Years ago the Vogue Hotel would set up in the lobby a coffee machine and also some pastries and muffins for hotel guests. The coffee was surprisingly good and I would see people come into the hotel who didn't seem like guests coming in for that coffee. In the Age of Covid, such a display is unthinkable.
When I traveled to Portland, Maine in August for the only vacation I took since Covid started, they had a coffee machine set up in the lobby of the Hyatt where I was staying. Not seeing anyone around, I helped myself to a cup. All of a sudden a guy comes out of some room and starts yelling at me that I am not supposed to be serving myself coffee, that staff would do it. I responded, "hey guy, nobody was here, so I helped myself." In the Age of Covid there is no self help anymore.
Anyway in the age of Covid you can also expect coffee promotions like A&W's, because it's the classic "let's make it seem like we are giving them something for nothing, when in reality we are giving them nothing for nothing." Sort of like teams making trades with the Habs, LOL.
