Creepy concept adds to the 'full-service' hotel experience

The hotel chain of Holiday Inn, known here for its solid, if unexciting accomodations, has been in the news in England twice over the past two months for unexpected and provocative promotions.

As the holidays approached, the chain offered a "Mother-in-law" discount for husbands dreading a home visit by the wife's mom for Christmas.

Love the idea as a practical way to keep the peace during a sometimes emotional time, or hate it as piling on to the cliche of mothers-in-law as battleaxes, the promotion earned the chain millions of dollars in free publicity.

And now, they've done it again.

Three of the chain's hotels in Britain are offering "human bed-warming" services.

Excuse me? I thought that's what husbands were for.

In a statement, a spokeswoman explained: "The new Holiday Inn bed warmers service is a bit like having a giant hot water bottle in your bed."

EWWWW!

According to the release, a hotel employee dressed in an all-in-one fleece sleeper suit, will slip between your sheets.

The bed-warmer is equipped with a thermometer to measure the bed's required temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit).

Holiday Inn said the warmer would be fully dressed and leave the bed before the guest occupied it. They could not confirm if the warmer would shower first, but said hair would be covered.

The hotel offers up an expert, of course, to explain the science behind the idea, the director of a sleep center, who says a warm bed can jump-start the sleep process.

No explanation by Holiday Inn on why electric blankets or even hot water bottles couldn't replace the rather creepy concept of a stranger in a giant snuggie slipping between your sheets.

Except for the fact that an electric blanket warming service wouldn't garner nearly as much free publicity.

Again, that PR person deserves a big raise.

Monday morning.

Along with the buzzing of the alarm clock, we had the scrolling list of school delays and cancellations to accompany our morning TV news.

You know a winter has been brutal when you've got a 16-year-old who's upset because school has been canceled - again.

At this rate, we'll have schools in session not just after Memorial Day, but July 4 as well.