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

I never rely on them as but they are nice to have!! When ds was at school someone must have had connections as at their bazaars they did a lucky dip where a load of the prizes were little bags made up, each with 3 tiny hotel things. DS would always come home with a load. The little hand soaps were useful for taking away to self catering cottages as we got caught out once or twice and only had shower gel with us

I’m feeling better about them now!
It seems they are not all getting wasted.
I use the shower caps to put over bread as it’s proofing.
I will now take them and pop them in Xmas shoe boxes.
Thanks all ?

I would rather toiletries were available at Reception in the event that you had forgotten to pack them.

I do know that many hotels now have refillable bottles that are attached to the wall of the shower/bathroom so that there is a reduction of land filled items.

When I worked we were asked would we take all the little toileteries and bring them to work where they sent them to a local homeless charity.

cornishpatsy

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

I think she must have stayed in my guest house in Plymouth as some of our guests used to take anything that wasn’t nailed down.

As the ex-proprietor of a small hotel that sometimes catered for stays of only one or two nights, I can tell you that the toiletries are mostly needed so such short term guests do not have to lug big bags. Larger dispensers were not popular and brought complaints. Provision of toiletries is quite expensive, more than you might think. Unused items are not thrown out when the room is cleaned. The chambermaid referred to by Jaylucy would have been sacked in my establishment. The costs have to be carefully calculated. as despite what many people think, the margins are small.

I’ve had some really nice ones in our world travels , especially in some of the Asian hotels and Scandinavian ones. The things I don’t like are those horrible little white towelling mules but some of the shampoos are very nice. One place in Dubai had a spray that was supposed to help you sleep. It was lovely. The soaps are usually too small, though, so I take my own. On board some of the ships they also have some good stuff. The Viking cruise line is good. I am missing going to the hotels but in the future will probably think of enforced lockdowns. Never the same again and it puts you off some of the well known hotels they are using for this purpose.

I always have collected the toiletries when I have stayed in a hotel. I have either then decanted the contents into bigger bottles and the small ones have gone for recycling or donated them to our local refuge that makes up little bags for those suffering from domestic abuse and have nothing beyond the clothes they stand up in.
I once stayed in a hotel in Birmingham for 2 nights and as I returned to my room while the chambermaids were still on their rounds and my room hadn't been touched. I told them not to bother as I was staying for a second night, they asked if I needed anything and to help myself from the trolley. I just took some more milk , teabags, coffee and sugar and one of the staff asked why I hadn't taken any toiletries! She then grabbed one of the laundry bags and grabbed handfuls of the shower gel, soap , shampoo and body lotion as well as even more coffee, tea and sugar plus biscuits! It all came in handy for either my workplace, weekends away and the refuge!!

They can be collected and given to food banks as a little luxury.

I sometimes take toiletries if they are a ‘good’ brand (eg. Milton Brown, Elemis) I do love the White Company brand and always take whatever remains after use from our cruises on P & O. Sadly, due to this Covid virus, I think it may be a couple of years before we will be cruising again.

I used to collect them, but found i wasnt using them at home as i had regular size containers. For a special birthday we treated ourselves to a wonderful tour of Cuba. I had heard they are very short of toiletries so bagged up small packs of shampoo, soap, body lotions etc and gave them away on our travels. The recipients were all delighted. As was I.
I dont collect them now but don't often stay in hotels, especially now, so never say never.

Sometimes I am grateful for them. Can't see what the problem is, if you don't want to use them don't, they will be available for next guest. Surely travelling to the accommodation uses a higher carbon footprint.

Where we live plastics and waste are incinerated to generate power, so saving on fossil fuels

I like them too and it’s part of the ‘added value’ that makes a hotel stay enjoyable.
I take them home & then use them if we’re self catering. You need a bit of luxury when you’re camping
I use a body sponge & it’s surprising how many showers you can get out of a little Molton Brown bottle.
As for landfill - I either keep the little bottles & use them for small quantities of eye make remover or put them in the recycling.

I always collect them and pass them on to the local homeless shelters.

I have had Molton Brown, Jo Malone, Elemis, Clarins and The White Company toiletries which I keep for weekend breaks, friends who stay over and so on.
The best ones I ever had were from a very grand hotel in Tunis which had their own signature orange blossom products made from their orange trees in the grounds. They smelled divine.
I also donate surplus ones to a friend who collects them for the homeless.

I use the bars of soap as fresheners in the drawers or grate them up to protect my bulbs. The Disney ones I kept for the grandchildren and made them up into little stocking fillers at Christmas. At the beginning of the pandemic, they hand creams and similar were collected for the caseworkers whose hand were getting very sore from the antibacterial gel. More recently, a lot of hotels have stopped leaving these and rather more sadly, the biscuits they used to leave for having with your coffee. Spoil sports!

One of my favourite hotels has Aqua Di Parma.. Lovely stuff!

I always collect them up then donate them to our local charity supporting the homeless and low/no income families. They're a waste really and I'd like to see them stopped.

We stayed in the oldest inn in Wales before lockdown in early December and they provided Temple Spa shower gel, soap, shampoo, conditioner and hand cream.

I’ve been really impressed with them all and have used them intermittently since coming home - I don’t use the same products week in, week out as I like a change!

I love them and always bring home to use for other overnight stays

Like the generous Temple Spa products supplied on Neilson holidays which are a treat.

Also value re-using a lot of the freebie bottles to refill and reuse, for overnighting at Gatwick or as little sunscreen bottles to top up when out walking.

They came in very useful recently when a call went out for toiletries for people who'd been taken into hospital without a 'hospital bag' and, of course, were unable to have any visitors who could take them in.

Many people here contributed and some sent in dozens of those small hotel toiletries.
I'd used my Molton Brown and L'Occitane ones.
The Scottish Fine Soaps ones are nice, too.

I must admit to worrying about the plastics involved.

I like them but agree with the OP comment about landfill. I usually bring the freebies home to use when visiting family (when we can) for 1-2 nights, saves taking a huge washbag.

Maggiemaybe, you can Google
"How Hilton soaps get recycled". It seems such a good idea.

Love them when they are good quality. I bring them home and then when I use them up the fragrances remind me of lovely holidays. We often travel between hotels on holiday so it is easier than carrying big bottles around. My favourites have been L'Occitane, Clarins and Molten Brown. I ask for Molten Brown every birthday and Christmas now!!