IHG is the first major hotel chain to announce plans to remove all bathroom miniatures. The transitioning all 843,000 IHG guest rooms to bulk toiletries should be complete by 2021.
Personally, I think this makes complete sense because it should cut the hotel’s costs down and greatly reduce unnecessary waste and many of the of the world’s best hotels already do this. Currently, IHG uses an estimated 200 million bathroom miniatures per year. I understand that little shampoo bottles don’t make up the bulk of the trash floating in the Texas-sized Great Pacific Garbage Patch, but tiny hotel soaps always feel wasteful.
Even though IHG is the first to make this change a company wide policy, the general trend was already heading toward bulk amenities before hand. The IHG brands voco, EVEN, avid and Sixth Senses all use bulk shampoos and soaps exclusively. Also, many Kimpton, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites have already made the switch.
Hopefully IHG, and other hotels, will pass the cost savings down the line in the form of benefits that actually matter. Some hotels offer bonus points for declining housekeeping services, but I would like to see something more. For example, the perks you get with IHG status could use an upgrade. Many chains offer the top-tier elites amenities like free breakfast or suite upgrades. But if you have IHG Platinum status (free with the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card) or Spire status you won’t get either of these standard perks. That leaves something to be desired when even Gold Hilton status (mid-tier) will get you free breakfast.
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How do you feel about the transition hotels are making away from single use plastics?
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Having just spent 5 nights in 4 different IHG hotels, I found the wall mounted dispensers empty in one hotel and acceptable in the others. My biggest complaint is the assumption that one “soap” is good for hair and body. I want shampoo and conditioner not just body soap!
I saved all the little bottles of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and the rest. When I had a small box full, I donated it to the local women’s shelter. They truly appreciated these for women who arrived without anything.
That’s very commendable! I should do that with some of the soap and shampoo bottles I’ve got from my previous hotel stays.
they are making a mistake, wall-mounted soaps and shampoos can be tampered with ,there are crazy people out there that can put anything they want in those dispensers
“Many chains offer the top-tier elites amenities like free breakfast or suite upgrades. But if you have IHG Platinum status (free with the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card) or Spire status you won’t get either of these standard perks. “
Is this true about all IHG hotels? No free breakfast anymore? I didn’t realize this. This was a big draw for us to help save money.
Some of the brands, like Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites, always include free breakfast. Others like Candlewood never do. The breakfast perk that many would like, for upper tier members, would be at the brands like Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, and the other upper echelon brands that have a restaurant where you can buy breakfast separately from your room charge. Hilton offers a voucher to Gold members that can be used in their similar hotels, but IHG doesn’t.
Take your own empty travel bottles and fill them up with the contaminated scary stuff from the wall containers.
I take empty bottles and fill it up with my own shampoo when I travel.
I’ve found that the shampoo at most hotels just feels…weird. But maybe I’m just a bit too picky.