A hotel in Newcastle, England, has replaced copies of the traditional Gideon Bible placed in each of its 148 rooms with a Kindle pre-loaded with the Bible, the Christian Post reports. Hotel Indigo made the change in its policy beginning Monday, claiming to be the first in Britain to offer such a service. Adam Munday, the hotel's general manager, explained the decision: "In the 18th century, Newcastle was one of the largest print centers in Britain and we're in Grainger Town, close to the Literary and Philosophical Society. We wanted to reflect this literary history in a very contemporary way, so are offering guests the use of cutting-edge Kindles pre-loaded with the Bible, instead of the more traditional hard-copy Gideon Bible that they would expect to find in a hotel." The hotel is also allowing guests to download a copy of any other religious text costing up to 5 pounds (approximately $11), and after July 16 will make a decision on whether to retain the policy or introduce it to more of the chain's 44 hotels around the world.
