long cool spell before Christmas. However that should not detract from the concept of the 68 degree temperature guarantee. The important thing was pointed out yesterday by Mr. Tim Russell, general manager of the Elbow Beach Hotel, when he said that guests are "getting a kick'' out of the guarantee scheme. So that visitors and the general public can also keep track of the scheme this newspaper carries the day's high on Page 1 every day.

Doubtless hotels had hoped that Bermuda might have the kind of warm and sunny winter we have experienced quite regularly in recent years. This seems to be shaping up to be a cooler winter but you never know and Bermuda's weather is always subject to change at any hour.

The important thing is that Bermuda's guarantee will get the word around the frozen north in a very legitimate way that Bermuda's winter weather is warm and that Bermuda is a good winter destination even though it may not provide blazing sun. Monday's 64 degrees fell below the guarantee but is still pretty warm when compared to gateway city highs overseas. In most northern places people feel blessed by 64 degree weather and it is good weather to be outdoors if you consider that 70 degrees is generally considered the ideal temperature.

Consider also the low in Bermuda was 61 degrees while the low in San Juan was 71, in Havana 69, in Nassau 69 and in Honolulu 62. Not bad when you consider Bermuda's location.

The important thing is for Bermuda to demonstrate that it cares. During the next three months, if the daily temperature fails to reach 68 degrees visitors staying at the Princess, the Southampton Princess, the Grotto Bay Hotel, the Elbow Beach Hotel and the Marriott Castle Harbour, when it reopens, will receive a 20 percent discount on their room for that night. In other words, the hotels are backing the weather with their cash.

Over the years Bermuda has been very honest in pointing out that this is not a winter beach resort. Bermuda did that because it was unwise to have visitors feel they had been misled. It may be that Bermuda went too far in its attempt to be honest and caused people to stay away unnecessarily. Bermuda can be an ideal winter destination for people who are no longer totally devoted to sand and sun and many people these days are afraid of direct sun. Bermuda's winter is also very comfortable for cultural tourism. We think Bermuda does too little to promote November which is often the ideal weather month when the days can be clear and sunny and the humidity is often mercifully low. American Thanksgiving in Bermuda can be perfectly beautiful and great for Christmas shopping.

We think that for too long Bermuda suffered from a "take it or leave it'' attitude and this guarantee tells our visitors that we care about their enjoyment and we want them to have a good time. If they go home and talk about that to their friends and co-workers the word of mouth will be very valuable to Bermuda.

"Guess what. I went to Bermuda and it was kind of cool and they gave me 20 percent off my room,'' is, at the very least, good public relations for the hotels and for Bermuda as a resort.