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The human hottie

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Catherine Deshayes

I always like to uncover the weirdest stories from around the globe - but I really think this could be the oddest one ever - a hotel chain has employed a team of human ‘hot water bottles' to warm beds so guests can enjoy the ultimate night's sleep - so just what will these human hotties be up to? TheMoveChannel.com goes undercover(!)...

Whether you are an electric blanket convert or a hot water bottle enthusiast, getting into a warm toasty bed at night is one of the pleasures of life.

Now, hotel chain Holiday Inn has taken bed warming to the next level - not content with switching on a blanket or filling a hot water bottle, they have employed human hot water bottles to slip into the beds and warm them up before guests arrive.

What a job! Possibly the only one in the world where sleeping during working hours is actively encouraged.

The walking warmers are dressed in special all-in-one sleeper suits and stay under the covers for five minutes to warm the beds just before guests arrive - so don't fear- you won't actually have to share a bed with the warmers.

The free warming sessions are being tried out in London and Manchester later this month.

Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, said the idea could help people get off to sleep.

He said, "There's plenty of scientific evidence to show that sleep starts at the beginning of the night when body temperature starts to drop. The decline occurs partly because the blood vessels of the hands, face and feet open up and release heat.

"A warm bed - approximately 20 to 24 degrees Celsius - is a good way to start this process whereas a cold bed would inhibit sleep.

"Holiday Inn's new bed warmers service should help people achieve a good night's sleep especially as it's taking much longer for them to warm up when they come in from the snow," he added.

Holiday Inn spokeswoman Jane Bednall said the idea was "like having a giant hot water bottle in your bed."

I can imagine a few hotel guests won't be quite so keen on the idea of someone else ‘warming' their clean hotel sheets....

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Picture by morguefile