Hotel offers “cycle for your dinner” deal

• 14 years ago (2010-04-15)
• David Flin

Renewables 751

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A Danish hotel, the Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers, is pioneering a pedal-power electricity generation scheme by installing two exercise bicycles hooked up to generators. Guests will be invited to jump on and start pedalling, and if they generate enough electricity, they will be given a free meal.

From June, guests will be able to race against the hotel’s solar panel system in a bid to generate the most electricity. The hotel said in a statement: “Anyone producing 10 watt hours or more of electricity for the hotel will be given a locally produced complimentary meal, encouraging guests to not only get fit, but to also reduce their carbon footprint and save both electricity and money.” Hotel spokeswoman Frederikke Tommergaard said that the free meal offer applied only to paying guests.

The bicycles will be available 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.