“In our efforts to help the environment, we do not provide automatic newspaper delivery. However, if you want a copy of USA Today at your doorstep every morning just call the front desk and we will deliver it at no charge.”

However I will also admit that as a person who works at a hotel some people can get really upset when there is not a newspaper at their door, and many of the times a person who does not want the newspaper will simply leave it at the front desk for someone else to take it.

We have the little “Opt-out” notice as well, but in reality the newspapers are complimentary regardless. Hotels are required by rule to give that notice, we didn’t raise out rates when we started delivering the papers yet we are required to give the “credit” upon request, so in reality we lowered our rates if you ask for the credit!

A few other things to note about most hotel’s newspaper deliveries. They are required to order their newspapers at least 24 hours ahead of time, as well as pay for each copy ordered. If a person “opts-out” the hotel still has to pay for that newspaper because it was ordered before they checked in.

While I agree that there might be a “better” way, from a person who works at a hotel it would also cause problems with record keeping for such a change and most likely would lead to angry customers when they expect a paper but never get one for whatever reason (a person who gets a paper but really does not want it is more likely to return to the hotel than a person who wants a paper but never gets it)

They never mentioned anything at check in, which is the problem. If they would have asked, up front, do you want delivery of USA Today for a charge of $0.75, I would have been perfectly OK with that: full disclosure and the chance for you to say yes or no. But they didn’t do that.

On the other hand, the internet connection was $12/day, which is another racket. If they would have given it to me for $1/day though, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

You threw in some interesting alternatives in your reply, creative ideas that are sometimes missing in the real business world. Thanks for enhancing the post with your comments.

It is definitely alternative thinking but i wonder if they asked people at the beginning of their stay whether they would like a newspaper or not is an even better idea? Instead of offering a discount of .75 cents, which is nothing, why not offer an alternative?

Ie, if the customer declines a newspaper, what about a magazine or free internet access? They probably charge $1 a day????

Will (http://willegan.com)

Why dont they selling the eNews only in the web or a msgs in your phone all the days you stay in this hotel?

Sal-U2