HotelChatter

Starting this month, the Smart Cycle Physical Learning Arcade System from Fisher Price will be available for in-room use at all 18 Loews Hotels.

The hybrid exercise bike/arcade system plugs into the TV so the little ones can play educational video games while developing their fine motor skills and, who knows, perhaps begin training for the Tour de France. (If you can't visualize this marvel, click here.)

The Smart Cycle accoutrement is part of Loews Loves Kids program that also includes a lending library of games and toys. Think jump ropes, rocking horses and, woo hoo!, hoola hoops.

The Loew's press release is pitching this in-room exercise contrapton as a path to fitness in an era of ballooning childhood obesity. Fat chance! We cannot imagine youngsters continuously pedaling while the likes of Sponge Bob and Dora the Explorer scamper across the hotel TV screen.

But, and this is a big but, as an educational activity Loews might be onto something here. According to the Fisher Price description, the Smart Cycle aims to teach, among others things, numbers and counting, matching, problem-solving and spatial reasoning. This skill set could make for some pretty discerning hotel guests down the road.

We particularly like the potential for precocious spatial reasoning. We can practically hear children cajoling their parents to upgrade to a suite.