New York Hotel Offers Gluten-Free Turndown Service

Remember how you used to get a little chocolate on your pillow every night during your hotel's turndown service? One New York hotel is putting a twist on that tradition by replacing the chocolate with a gluten-free cookie on your nightstand instead.

The Jade Hotel, in New York's Greenwich Village is jumping on the healthy, gluten-free bandwagon by giving guests special BabyCakes NYC™ vegan chocolate chip cookies at turndown. The boutique hotel's owners felt the new snacks would be more popular than the chocolates because staying healthy and avoiding oversized sugary treats (like the giant cupcakes and donuts abundantly available in the city) was a big concern for their guests. This way they could enjoy a healthy snack before bed without worrying about the added calories.

The hotel's food and beverage director James Stuart got the idea after years of travelling and ignoring the chocolate on his pillow. "You get ready for bed wrestling late night temptation, or wake up feeling guilty that you devoured the sweets at 1 a.m.," says Stuart.  

A chance encounter between Stuart and BabyCakes NYC founder Eric McKenna at a local playground led to the collaboration, which eventually became the gluten-free and "guilt free" turndown amenity. The hotel says this bedtime indulgence will now become their standard turndown amenity for all guests.