IHG hotel to switch Bibles for e-reader

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BOSTON, July 8 (UPI) -- InterContinental Hotels Group is replacing Gideon Bibles in its Hotel Indigo Newcastle in England with Kindles, officials say.

IHG announced the initiative to switch over to the digital version of the religious text last week, the Boston Herald reported Sunday.

Along with the Bible, guests at the 148-room Hotel Indigo Newcastle will be able to download other digital books through the hotel's WiFi for additional fees.

Although other IHG hotels applauded the decision, some say they are not ready to make the switch.

"For the ease, for the convenience, I think it would be something very attractive to travelers," said Ken Ng, the InterContinental Boston hotel's director of sales and marketing. "It fits the lifestyle of the travelers -- they are more contemporary and younger. Right now, there hasn't been a real discussion."

Ken Stephens, a spokesman for Nashville-based Gideons International, said IHG's move is "a positive step" if it helps people access the Bible and that the company, which provides hotels with Bibles free of charge, does not view it as a threat.

"It could be something that becomes expected, like a hair dryer and a color television, but obviously you're talking much more expense. ... We certainly don't at all view it as a threat," Stephens said. "We are working in 194 countries and have almost 300,000 members worldwide. Based on the scale of the experiment, we have plenty to keep us busy."