The bible is a traditional hotel room companion. Gideon has been distributing their bibles in hotel rooms since 1908 and estimates that 25 percent of people who stay in hotel rooms ‘read’ the bible provided. Marriott International controversially pulled bibles from its Moxy and Edition brands in late 2016, thinking that it didn’t fit in with the ‘personality’ of the new, modern brands.
The hotel giant appears to have reversed its thinking and by the end of the year, Marriott expects to have placed a Holy Bible and Book of Mormon in over 300,000 more rooms across Marriott, Sheraton and Starwood hotels.
“There are many guests who are not digitally connected who appreciate having one or both of these books available. It's a tradition appreciated by many, objected to by few," said Marriott in a statement.
Marriott has a historical connection with the Mormon church, as its founder John Willard Marriott worked as a Mormon missionary before opening his first property.
