Personally, I don’t ever have a problem falling asleep-—no matter what time zone I am in. However, some travelers (especially those who have no hint of narcolepsy) struggle with falling asleep especially when they are in foreign lands. Hoteliers are well aware of this problem and some are now coming to the aid of their guests by offering unique sleep services.
Take for example Hyatt’s new Andaz Liverpool Street location in London. For the next two weeks the lodging will host the world’s first “Hotel Reader in Residence.”
Need a bedtime story to lull you to sleep? Writer Damian Barr will be at your service. According to hotel managers, the 31-year-old will read to guests or discuss literary topics with them.
Barr says since most people haven’t been read to since they were children, and most travelers don’t bring a lot of books to hotels his services should come in quite handy. The freelance journalist and former resident writer at London’s Royal College of Art is providing guests with a wide variety of literary classics to choose from along with some of his personal favorites.
The hotel is not charging guests for Barr’s reading services, and no books are off-limits. In fact, Barr says he is so excited about his new job that he plans to remain available by phone to hotel guests after his stay for “bibliotherapy,” whereby he helps travelers choose the best books to suit their moods.
Meanwhile, it’s not exactly a bedtime story, but it does have a happy ending.
I’m referring to the tale of a traveler who stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago and left his briefcase (containing his laptop and entire business portfolio) in a cab he hailed from the upscale lodging.
Thanks to the efforts of a diligent hotel staffer the guest was reunited (remarkably) with his lost bag. But it didn’t come easy. According to the guest, a security staffer went above and beyond the call of duty by reviewing security tapes and locating the cab’s license number. He then called around and found the cabbie–and the briefcase–before anyone could walk off with it.
How’s that for going the extra mile?
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