2 weeks ago I wrote about how I will miss mini hotel toiletries. I expected my take to be somewhat controversial and was surprised that nearly all of the comments on that post agreed with me.
IHG was the first to announce that they are moving away from mini hotel toiletries next year and now Marriott has announced that they will ban them as well by the end of 2020.
Large shampoo bottles and dispensers will be coming to a S. Regis and Ritz Carlton near you.
I find them to be the opposite of luxury as they remind you of the public bathroom that you’re in. The large bulk containers also creep me out, as anyone can put anything in them. How often will they be empty after you’re already in the shower? And how often are they cleaned?
I’ll miss bringing those hotel aromas home and being transported back to places like the W and S. Regis Maldives.
So, how long before Hilton and Hyatt jump on the green (that’s green as in cash more than the environment) bandwagon?
Or are they smart enough to realize that large public dispensers don’t create a luxury experience and that guests using intoxicating hotel toiletries at home makes them want to return?
It will be a sad day when hotels like the Park Hyatt Paris and the Grand Hyatt Kauai gets rid of their mini toiletries:
At least Hyatt seems to get it, based on this Hyatt ad from 2013:
Which hotel has your favorite toiletries?
Agreed. I love the Conrad toiletries , reminds me of trip the Conrad Maldives…
Totally agree. These big bottles give me the creeps
This doesn’t help
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.today.com/today/amp/tdna160057
OMG.
Snopes hasn’t disproven this story, but there’s a lot of holes in it. Seems like she did it herself.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tampered-conditioner-hair-loss/
I’ll miss them but I’ll miss earth more if it’s submerged by single-use plastic.
Never heard of recycling?
You usually cannot recycle plastic bottles that size (if they are even made of a recyclable kind of plastic, which most are not) nor do hotels, in practice, do so, even if it is possible.
Why can’t you? The same way they are going to refill the big ones, refill the small ones?
You’ll be submerged with it so what the heck??
You’d be dead and everyone else commenting on here would be dead for hundreds of years before that happens. Also recycling? Newer generations figuring out methods to dissolve plastic (theyre developing bacteria that can digest the plastic and convert to organic matter already)
Though I will personally miss the mini toiletries myself.
So dont throw them in the ocean, just put it in the garbage.
#agree. I’m still using the shampoo I got from my stay at the Phoenician Residence back in February
now i can put something in the large soap dispenser
and then ask hotel for a refund of my stay
thank you marriott
Not that concerned. I will take empty bottles with me and dispense from the large bottles to my empties.
The answer to the issue is deep within the discussion. It’ll be more expensive for the hotels to replace transported large bulk containers than the minis. 🙂
Yes, I agree. It’s totally ridiculous. But today, everybody has to be careful not to step on the liberals’ toes, or they will ruin your life.
Btw, someone wrote (not sure what they based it off) that their high end brands will still use the mini toiletries.
hang on, your ignorance is showing. These conglomerates have shareholders and boards that they answer to not politicians. If this were a new regulation they were following your ignorant and uninformed comment may be a little less ridiculous. I would say it was a valiant effort to blame a corporate decision on your regular scapegoat, but then I would just be lying…
English, Sir?
Well, thanks for proving my point!
Was in a Westin yesterday. I made sure to take home every mini that was there.
I don’t remember the hotel, but I was once pleasantly surprised by Molton Brown toiletries … those were the good years… it’s a long time ago and I still remember how delicious it was and how much it added to my visit.
I’ll miss them too, but how many tons of plastic are wasted every day for this superfluous luxury?
Perhaps they can come up with a built into the wall system that doesn’t feel like a locker room. Maybe a motion activated dispenser where the container is hidden?
Hotels *HATE* these kinds of things. Because they break all the time, and that means that the room is out of service until the repair guy can come fix it.
Nothing is wasted if people like it. You can argue recycling is pointless if the universe is going to implode many years from now it all ends anyway.
Loved all of the “large” minis from S. Regis Bal Harbour. Took some home and it is a constant reminder of just how great everything was at that hotel. Foolish bean counters. Nevertheless please post any deals like you got us this summer at the S. Regis. They upgraded me to an imperial suite because the Astor Suite I booked on your recommendation was not available. Lived like a king, at a motel price, thanks to dansdeals.
Wow!
just came back from Grand Hyatt Kauai. Yes, wonderful toiletries, wonderful resort, and thank you Dan for turning us on to this island / resort. Saw lots of young, frum couples and made me wonder if they were all your readers.
Never used to see anyone frum there before I started writing about it. Guess I need to be careful what I write about 😉
I will stop using those hotels and start using airbnb’s i will ask before before if they have hotel aromas
the Conrad toiletries use to remind me when i came home what an experience i had back there
The NYT had an article about CEO’s Greed and money, looks like the CEO of Marriott was not at the roundtable, as hes only worried about sort term stock investors not his customers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/podcasts/the-daily/business-roundtable-corporate-responsibility.html
I think the bigger issue with Marriott was the loss of William Sanders (aka Starwood Lurker)
He is the poster boy for what made SPG a great program
The work that he does (i.e. customer engagement…. the *real* kind) is a stark contrast to the culture Bonvoy tries to instill, so it seems very fitting that he’s leaving them
Can u list ur preffered plastic bottles so that we can enjoy even more at home.
Who needs small stuff just bring a huge one yourself and full it daily.
Let’s see how fast they’ll bring back the small stuff.
In hotels that use really good products, this may change their philosophy. Thanks for the idea.
I stayed out of the previous post discussion, but I’m in favor of this. Green initiatives do get more traction when they also save money and there’s nothing wrong with that. (Dan – your Tesla came with with Federal tax credits, right?)
