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Hi everyone,
I have read some articles about the subject but still confusing for me. Do you feel that individual shampoos/shower gel are a real plus for the hosts? A lots a various opinions, some arguing that it is not environment friendly and others stating that it brings high standard for the appartement and is very useful.
My objective is to try to get the extra-mile for the hosts and their experience, with implied positive impacts on reviews.
I’ve had guests who have thanked me for not providing wasteful individual packaged soaps and shampoos.
As a guest I also really like not seeing wasteful individual packaged soaps and shampoos.
A big family bottle of bodywash and shampoo seems more friendly and happy to me.
I have several appartments that I rent and was looking for the options for the bathroom, in the case individual shampoos are good option I will create personnalized items (I rent house in country side also) and maybe also sell them as amenity goods.
No I don’t. I buy large bottles of decent quality shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Several months ago I remembered that I personally hate body wash, so bought some individual soaps in eco-friendly packaging. About half use the soap (or take it with them perhaps) and the other half leave it still wrapped.
I have 310 98% 5 star reviews using big bottles of the sort people normally use in their home. I host in a room in my home and they have their own ensuite bathroom. If you want your apartments to feel like a hotel and you have guests typically staying more than one night it might be helpful for you.
I only provide a bottle of liquid soap in the bathroom (and only replace when empty) and have had no negative feedback; for what it’s worth I am also a superhost. My experience is that most, women in particular, bring their own preferred brands with them.
I can’t stand mini sizes. Trying to shake out the thimble-full amount of shampoo for my thick hair is frustrating and it takes a lot of thumb and finger pressure to squeeze the sides of that d*** little container. Don’t get me started on little slivers of bar soap where there is the risk of losing it in the “tween”, if you know what I mean…for hand or facial use at the sink is okay but not the bath.
Full-size pump bottles of body wash and shampoo/conditioner are the preferred norm in my rental. I do keep a wrapped full-size bath bar in one of the drawers but no one uses it. Besides, bath bars leave a waxy residue on the shower walls and tub - harder to clean.
We provide a large bottle of refillable nice quality, branded castile soap which can be used to wash your body, your hair, or even your dishes. We stay in many higher end hotels when my fiance and I travel and I find that the individual small shampoos/shower gels only feel special to us when the brand or quality of soap is nice as well (Molton Brown, etc). If it is a generic drug store brand it wouldn’t be worth the extra cost/waste as a host.
We have full-size bottles of everything too. Body wash, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap (liquid) for the sink in the shared bathroom.
For a while I got the cheapest of everything I could find. Then, I decided it was better to get the good stuff… especially the stuff that smells really good. Nothing like a nice aroma to give you a great feeling while you’re in the shower.
I too looked in to doing the mini bottles but in the end I thought they were:
too annoying for guests
too much like a hotel
too much of a hassle to constantly re-supply
Part of the Airbnb experience that I think a lot of people like is feeling like they’re in a real home - not a hotel. And real soap and shampoo - just like you’d use at home give it a more homey feel.
No one has ever complained - not that they would ever complain about something like that - but we’ve been superhosts for a long time so it doesn’t seem to have been a negative.
This is exactly what I do as well, and I have never had any negative feedback. I do keep some extra toiletries in my personal store cupboard that I’m willing to let guests use if they forgot their own, but so far, no one has asked!
big bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Obviously get used as I replace them regularly and buy them when on special.
tampons and sanitary pads. Because the nearest 24/7 chemist is 50km away and accidents have (apparently) happened. Still on the ones I bought a year ago but no accidents since then.
Many thanks for all your replies, it seems that the individual stuffs would be more appropriate for B&B and hotel. I will keep the big bottles for the appartments.
I bought pretty refillable bottles at Bed, Bath and Beyond and labeled them shampoo, conditioner and body wash. They look nice and avoid adding to the plastic environmental problems. By the way, I also forbid my guests to bring in disposable water bottles. I pick up packages of sealed toothbrushes and toothpaste at thrift stores for guests who forget theirs.