I have a confession to make…

I have a confession to make. I’m addicted to technology.  I have too many gadgets and I can’t leave home without them.  When I hit the road for business or pleasure all the gadgets come along.  I have a black iPhone for personal use. A white iPhone for business. I have an iPad for just about everything. I have a laptop for business use. I have a laptop for personal use. I have a million chargers and I plug everything in when I get to my hotel.  I have at least two devices plugged in near the bed – a phone (I use the excuse that it’s my alarm too) and an iPad because I like to listen to music or surf the web before bed.   I’m over connected!

For the over-connected road warrior, there’s a new solution to help with our addiction!

The Benjamin, a boutique hotel in New York City has launched an innovate new program called The Work-Down call to help people just  like me.

U.S. business travel spending is projected to exceed $100 billion this year, up from $72.4 billion in 2009, according to industry research group PhoCusWright.  The Benjamin’s new program is designed to help business travelers get more sleep

How does the program work? It’s simple. A guest simply requests a Work-Down Call and at the specified time the hotel’s sleep concierge, or a member of their team, will call the room and remind the guest to power down.

Sleep Concierge (copyright: Benjamin Hotel)

“It’s hard to pull away from work, especially when you are traveling on business and find yourself in meetings most of the day then trying to catch up on email at night,” said Joe Gaeta, The Benjamin’s general manager.  “With no one telling you to stop work and no distractions when you are in the room by yourself, business travelers find themselves working past midnight.  The Work-Down Call is our way of trying to help our guests find work/life balance while on the road and get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night.”

The Benjamin’s Sleep Concierge suggests that guests schedule the Work-Down Call 1 hour before they actually want to go to sleep.  They recommend that guests turn off all electronics 1 hour before bed so that the brain can wind down to a state where it can easily relax into a deep sleep.  Unnatural light from computers, televisions and the like prevent the brain from making the neurotransmitters that encourage healthy sleep.   In addition, the Sleep Concierge can also arrange for items from the Sleep Menu, such as a white noise machine, a dream dictionary or a bedtime snack of warm milk with a PB&J on banana bread to be sent to the guest room.

According to the Benjamin, The Work-Down Call, coupled with the services of The Sleep Concierge (the industry’s first and only), the 12-choice Pillow Menu and Sleep Menu, come together to ensure that guests get the best possible night’s sleep.  The Benjamin Bed, a Serta® mattress created exclusively for the hotel topped with 500-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, a down duvet and luxury Anichini bedding, has been called the most comfortable bed ever by guests.

Pillow Menu from The Benjamin Hotel Website

The Benjamin, has prime positioning in New York. It’s located at Lexington Avenue and 50th Street. The four-star property features 209 terrace suites, standard suites & guestrooms.  The hotel features The National Bar & Dining Rooms by Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian (I can personally attest to how good the food is!), Federico Hair & Spa, Winks’ Kidzzz Club and a private guest lounge.

I love the idea of a work-down call.  I think it would be a great reminder for me to shut down.  This is an incredibly unique service and one that I suspect will be very popular.  Perhaps for the most gadget addicted they should offer safety deposit boxes where you can leave your i-everythings and pick them up in the morning!   Would you take advantage of a service like this?