Sure, we’ll all miss premium toiletries but there’s a crazy amount of waste in it, especially at non-luxury brands where the toiletries are nothing special. There are so many unremarkable bottles for every one worth saving. Holiday Inn alone (not Intercontinental) has 214,000 rooms. At 70% occupancy we are talking about 300,000 bottles of shampoo and conditioner every single day. And I’d be surprised if even 1% are recycled, at least in the US. Put Marriott and Intercontinental together and you probably have 2 million rooms. The amount of plastic in dumpsters every day is mind boggling.
And I also believe that the gross factor of larger dispensers will eventually be addressed by someone innovative ideas, whether they come from Shark Tank or Proctor and Gamble.
Thanks e! You took the words from my mouth.
How can no one see the bigger picture ? Sure I’ve taken many toiletries with me. They enhance long trips (last trip I took stuff from Hyatt Washington, used by friends in SF)
But as stated above, many hotel stuff are just not worth it. I love Bigelow’s etc.
So many bottles are wasted and yes I’m sure so much soap is wasted. So much plastic is just thrown out.
I’m sorry you can’t see the greener picture.
Next up, provide glass pitchers of quality water and do away with plastic bottles in room.
yes.
Excellent points. And I don’t even get the “gross” factor. What’s “gross” about a large container with a pump handle? Seems much easier then opening those mini bottles each day. Theoretically the exact same shampoo will just be in a larger container..sounds good to me.
Hear, hear.
As green as the coal they burn to generate the electricity it’s charged with perhaps.
Oh the pain, what’s next plastic straws
Ha! Paper cups are coming to a cold drink near you.
Your photo Dan! Oh the memories that I still share this day from the Grand Hyatt Kauai! Takes us right back, Don’t do it HYATT!!!!
Luxury shouldn’t mean littering the planet with plastics. I wish people would be more willing to make small compromises so that we don’t destroy the earth.
Would never use a public shampoo or soap. I believe this is a big mistake that will cost them as most people wont be comfortable with it.
just stayed at at ventana big sur and was surprised to see that there were no minis, only big bottles. gotta say i was a bit grossed out when there was shampoo dripping out of the bottle from the previous guests!
Once they started saying “we won’t change your towels unless you throw them on the floor”, I knew it was all downhill from there.
Soon they won’t launder our towels at all.
I disagree. They usually say something like “millions of gallons of water are used each day to wash towels that have only been used once. If you will use your towel(s) again, just hang them up. If they are on the floor, we will exchange them.” Some hotels even offer a perk or discount for reusing towels. The hotels are not asking you to throw your towels on the floor, they are asking you to think about using them again to not only save water, but to not utilize more detergent that also ends up in the water somewhere. Safe to say, a vast majority of citizens reuse their towels at home…so it’s not so far-fetched for hotels to request the same, as precious resources would be saved exponentially relative to the number of rooms/towels in each hotel! So maybe you were being funny, but this is a very easy way to contribute individually to global environmentalism and sustainability!
I don’t reuse towels at home except during the 9 days. But nothing wrong with the hotel saying they’ll only replace the ones on the floor. What I find is worse is when the hotel tells you to leave the card on the bed to have your sheets changed and then they don’t bother changing them. And yes I know they aren’t changed, because I stamp every sheet on the underside and look for that stamp when I return to the room. Cuts down on my tipping housekeeping. One can hope they at least change the sheets between guests.
@dan I couldnt agree more, a big bottle of soap and shampoo in a bathroom that 10 people used before me gives me the creeps
Dan, just wait until Ritz and St regis start using reusable slippers.
Or towels
As long as you get your own individual soap bar, I don’t see any issue. You can always bring home the soap, and that scent can remind you of the trip. It’s usually wrapped in paper, so no plastic waste. A win-win.
Uh, they give a tiny one for the sink. Not big enough for a shower. The soap for the shower is in a big bottle too.
What’s next?! Big bar soap????
Basic economy hotel room prices? Travel is becoming very not consumer friendly….
That’s what’s next
I was just at a Marriott property in Oregon. They did not refill the big bottles even if close to empty. The third day I left a note.
I also think my elderly mother who only takes baths could not reach the big bottles high up that are great for someone showering- but not for someone sitting in a tub.
Read this article IHG stands to save over 11M annually while it does nothing for the enviroment. ( I am unsure how to create a hyperlink so just copy and paste) https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dropping-mini-shampoo-bottles-is-another-feel-good-move-that-like-banning-plastic-straws-does-little-environmental-good-2019-08-28?mod=mw_latestnews
I recently spoke to the purveyor of 25 Hilton hotels, he told me that for Hilton the change is optional to the franchisees. He declined to make the changes to large bottles because it diminishes the luxury appeal of his hotels. Hopefully other franchisees follow suit.
Optional for now…
The dispensers will be tamper free
Stayed in the Courtyard by Marriott Executive Park Atlanta last week and they already had the big bottles of shampoo mounted to the walls, but I always travel with my own anyway.
https://qz.com/1697638/removing-mini-shampoos-from-hotels-wont-save-the-environment/
have you ever heard of the expression, i would rather live 70 “fette yuren” then 90 “mugera”?? who cares about the environment if you cant enjoy it? its like a huge 2 inch rib steak on your plate but you are not eating eat cause you want to save the environment…….. live life and enjoy it!!
huge shampoo bottles in a hotel is just gross (sounds like a chasideshe mikvah?).
I will miss them and probably book elsewhere. It’s just a nice little touch and added something special to a room that your paying over hundreds of dollars a night.
In an atmosphere where you could book a private ab&b for less money- why not keep the tiny little niceties that make me feel special and keep me coming back?