First it was the mini-bar, but guests rebelled against the exorbitant fees for a Coke or a beer.
Then it was the bottle of water, but why spend $5.00 on H2O when studies showed that what flowed from the tap was just as good, if not better.
So what can a hotel upsell its guests in-room for a little extra margin?
How about air.
Sounds wacky, but when I was in Vancouver recently, there was a neat little can of something called Oxia was where the Evian used to be. Called "a natural energy boost," this personal oxygen dispenser is a cross between an asthma puffer and a can of Red Bull. Push up the blue plastic spout, wrap your lips around it, press a button and presto--a mix of 10% nitrogen and 90% pure oxygen is sent into your bloodstream, claiming to do everything from alleviate headaches and hangovers to increase energy and reduce stress.
I was curious, but not feeling overly squanderous, I opted for an $18.95 use fee added to my hotel bill, as long as I left it behind for refill (the canister itself cost about $65 to buy).
So does it work? I took it with me to my Power Within speaking gig at GM Place and frankly, the dozen or so spurts cleared some cobwebs and was less damaging--and less fattening--than a caffeine or sugar rush, not to mention the more illicit ways of sharpening up.
Critics say the same could be accomplished by a few good deep breaths, but where's the fun in that? Carrying around the canister of Oxia gave me the swagger and menace of Dennis Hopper in "Blue Velvet." (That's him at left.)
And gave me the idea on how to make REAL money with this stuff:
Flavor it, and find a way to mix it with alcohol.