For a two-week
trial period, the Hotel Indigo in Newcastle has replaced hard copies of the
holy text with electronic versions accessible through the Amazon e-reader. Yes,
they replaced
the paper Gideon bibles, the ones we are used to finding in the drawers of
hotels and motels, with Amazon Kindles. It is the first in Britain to offer the service, which includes the ability
to download any other religious texts that costs 5 British pounds or less, for
free! Other downloads may be done, but they will be at regular price for the
consumer.
Adam Munday, general manager of Hotel Indigo
Newcastle, explained why the hotel chain made the swap: “Every Hotel Indigo
draws inspiration from its local area to give guests an individual experience.”
Newcastle was one of the largest
print centers in England in the 18th century. The area is also home to the Literary & Philosophical
Society -- the "largest independent library outside London" -- which
houses more than 150,000 books and and extensive music collection. “We
wanted to reflect this literary history in a very contemporary way”, stated Adam
Munday. For the right reasons, going digital is a good choice for the city.
If other hotels take up the idea as well, it will obviously
be good news for travelers who left their Kindle or paper books behind. On the other hand, a 2008 report by CNN revealed some
hotels are taking extra measures to cater to their diversified consumers without
doing away with the Gideon Bible. Some chains provide guests with other
religious texts, including the Quran, the Book of Mormon, the Hebrew Bible and
some Buddhist literature. This trial period at Hotel indigo sounds exciting and
interesting; however, I think a lost or damaged Kindle will probably be a hefty
charge on the hotel room bill. More details, in regards to this blog, can be found at CNET News.
Replaced the paper Bible with an electronic one? There is definitely something I never thought I’d see. Apparently electronic mediums are taking over even this standard form of communication. It does sound interesting, but it seems sort of wrong. Then again, so many things could be lumped into that category when speaking of the latest technologies. On the other hand, the idea of having a Kindle available for use while in a hotel is a nice thought. I would not be objective to being able to download books or magazines while hanging out for the evening. I wonder how many will try to take them like the towels though? Probably not that many as they are just a bit more pricey to be billed for!
ReplyDeleteI for one have always found the Gideon bible a comforting sight when staying at a hotel. I wonder if this is really an investment, or just a fad that will qquickly die out? I am one person who does not think that the kindle has the power to make books obsolete, at least not for the next 50 years. I do not see this new addition to hotel rooms to be convenient or even necessary. People have access to these electronic sources, but since they are available to the public, who knows what kinds of books and magazines will you find on there? I would also think that few people come to a hotel room to sit and read, so all in all, this sounds like more of a novelty than a new hotel trend. But like with most technological advances, we'll have to wait and see.
ReplyDeleteI find this topic interesting, but also feel like it's not something we should be expecting any time soon. Primary reasons include how much costs would go up for these hotels, not to mention many complaints I can see happening from people who don't work well with technology. I think the better route you talked about is offering more litature for patrons, because obviously every person staying in the room is not going to have the same beliefs. Although I may not agree or see things working out for the best if this trend continues, there's no denying the grasp technology is holding us by, and the fact that many people are finding unique ways to utilize it.
ReplyDelete