A Bible, a Bible – hotels say ‘so long’ to Bibles
- posted: 04 Dec. 2007
- scrollnews@byui.edu
Say good-bye to the bedside Bible, when traveling, that is. The classroom and the courtroom are no longer the only places pressured to separate church and state.
New statements from hotel chains indicate that many are choosing to rid rooms of religious texts, in favor of other amenities like upscale electronics. The change may be spurred in part by a 10 percent increase in leisurely travel, according to travel research firm D.K. Shifflet & Associates.
“The industry, like most things, evolves and changes,” said Elon Kenchington, chief operating advisor of the Ganesvoort Hotel Group. The group has never had Bibles in its rooms, according to a report by ABC news.
“We’d rather surprise them with things they wouldn’t expect, like iPod docking stations and plasma TVs,” Kenchington said.
Representatives from the Marriott chain, founded by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also expressed interest in changing their policy concerning Bibles, according to Newsweek.
Some owners of hotel chains say that only including Bibles in hotel rooms excludes other religions.
“We have a wide diversity of guests and we want to appeal to them,” said Allen Paty, general manager of Hotel Monaco in downtown Denver.
The company Sofitel removed all Bibles from its rooms after guests inquired about why Christianity is the only religion catered to in hotel rooms, according to Newsweek.
However, not all chains follow suit. Best Western hotels still require a Bible in each room, and copies of the Book of Mormon are offered in certain locations, said Rexburg’s Cottontree Inn’s housekeeping spokesperson.
In addition, Bibles in hotels outside of the “luxury” category rose from 79 percent in 1988 to 95 percent this year, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
“I do believe if a person doesn’t have a Bible in their hotel room, they should call the front desk and get one up there as soon as possible,” said Dr. Thomas Forston of the Promise-Keepers, a Denver-based religious organization, in a report by Denver’s ABC affiliate. 
