Checked into the Sheraton in Toronto last week, and instead of a big hotel chain's usual front-desk accoutrements of either a basket of fermenting apples or nothing at all, I was met by a small, colorful bookshelf.
Seems that the T.O. hotel is part of the chain's trial project called Bookends, where travelers are offered a selection of books (well, a rather limited one of a half-dozen) to read during their stay. Borrow for free, but leave without returning and it's added to your room charge.
I dunno...as a frequent traveler and rather voracious reader, this whole thing strikes me as odd. Yes, boutique hotels do this all the time, and I must admit, have been the source of quite a few additions to my library (hey...do you know what they charge per night?). But of the five Sheratons chosen for Bookends, only one--in Waikiki--can be seen as an "extended stay" resort; the other four (two in Toronto, one in Boston and the other in Stamford, Conn.) are of the road warrior, business-stay variety.
Even the woman checking me in was kinda perplexed, admitting that the service was garnering a lot more Hmmmms than actual transactions.
While the idea is well-intentioned, it is oddly-positioned.
First of all, the limited selection almost renders this a non-starter.
Secondly, I would suspect a hefty magazine or two--with option for subscription--may be better suited for a Sheraton stay.
Thirdly, if they really did want to go with books, why not co-opt a publisher looking for publicity, and like Oprah's Book Club, choose and specially-publish one a month that the guests can take with them with compliments of the hotel chain?
I'm all for a check-in Surprise, and I'm all for promoting literacy, but without proper relevance, Sheraton's Bookends runs the risk of being more about "ends" than "books." (And if we are truly desperate for a book while ensconced in a big hotel, there's always Gideon's Bible...)