the Bible question is premature for the new venture, which he describes as "cutting-edge," "more urban" and "less values-oriented." Now, there's a marketing slogan no one's tried yet: "Sleep with us. Leave the values at home."
"Where there is sacrifice there is someone collecting the sacrificial offerings."-- Ayn Rand
"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
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So it was really concerns about why other religions weren't represented that caused them to remove the bible, right?The only people we should try to get even with...
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.0 -
know1 wrote:So it was really concerns about why other religions weren't represented that caused them to remove the bible, right?
probably. you think it's a war on christianity or something? cmon... you know the climate these days. it's only a matter of time until someone up and filed a lawsuit against somebody over them pushing bibles without having a single koran or whatever in the house. plus, people probably just don't give a shit about a bible so where's the cost effectiveness? it makes more sense to offer services your guest will use... nobody wants to reach for a condom to bang the hot chick they brought home from the bar and come up with a bible instead.0 -
I never really understood why bibles were there anyway... If you are someone who reads the bible, wouldn't you pack one?My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln0 -
eeew! I don't even use their soap or shampoo, so I'm hardly going to avail myself of their condoms or vibrator????? :eek:
And if I was one to read the bible, I'd have my own with me anyway.NOPE!!!
*~You're IT Bert!~*
Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift0 -
Partly recruitment...and partly comfort for believers.blackredyellow wrote:I never really understood why bibles were there anyway... If you are someone who reads the bible, wouldn't you pack one?10-18-2000 Houston, 04-06-2003 Houston, 6-25-2003 Toronto, 10-8-2004 Kissimmee, 9-4-2005 Calgary, 12-3-05 Sao Paulo, 7-2-2006 Denver, 7-22-06 Gorge, 7-23-2006 Gorge, 9-13-2006 Bern, 6-22-2008 DC, 6-24-2008 MSG, 6-25-2008 MSG0 -
Jeanie wrote:eeew! I don't even use their soap or shampoo, so I'm hardly going to avail myself of their condoms or vibrator????? :eek:
And if I was one to read the bible, I'd have my own with me anyway.
I always use the hotel soap and shampoo (less to pack, and it's even more of a pain in the ass now to bring liquids on carryons - not that they ever check mine), but I wouldn't use a condom that they provided... too much of a risk of some jackass poking a hole in it or something.My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln0 -
Sexuality is a natural part of the human experience.
Religion, while very important to some people, is not.
I think it's smart...not to mention, cool.
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Were hotels ever under any obligation to cater for guests' religious beliefs? I don't think so. If they want to change from the traditional to the more relevant (such as condoms and vibrators) it's their call."We have to change the concept of patriotism to one of “matriotism” — love of humanity that transcends war. A matriarch would never send her own children off to wars that kill other people’s children." Cindy Sheehan
---
London, Brixton, 14 July 1993
London, Wembley, 1996
London, Wembley, 18 June 2007
London, O2, 18 August 2009
London, Hammersmith Apollo (Ed solo), 31 July 2012
Milton Keynes Bowl, 11 July 2014London, Hammersmith Apollo (Ed solo), 06 June 2017London, O2, 18 June 2018London, O2, 17 July 2018Amsterdam, Afas Live (Ed solo), 09 June 2019Amsterdam, Afas Live (Ed solo), 10 June 20190 -
slowly working the prudes out of this nation...ridin the bull....doin the happy dance...feeling the flow... workin it....workin it...0
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Those bibles were really good for rolling joints, too. How the hell are you going to smoke a condom? (Don't answer that one.)0
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know1 wrote:So it was really concerns about why other religions weren't represented that caused them to remove the bible, right?
That neverending war on Christianity is horrible !!!! Soon Christians will be forced to practice their religion in secrecy in these hotels.0 -
blackredyellow wrote:I always use the hotel soap and shampoo (less to pack, and it's even more of a pain in the ass now to bring liquids on carryons - not that they ever check mine), but I wouldn't use a condom that they provided... too much of a risk of some jackass poking a hole in it or something.
if I remember the one room I had with one of those kits they are sealed in a tin.Boston 9-28-04, 5-24-06, 5-25-06, 5-17-10, 8-5-16, 8-7-16, 9-2-18, 9-4-18
Ft Worth 9-15-23
Hartford 5-13-06, 6-27-08, 10-25-13
Mansfield, MA 6-30-08, 6-28-08, 7-2-03, 7-3-03, 7-11-03, 8-29-00, 8-30-00, 9-15-98, 9-16-98
Worcester 10-15-13, 10-16-130 -
soulsinging wrote:probably. you think it's a war on christianity or something? cmon... you know the climate these days. it's only a matter of time until someone up and filed a lawsuit against somebody over them pushing bibles without having a single koran or whatever in the house. plus, people probably just don't give a shit about a bible so where's the cost effectiveness? it makes more sense to offer services your guest will use... nobody wants to reach for a condom to bang the hot chick they brought home from the bar and come up with a bible instead.
The hotels aren't paying for the bibles.
That being said, the title of the thread doesn't really align with the way the story was presented if someone takes the time to read it.The only people we should try to get even with...
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.0 -
Now there is something I can use. I've never had a use for those bibles. If I owned a hotel, I'd include a textbook on evolution.I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire0
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Hard to call it a war on christianity when you actually have to put effort into finding a few hotels that don't have bibles in the room. I'd say it is the opposite. A war for christianity which they seem to be winning, in hotel rooms anyway.
I noticed there are also a few restaurants who are waging a war on french fries. They are quite difficult to find though.
I think it should be a law that every restaurant has french fries.0 -
exactly. if anyone wants to read a bible i'm sure they can take their own. and seriously. would anyone here even touch one of the bibles that are in the rooms? place it lovingly in your hands or lean it on your chest? the one's i have seen are old, stinky, been touched by god knows how many people, eaten on, things spilled on. like c'mon. you want a bible in your room. take one.soulsinging wrote:probably. you think it's a war on christianity or something? cmon... you know the climate these days. it's only a matter of time until someone up and filed a lawsuit against somebody over them pushing bibles without having a single koran or whatever in the house. plus, people probably just don't give a shit about a bible so where's the cost effectiveness?0 -
Ahnimus wrote:Now there is something I can use. I've never had a use for those bibles. If I owned a hotel, I'd include a textbook on evolution.
Is the paper thinner?0 -
Best of both worlds....
Kama Sutra rolling papers...Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")0 -
Pj_Gurl wrote:exactly. if anyone wants to read a bible i'm sure they can take their own. and seriously. would anyone here even touch one of the bibles that are in the rooms? place it lovingly in your hands or lean it on your chest? the one's i have seen are old, stinky, been touched by god knows how many people, eaten on, things spilled on. like c'mon. you want a bible in your room. take one.
You sleep on the beds, don't you? I think their getting a lot more of the stuff you mentioned than the bible is.The only people we should try to get even with...
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.0 -
Ahnimus wrote:Now there is something I can use. I've never had a use for those bibles. If I owned a hotel, I'd include a textbook on evolution.
I've always wondered, do they feel guilty printing those textbooks with the blank pages sprinkled throughout them?The only people we should try to get even with...
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.0
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