"Getaways for gadget addicts
Four Fairmont hotels offer rehabs to help people disconnect from work
Sarah McGinnis, Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, July 17, 2008
CALGARY -- BlackBerry addicts and sufferers of cellphone-itis may soon find respite at four western Canadian hotels, now that one savvy company has created "electronic rehab getaways" for guests in need of professional help to disconnect from work.
The Fairmont Hotel and Resorts has just launched the getaways at its resorts in Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Whistler.
Clients who sign up for the specialized package hand over their cellphones, BlackBerrys and other mobile devices, which are then locked up in the hotel safe. The guests sign a waiver pledging to go off-line for the duration of their stay.
BlackBerrys and other mobile devices have to be locked up in the hotel safe.
Mike Cassese, Reuters
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"People are looking for the opportunity to disconnect. They want somebody to say, 'Come here and unplug. ... Slow down and enjoy life,' " said Lori Grant, spokeswoman for The Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
As part of the package, which starts at $499 a night, BlackBerry and cellphone junkies checking into The Fairmont Banff Springs are treated to herbal teas, a meditation book and complimentary access to fitness classes and spa mineral pools.
Further west, technophiles can enter a minimum two-day "digital detox" at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which also includes hiking with a mountain heritage guide, herbal teas and a paddle on the famous lake at a cost of $459 per night.
Those signing over their mobiles to staff at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge are treated to fresh fruit and herbal teas, a guided hike and breathtaking views with a package price starting at $529.
"I think it's a great idea to break me away from the addiction," said Trevor Sziva, a salesman for a roofing products company said in Calgary yesterday.
Sziva checks his well-worn BlackBerry at least 20 times a day. He's also been known to take it along on vacation -- much to the chagrin of his wife, who turns around and walks away when he uses it off-hours.
Handing over the device to a hotel clerk would make fighting the urge to turn it on for a quick second that much easier, he said.
A Statistics Canada study released in January says Albertans worked an average of 1,880 hours a year in 2004, the highest of any province.
Alberta also had the highest proportion of people working more than 2,300 hours a year -- with 12.5 per cent consistently putting in extra hours.
So far, the concept hasn't made it Victoria's Fairmont Empress"
It would cost me WAY more than the $499/night they're charging if I was to go without my phone. I would lose a TON of business. I'm addicted for a good reason, not that I don't use it for fun as well
