A luxury hotel in Germany has installed a room service that allows you to revert back to the halcyon days, before ubiquitous Wi-Fi and mobile Internet connections had encroached into every area of our lives, and at all times.
While staying at the The Villa Stéphanie spa resort in Baden-Baden, you can now flip a bedside switch and disconnect, turning your room into a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email-free oasis.
A copper grid embedded within the walls, complimented by a special coating applied on top of the interior paint, blocks any wireless signals from getting through to its inhabitants.
Frank Marrenbach, the chief executive of the Oetker Collection, and owner of Villa Stéphanie, told the Financial Times that use of the feature had been popular, with approximately half of guests choosing to take advantage of the switch while staying at the resort.
He added: “It is not a sign of smartness to constantly look at incoming messages. This is not smart, this is stupid. Smart is to devote time when it is time to do so. Smart is to read things in a profound way.”
Although in the world of luxury hotels and spas the idea is an innovation, and a welcome move in support of life, in the perennial work life balance struggle, such a facility is not new. Everyone can block Internet signals through one of the most basic features on their phones and tablets — the OFF button.
