The Associated Press’s religion feature this week is on a trend among “boutique” hotels to offer a menu of spiritual food. Page around in the folder with your room service offerings in one of these hotels, and among them you’re likely to find a selection of spiritual texts you can have sent up to your room:
Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer with Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants based in San Francisco, said the chain’s 42 boutique hotels began to offer a range of spiritual texts in addition to the Bible nearly a year ago. Every hotel has at least four spiritual texts: the Old and New Testaments, the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Buddhist text. Many other hotels in the chain offer close to a dozen options.
Leondakis said the hotels have received only a few requests for the books so far. Still, she said that, “offering a menu that includes as many philosophies and beliefs and spiritual perspectives was much more in keeping with the culture of our company.”
At Hotel Preston, among the other books offered are the Book of Mormon, Buddhist texts, the Chinese Tao Te Ching and the Hebrew Bible. Guests can choose from the works on a laminated “menu” in their rooms and then call the front desk to request a copy.
The article notes and briefly traces the history of the influence the Gideons, who have been placing Bibles in hotel rooms for a century or so, and pegs the vast increase in religious diversity to changes in immigration policy that happened in 1965.
The Washington Post has the story here.