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AIBU

Complimentary hotel toiletries... love them or hate them?

(90 Posts)
Sago Mon 12-Apr-21 18:08:32

AIBU? I hate the little bottles and tubes left in hotel/ self catering accommodation.
It’s just landfill!
Apart from a hotel in Dubai that gave generous Hermes trios I have never had quality items nor have I ever relied on them.
A small bar of hand soap fine but spare me the wasteful plastic bottles.
One of our favourite hotels has vintage decanters filled with bath oil, far nicer.
Is it just me?

Gwenisgreat1 Tue 13-Apr-21 10:42:53

The Hotel where my daughter got married it was Molton Brown as well, I enjoyed them. Got Molton Brown in another Hotel, might have been in LA or Florida.
I find any handy for travelling as well.

trisher Tue 13-Apr-21 10:29:39

Love them! They are great as well for self catering holidays. Small tablets of soap just last the week. Encourages GCs to wash their hands with Granny's 'baby''soap.

PernillaVanilla Tue 13-Apr-21 10:08:32

I love them! Most of them are in recyclable bottles anyway. I would not be happy with glass bottles as it is so eas to drop them with wet hands and then there would be splinters of glass all over the place.

Caro6699 Tue 13-Apr-21 09:43:23

I use the freebies and containers for my trips to the gym. Saves lugging larger bottles around. I just top them up at home. Also so useful for travel when taking only hand luggage.
But I only take the really nice ones.

When I was working a colleague use to collect these to make up small hygiene packs for an overseas charity for women working in manual jobs.

Witzend Tue 13-Apr-21 09:39:37

I do wonder how many people use them.

A relative of dh has a massive place in France that was formerly run as an upmarket B&B. The vendors left what remained of their supplies of mini toiletries, plus all the towelling bathrobes etc.

10 years on, and after masses of guests, we have still always found these little bottles - the originals - in the bathrooms.
Except for maybe the hand soap, I always use my own.

Nanof3 Tue 13-Apr-21 09:30:04

I use them to wash out socks/ smalls etc, there is usually a small clothes rack on the balcony and they will dry overnight.
I hate coming home with a case full of dirty smelly clothes.

harrigran Tue 13-Apr-21 09:18:24

I often take away the shower gel, most of the hotels we have stayed in provide Molton Brown or equally acceptable products.
When the rooms are cleaned the products are binned and fresh placed in the bathroom.

TerriBull Tue 13-Apr-21 08:37:49

I really like them especially if really good quality ones are provided, got some Miller Harris products in a Fairmont hotel in Canada and have also have had White Company stuff several times. I do take them with us, I believe that's expected, unless stated otherwise one hotel left large Molton Brown refillables which they asked to be left fair enough when they are standard size, it was nice to have the use of them whilst staying there. I have a bowl of unused ones in a spare bathroom for the use of anyone who stays with us. I've also found them useful for taking along for after swim/gym and showers too before the lockdown.

grannysyb Tue 13-Apr-21 08:30:12

When I was with my X he travelled a lot for his work and I quite often went with him, business class on planes and nice hotels. I always kept the little sponge bag freebies we got on the planes and the hotel toiletries. I knew someone who volunteered at a homeless shelter, they were delighted with the things I had collected.

BigBertha1 Tue 13-Apr-21 07:45:15

I hardly ever use them unless they are Molton Brown or something similar...dont want to risk a skin break out.

Magnolia62 Mon 12-Apr-21 23:33:03

Rarely stay in hotels but if I do, I save the free products and give them to an a&e nurse friend who takes them to work. Very useful for patients who have to spend a couple of nights in hospital and have no toiletries with them. I also save the ones provided on ferries which I rarely use as showering on a short journey is not necessary.

Chewbacca Mon 12-Apr-21 21:00:20

Portmeirion Hotel always has complimentary toiletries by L'Occitane in each bathroom and that's always a treat and very welcome. Why would I take my own!

cornishpatsy Mon 12-Apr-21 20:53:07

I used to have a friend that would not only take the toiletries but unused teabags, biscuits and anything else complimentary.

Marydoll Mon 12-Apr-21 20:23:11

When I was teaching and on IT development courses, I used to stay in a hotel, which was part of the conference centre. The toiletries were all Molton Brown. Even the public loos smelled gorgeous. Everything was in dispensers which were fixed to the wall.

fiorentina51 Mon 12-Apr-21 20:17:54

A local charity helping homeless people, use the freebie toiletries donated to them and put together wash packs for their clients. I think this is a national initiative.

Witzend Mon 12-Apr-21 20:10:13

I never use them - I take my own.
I’ve known people who hoover them all up to take home and use, though - most notably an old aunt of dh who I used to call Queen Midas!
She would also hoover up any sachets of sugar etc. in cafes. Needless to add, she was far from hard up.

J52 Mon 12-Apr-21 20:06:33

CanadianGran ohh Fairmonts, totally agree. We ‘ve stayed in several Fairmonts. Lovely toiletries. Lovely everything else!

Maggiemaybe Mon 12-Apr-21 20:02:45

There is a company that collects them all, they are then made into new bars, and distributed to countries where people who cannot afford these things.

That’s good to know, Auntieflo. I really hate waste. I’ve often wondered if all those little hotel bottles are refilled, but somehow I doubt it.

NotAGran55 Mon 12-Apr-21 19:49:23

Agree Blossoming Malmaison are very amusing smile

They do vary , I never use the shampoo and conditioner as I’m fussy about my products, but do like to try the shower gels . They do vary though , some great, others less so .

Puzzler61 Mon 12-Apr-21 19:44:43

We once stayed at a lovely hotel in Cyprus and the bathroom goodies were Molton Brown. Those were a real treat.

Grannynannywanny Mon 12-Apr-21 19:39:06

I’ve never been keen on using multi use dispensers on the occasions I’ve come across them in hotel bathrooms.

I think they’re less likely to measure up to hygiene standards now thanks to covid and everywhere will have single use items.

CanadianGran Mon 12-Apr-21 19:13:30

Grannynannywanny (long name!) I find the same. Now I make sure to find out which is the shampoo before I step in the shower!

Depending on the quality of the products I will use what I need and leave the rest to the side so they know they are not touched. When travel was a novelty for us I would take what was not used and bring it home, but found I had a collection of unused products, so don't do that anymore. Unless I find a really nice little wrapped bar soap. The Fairmont in Vancouver has divine rose scented soaps, and they leave one by the bath and one by the sink. One of them will come home with me.smile

The only place I have seen dispensers in the showers have been in all-inclusive resorts, and some budget hotels. It's fine by me either way. Less waste for sure. I wonder if better quality hotels will start doing the same.

Grannynannywanny Mon 12-Apr-21 18:59:25

My problem is that they are so small I can’t read which is shower gel and which is shampoo/conditioner. I’ve already got my glasses off by the time I’m in the hotel bathroom and the water is running.

If I go back into the room for my glasses they steam up and I’m none the wiser! So, I only use them if I forget to bring my own.

J52 Mon 12-Apr-21 18:58:14

I prefer my own brands, but if they’re a good quality brand I’ll take them home. Useful if making a short trip with only hand luggage.
Complimentary tooth brushes are useful to use when cleaning grout etc.

Blossoming Mon 12-Apr-21 18:57:14

I love the ones in Malmaison in Oxford ?