Business Notes EXTRAS

When America's fitness craze took hold, posh hotels began providing in-house gyms and workout rooms, along with the requisite terry-cloth robes. Now some hoteliers are adding a twist: lending sporting goods and clothes to guests at no extra charge. In several cases, the manufacturers provide the merchandise free in an effort to snare new customers. Boston's Ritz-Carlton offers Rockport walking shoes, Spalding baseball equipment and Canadian Royal skates. The rival Four Seasons Hotel in Boston hands out Reebok shoes. At the RiverPlace Alexis Hotel in Portland, Ore., guests can don Nike jogging suits and shoes. The sporting-goods company, based in nearby Beaverton, is negotiating with three leading hotel chains that are interested in offering Nike products nationwide.