It’s always nice to see hoteliers trying something new, to draw attention to their property. And it’s a nice goal to get people moving, exercising, and being conscious about their energy use.

But I’m amused that a Danish hotel is seemingly taking its inspiration from the Professor on Gilligan’s Island to entice guests to get a freebie in the hotel’s restaurant:

The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers, 15 minutes from the center of the Danish capital and five minutes from Scandinavia’s main airport, is installing two exercise bicycles hooked up to generators.

Guests will be invited to jump on and start pedaling — and if they produce enough electricity they will be given a free meal.
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The value of the meal — any one of the main courses on the hotel restaurant or lobby bar’s menu — is about 240 Danish crowns ($44), she told Reuters.

The electric bikes will be up and running from April 19 and the plan is to test the idea for a year with a view to expanding it to more Crowne Plaza hotels, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group.

Very cute. But if they’re really looking to get off the grid, maybe they should hook up the generators at the gym, and not just on two bikes in the lobby…