As you check into your next luxury hotel stay, the hotel clerk will hand you your keys, a complimentary welcome basket, and an iPad to use during your stay. Does this sound farfetched? Maybe, but not according to hotel industry insiders. In fact, one blogger predicted back in January when the iPad was announced that it could become a staple for upscale hotels.

And the insider was right, because last week London’s Berkeley Hotel announced that it will be giving guests in its luxury suites an iPad loaded with themed apps to help enhance their stay. The iPad will have games, videos, and comic books for families staying in the hotel with children in tow, whereas business professionals will have the Wall Street Journal and their local newspapers loaded onto the device. Local attractions will also be mapped and explained.

Of course, the iPad is not yet available in the UK, so this will be quite a treat for those able stay in the hotel, at least until the product launches in the market at the end of May.

So what benefit does purchasing a few iPads give to the hotel chain? The devices aren’t cheap, of course, so besides increasing customer satisfaction and potentially increasing bookings, are there other benefits?

Well, many, if not all, upscale hotels offer complimentary newspapers to their guests. By using newspaper and magazine apps on the iPad, hotels can continue this service while broadening the media available to their guests, yet eliminating the paper versions. This saves money over time, because newspaper subscriptions can get expensive, and the hotel also has to pay a staff member for his or her time distributing them.

The iPad can also simplify the concierge experience. The hotels’ concierge can use the iPad to give guests directions to and information about local attractions. The device can also be used to download recommended books and games to help keep youngsters entertained during a hotel stay.

In theory, the iPad can replace in-room computers or laptops that some luxury hotels supply. There is, of course, the temptation for guests to steal the tablet, but this can be eliminated by a waver that states, “if you steal or break the iPad, even accidentally, replacement cost will be billed to your credit card.”

So is the iPad going to make an appearance in luxury hotels across the globe, becoming standard fare for elite travelers? Only time will tell, but for sure you will enjoy yourself if you are one of those lucky enough to get one in your room!