Photo and Feature Photo: joeltelling

“Coming Soon,” says the Drury Hotels website in anticipation of what the Midwestern US chain calls its “5:30 Kickback,” a company-wide policy that will include a “free” dinner for every guest between 5:30 and 7:30 P.M.

Photo: brad_holt

SPECIALS WILL VARY from day to day beginning in February 2010 with some unlimited and constant choices, among them carrots and celery and use of the soda fountain. You might need to cash in your your “three free drink passes” to truly enjoy such daily offerings as “Ball Park hot dogs and chili,” or charbroiled meatballs with barbecue sauce, but you can’t beat the price.

The 5:30 Kickback menu brags:
“A good hot dog is a profound experience. Lives will be changed, have already been changed, by the Drury frank.”
— Thomas Jenks, entrepreneur

If you don’t have a cast iron stomach, I have no doubt that this will be the case for you.

While many businesses have used the economic crisis to gouge their customers in secret and insidious ways, it appears that Drury Hotels have made a point of going back to good old customer service values by enticing us with something we all like: free food.

Let’s hope that other businesses that rely on our tourism dollars will come to the same conclusion. You catch more flies with three free margaritas a night than with a poorly stocked, loudly humming soda machine.

Hostels
 

About The Author

Kate Sedgwick

Kate Sedgwick edits Matador Nights from Buenos Aires where she organizes her live storytelling project, Second Story, and stays busy giving art tours and doing yoga. Read more about her than you might want to know at her blog YesThereIsSuchAThingAsAStupidQuestion.com.

  • http://meganahill.wordpress.com Megan Hill

    Ah, the Drury. Their complimentary drink cards have been keeping my family liquored up during hurricane evacuations for the past few years!

  • http://nancythegnomette.com Nancy

    I’m in favor of the policy. The last time I stayed at a Renaissance Inn they provided free food and wine/beer from 5-7pm. Ok, so it wasn’t gourmet food or microbrews, but at that price, who cares? I think it’s a smart business venture.

  • http://milesofabbie.com Abbie

    I’m always down for free food!

Hostels →

YHA’s are often affairs so stodgy that not even sex-crazed rats would breed in them....

Interviews →

The frustrating thing with reviews is that unsatisfied people will be very negative...

Hostels →

What's more soothing than strangers dressed in terry-cloth footie pajamas coming into...

Hostels →

Lola Akinmade takes a video walk-through of her room at the Jumbo Hostel in Sweden.
by juli

Hostels →

St Christopher's Inn Hostel in London has flipped on a few webcams, hoping to shed light...

Hostels →

“Food not marked with name and date WILL BE EATEN.” It was our civic duty to enforce...

Hostels →

A girl staying here told me that she let out a moan when she saw the bathrooms for the...

Hostels →

Matador Goods Editor Lola Akinmade takes a tour of Stockholm's newest attraction.

Hostels →

Sometimes sleeping in a hostel can feel like a brave new experience.

Budget + Backpacker →

Our man Matt searches high and low, enduring sleepless nights by the toilet to bring you...

Hostels →

From temporary apartments to hostels, here are the best places to stay in Buenos Aires.

Hotels →

Online research is quickly taking the place of guidebooks and travel agents, especially...

Hostels →

From Paris to London to Barcelona to Riga -- power options for cheap sleeps in Europe...