What toiletries do you buy for guests?

1

Do people provide small toiletries (that people usually take with them) or large toiletries and hope that people don’t take them?

I have had a stock of unopened individual sized (small) shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion from staying in some lux villas/hotels from my own holidays (by REN, Bamford, Molton Brown, Miller Harris, Asprey etc.) which I’ve given to guests, which would have cost a bomb if I’d bought them myself. It certainly wouldn’t be cost-effective to buy these brands, even if they did miniatures which most of them don’t.

But I’ve now run out and would like to get nice toiletries but don’t want to spend too much.

What does everyone else buy?

2

In the States, the Suave brand of body wash is the cheapest. Trissemme shampoo in the big pump bottles too.

3

I hoard them from hotels that I’ve stayed in for work/holidays. I’ve got loads. Most of the time people don’t use them or take them.

4

In the states we have “big lots” and I get these mini shampoos, conditioners’ for .25 cents, shaving cream.80 cents. what is costly is soap which I will be purchasing hotel sized soaps in bulk from amazon.

5

Webrestaurantstore.com sells all kjnds of hotel ameities at all kind of price points…from a few cents a soap and up.

6

i buy from the dollar store and scavenge from hotels too. i provide soap, shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush tooth paste, deodorant, tumms, advil, lint rollers, hair spray, shaving creme/razors, and body lotion. i refill the basket every month or so. nobody has abused it and it adds a nice touch. i pamper my guests on the soap. i buy almond/pumpkin soap from whole foods and cut the bar in 1/3s. guests really love it and usually leave it behind when they go. i just stick the bars back together and use them myself.

7

I’m in Australia but it’s easy to buy bulk amenities from hotel suppliers online - so if it’s easy here, it must be even easier there. I get shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion and soaps. If I only put out 1 of each for a short stay it costs me around $3-$4 - I put out double the quantity if they’re staying 3 days or longer. And it’s one of those things that guests really seem to appreciate.

8

I just go to the drug store and buy larger bottles on sale.

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9

@flaxhigh I actully think that providing small shampoo and conditioners encourage people to take them. I’ve only supplied large toiletries and I expect that they will leave them, since they don’t want to take anything heavy. Then I refill them with bulk sizes. It’s worked so far… nothing stolen! However, I’m not disappointing if they are taken.

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10

…I never finished my reply…

I assume that, if they care about quality of shampoo, etc., they will bring their own. If not, I’m sure they are happy with what I provide. I’ve not had complaints.

11

I just share by shampoo and conditioner. For guests I used Soap for the People (organic pump) which is all purpose. Also liquid hand soap which I refill. My dollar is my vote…I only buy those items that are organic, earth friendly, etc. It educates the guest…most guests do not use much…lasts a long time…even my good shampoo.

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12

I started Hosty Club to ship individual sets of toiletries for guests.

Our bottles are biodegradable, and we’re taking pre-orders for just $2.99 per guest, which gives each guest shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body-wash, soap, travel-wipes, toothpaste, and a bamboo toothbrush.

Hope you like it!

13

For those of you who leave the bulk pump-type shampoo/conditioner bottles, have you gotten any feedback on it? I had a guest complain recently that they were “open and used” even though they were fully topped up. I can’t imagine anyone tossing a Costco-sized name brand set after each user?

14

This is the type of question that would make me think… What do they want for an Airbnb prices. The Four seasons?

15

I leave the products that I myself use for the guests to use. Toothpaste is the only exception, that I have in small size tubes that I leave for the guests. Nobody has so far either complained or taken anything with them.
I use mostly eco certified cosmetics that are not always the cheapest, but I don’t think my guests use so much of them that it would ruin me. I’m not sure anyone even uses any of the toiletries, but instead bring their own.

16

Here in Europe, many hotel chains up to 3*** have switched to bulk, pump-type toiletries, sometimes with a note reminding guests it’s an eco-friendly choice.

I leave full-size, pump type eco-certified/organic shower gel and shampoo. I always fill them up to the 2/3, on purpose, for guests to understand that they are not brand new bottles they could take with them.

No comments on it so far, but two different sets of guests told me that eco-certified toiletries are a nice touch (everything I leave in the apartment, from coffee to laundry is organic/eco-certified).

I have noticed (when I change their towels) that 90% of guests bring their own toiletries anyway.

17

I just found a big white blank pump dispenser that I fill with suave coconut shampoo…I labeled it body wash and shampoo…that way they can use it for both. I used to buy the generic body wash but have found that it ran out quickly and looked tacky if they got to half full. Now my dispenser is full all the time and works fine. I also provide a basket of little leftover hotel size bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotions. They have plenty of choices. I’m a budget place and I don’t want to spend a fortune on toiletries.