Showercaps And Soap Only

In order to reduce pilfering, some hotels have begun attaching RFID chips to their towels and linens.

The radio-frequency identification chips designed by Linen Technology Tracking can be put in towels, sheets and bathrobes to keep track of stock and, more importantly, to ensure their return when light-fingered guests forget their manners. The market for such items sounds well developed. CNN quoted William Serbin of Linen Technology Tracking saying, "Any given month, [hotels] can lose 5 to 20 percent of towels, sheets and robes." And the economies to be made from the tags, which will work through 300 washes, also sound rather impressive.

HomoQuotable - David Starkey

"It seems to me that what we are doing is producing a tyrannous new morality that is every bit as oppressive as the old. The way to [handle this] is not to ban them, not to fine them. It is for them simply to put up what seems to me to be a quite proper notice in a small privately run hotel which says we are Christians and this is what we believe. Otherwise, we are as I said, we are producing a new tyranny." - Openly gay British historian, atheist, and television commentator David Starkey, speaking against the recent fining of Christian bed-and-breakfast owners because they wouldn't rent to gays.

Starkey words are being repeated today on American Christianist sites, where he is being described as a "gay activist."

ILLINOIS: Bed & Breakfasts Turn Away Gay Couple's Civil Union Ceremony

Two Illinois bed and breakfast hotels have turned away a gay couple's request to hold their civil unions ceremony, with one lodging manager emailing the couple to tell them to repent.

"We will never host same-sex civil unions. We will never host same-sex weddings even if they become legal in Illinois," Timber Creek operators told [Todd] Wathen in an e-mail. “We believe homosexuality is wrong and unnatural based on what the Bible says about it. If that is discrimination, I guess we unfortunately discriminate." When informed of Illinois's new civil unions law, Jim Walder of Timber Creek replied, “The Bible does not state opinions, but facts. It contains the highest laws pertinent to man. It trumps Illinois law, United States law, and global law should there ever be any.” Walder later sent an unsolicited e-mail of Bible passages to Wathen. He wrote, “Hi Todd, I know you may not want to hear this, but I thought I would send along a couple of verses in Romans 1 detailing how the Creator of the Universe looks at the gay lifestyle. It’s not to late to change your behavior.”

The couple has filed complaints with the state, which bans lodging discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In response, David Smith of the (SPLC-certified hate group) Illinois Family Institute has issued a bizarre demand that Gov. Pat Quinn and President Obama apologize for their support of LGBT rights. According to Smith, the owners of Timber Creek have received "poisonous, hate-filled letters and phone calls from leftists who demand that we accept their life choices." Timber Creek's website presently notes that it is an "upscale Christian" business.

BBC's Big Picture Covers Britain's Anti-Gay Christian Hoteliers Case

This weekend the BBC's Big Picture covered the recent decision against the British hoteliers who had refused to rent rooms to gay couples. Good discussion here.

BRITAIN: Christian Hoteliers Lose Right To Deny Rooms To Gay Couples

In what is being hailed as a landmark decision, a British judge has ruled that the Christian owners of a seaside bed and breakfast broke the law when they denied lodging to a gay couple.

Peter and Hazelmary Bull did not allow civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy to use a double room in their Cornwall B&B because it would be "an affront to their faith". However, a judge at Bristol County Court said the couple were breaking the law by denying the men a room. Mr Hall and Mr Preddy were each awarded £1,800 in damages. The couple said they were extremely happy with the outcome of the case. "When we booked this hotel we just wanted to do something that thousands of other couples do every weekend - take a relaxing weekend break away."

The hotel's owners say that even unmarried straight couples have been denied rooms in the past.

UPDATE: Porno Pete is hoping to align with the homocons in protesting the ruling.

CHINA: 15-Story Hotel Goes Up In Six Days

Daily Ungrumble

Remember how much I detest those self check-out stations at CVS and elsewhere? Well, I ran into the same thing at a hotel for the first time this weekend in Philadelphia and I must report with chagrin that I actually liked it. No line at the unstaffed front desk, just a quick credit card swipe and the machine spat out my room key and a slip of paper with the room number on it. Like at CVS, there was a staffer floating around to deal with any problems, but there's not much to go wrong and there's no robot voice screaming at you to place your motherfucking item on the motherfucking tray.

Gay Hotel & Nightclub Complex Coming To Manhattan's West 42nd Street

Today NY1 covered the gay hotel and nightclub complex coming to 42nd Street. I first told you about this back in February, but it doesn't appear that a whole lot of work has been done since then.

Evening View - Square Ville

The bathroom in my Montreal hotel room has a square toilet. OK, then.

SINGAPORE: World's Most Expensive Hotel Opens With World's Largest Outdoor Pool

The $6B Marina Sands Hotel opened in Singapore this weekend with a 650-foot infinity pool on the 55th floor. More cool/scary photos here. What global recession?

WILTON MANORS: Massive Gay Resort Announced For Fort Lauderdale Area

Wilton Manors, the very gay small town just north of Fort Lauderdale, is slated to get a massive new resort.

New York-based G Worldwide plans to break ground on a 700,000 square-foot resort at an estimated cost of $80 million in Wilton Manors. The luxury resort, scheduled for completion in 2011, will bring over 500 new jobs to the area and is the first in a series of projects for the company catering to the LGBT community. David Holzapfel, COO of G Worldwide, is enthusiastic about the project. “The reason we chose Wilton Manors for our first project is because we felt that South Florida is a wonderful location.” Holzapfel likes the community of Wilton Manors, stating that the company has already garnered a great deal of support for the project. The resort will feature numerous lavish amenities. “We will have a fitness center, spa, nightclub, and a variety of dining options, all on property,” Holzapfel says. In addition, the resort also plans to offer a rooftop lounge and garden, as well as an art gallery and banquet center. The property, located at 1224 NE 24th Street, will only be a short walk from the Wilton Drive entertainment district, offering visitors an array of shopping and nightlife options. G Resort Wilton Manors also plans on attracting 25 major events to the resort, including conferences that will ultimately generate revenue for local businesses.

The resort will feature 172 all-suite rooms, including a number of 3000 square-foot penthouse triplex suites. It'll be interesting to see if Wilton Manors' bustling gay business environment can support such a behemoth, particularly in this economy. (I seem to recall a similar gay condo project, Wilton Station, having problems selling their units several years ago.) And some are concerned that such a big resort will crush some of local gay guesthouses. But who knows, every time I go back it seems like there are a dozen new gay businesses on Wilton Drive.