Green-peddling hotels hop on bicycle craze

— -- The newest spin on hotel freebies: bicycles.

Aside from being an eco-friendly transportation option, they're an affordable way to set a lodging apart and please guests.

Among hotels with pedal power:

• The Gansevoort South in Miami Beach offers glow-in-the-dark Puma bikes.

• The Bowery Hotel in Manhattan lets guests saddle up on red Jamis "Earth Cruisers."

• The James Chicago lends hip Paul Frank cruisers.

Element, the new eco-conscious extended-stay brand from Starwood Hotels, stocks Trek hybrid mountain/city bikes and offers priority bike parking in a rack near the entrance of its first property in Lexington, Mass.

It's not only a "green" way to cruise, but guests "love it. They can renew and refresh, get in touch with nature, and get to know the history of Lexington (up close)," says Element general manager Christopher Hartzell. And "we actually had a couple of corporate clients ride their bikes to meetings."