Women, especially senior women love mini bottles in hotel bathrooms. We hoard tiny bottles of fancy lotions, shampoos, conditioners. The Women’s Travel Group is telling you, these bottles are going going gone. Major hotel chains are ending these goodies, because single use plastic is toxic. There is push back, particularly by younger guests who are their market more than are we, the female seniors.
In 2019, industry leader, Marriott announced the end small plastic amenity bottles. Banning single use plastic items will stop 500 million small single-use plastic bottles from being tossed every year. 500 million little ‘shampoos’ saves 1.7 million pounds of single-use plastic per year. Larger hotels in California no longer offer these bottles. The latest news is that New York and Washington will soon also ban mini plastic bottles.
Hotels want to impress you with their brand. They need other goodies to lure you; some might offer a loofah or slippers. Some European hotels already give loofahs in lieu of washcloths.
We will increasingly see shower wall containers with shampoo, shower gel and conditioner. If you as a senior, find gel slippery, you are not alone in this fear. Senior women worry about slipping. You will find small bar of face soap on the sink. Bar soap is cheap and durable and will be with us for some time. (Don’t be ashamed to ask for extra bar soaps if shower gel makes you nervous).
Don’t despair, you’ll still get cotton swabs and a few Q tip types, the smallest emery board, plus a shower cap. (Keep the shower caps; they make great shoe bags).
Many of us use hotel bottles for carrying liquids on planes. Volume amounts printed on minis make them perfect for carry on. (Each passenger may carry liquids, gels and aerosols in travel-size containers that are 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters. Each passenger is limited to one quart-size bag of liquids, gels and aerosols).
Common travel items that must comply with the 3-1-1 liquids rule include toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash and lotion). There are some weird grey area liquids: like peanut butter if warm?
I recently stayed in a Sofitel in Amsterdam. They supplied lovely French personal products in large stand alone bottles. I guess Sofitel has honest guests.
Personally, I will miss the little bottles of fancy products but agree with the elimination of single use plastic. We look forward to what hotels will now do to impress us. The Sofitel chain gives you a free drink, nice touch. A tiny loofah, useful. Wonderful breakfasts, yum. According to trade press, new amenities will be electronic: wireless device charging, in room tablets for meals, spa bookings, temperature control, keyless entry and a refillable water bottle plus many more.
The only good thing about plastic is it will outlive us. I intend to keep my mini hotel bottles and reuse them forever. Travel tips from The Women’s Travel Group.
