Sofitel hotels launch an iPad daily newspaper service

Posted by Clara Martínez Turco on July 28, 2010 at 11:05 AM

French hotel chain Sofitel will now offer the daily press to its guests through an iPad application, "in a move that could mean a fresh start for the dwindling tradition of the morning newspaper in hotels," The Independent revealed today.

The newspaper service, called "The Kiosk," provides a selection of six publications per country. For now, there will be media from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United States, the company announced in a press release.

Some of dailies included by Sofitel are Le Monde, The Wall Street Journal, El Pais, The Financial Times, Die Welt and La Repubblica.

According to The Independent, the service is only available for those "staying in the top end suites in Paris, London, Munich and Brussels," where each guest is provided with an iPad.

The French chain, which plans to expand The Kiosk to all of its locations, explained that the new service is both "environmentally friendly" and convenient for the guests.

Last year, Marriott hotels stopped offering daily papers to guests. Only those who request it receive The Wall Street Journal, USA Today or local newspapers.