[digital drifter]

Notice the opening line?

http://pogue.blogs.n...ts-on/#comments

Quote

I’ve always thought that the European hotels had a brilliant idea. When you enter the hotel room, you put your key in a slot by the door, and all the lights, electricity and air conditioning (if necessary) turn on. When you leave and grab your key, everything shuts off automatically, saving enormous amounts of energy and pollution.

It's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay downhill from there.  Seems like Americans know how their fellow countrymen will think.

Really, you can't top that elitest, talk dumb to them, thinking going on in what they're doing.


*WTF did I write in the last sentence?  I can't make sense of what I wrote!  Dammit.

[AlanD]

Are you all right there DD?

I'm not sure what you're saying either but here goes

I don't have any strong feelings about this topic except that I'm generally in favour of the key thing except when the temperature goes over 35C - then I would like to return to a cool room. Or have I missed the point somewhere?

[dzibead]

Just step away from the keyboard, dd, and nobody'll get hurt.    Or just go take a nap, daaahling.  

But back on topic (I think):  I think the automatic key idea is good and I'm pretty sure I've stayed a couple of places in the U.S. that use the system -- but it's been so long since I've traveled anywhere I can't remember for sure - maybe I fantisized it.  Hyderabadi, as someone who works in what is often referred to as "the hospitality industry,"  may be able to give us an accurate professional assessment.

[cyberhippie]

They have these in India too, a god send for numpties like me, who nip back to the hotel room, for some mozzie cream, throw my keys somewhere, then get hit with a power cut. No torch either, so muggins frantically rummgaes around in the dark only to realise that I can't find my keys and have to sit and wait for the power to come back on.    

[jyotirmoy]

Many hotels in India have this simple thing these days and it surely saves electricity.

[noflylist]

more or less a standard feature in chain motels in US!

[digital drifter]

Let me clarify.

First, that the NYT would find this a topic to talk about.  I mean,  I'm pretty sure, I saw this in the boondocks of Kenosha Wisconsin when I was there.
Second,  the reasoning that Americans wouldn't care about switching off power or even this hotel-key-in-slot-for-power method is astounding.  Americans may be ridiculous in their habits but the spurious excuse was a bit too much.

Heck, I actually managed to sympathise with the 'Average Joe" there!

[Hyderabadi]

dzibead, on Aug 9 2008, 06:46 PM, said:

Hyderabadi, as someone who works in what is often referred to as "the hospitality industry,"  may be able to give us an accurate professional assessment.

May not be 'accurate professional assesment' but, yes, a lot of newer hotels/motels are including this feature. Mostly it's not mandated by the franchiser and is upto the  franchisee to implement this. In some areas  even that little switch next to the door that turns on power to various power sockets, bedside lamps etc., poses problems. Some guests walk in to the room and come right back to the front desk complaining their lights/iron/whatever is not working. When you ask them if they flipped that switch, some say 'Ah! That was it!" and some "Why did you not tell us about it/where is the notice that we have to do this?"   Some days, I feel like writing down all these 'NOTICE's  (based on guest complaints and refunds made) and make a wall paper out of them.

What works well in a metro/urban or business hotel may not work other hotels.

Other 'green' attempts have been to change over the regular light bulbs to to CFLamps, put up a NOTICE/REQUEST in the bathroom to 'conserve energy and protect the environment, this hotel requests that you leave the towels on the rack if you would like to re-use them.....", and so on.

Recently, the trend is to make the rooms 'lighter' with light/bright colored wall coverings and linen, more guests prefer all-interior corridor  hotels with extra brightly lit parking lots which necessitates 'black-out' window curtains..and...