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I am sure there is someone who works in the hotel industry who can answer this for me and that studies have been done as to why, most times, you will find not 1 or 2 (or 4) but 3 bath towels in a hotel room. Maybe it is because many times single travelers stay on average 3 days thus they can decline room service and have a fresh towel each day?
About half of my travels are just me but many times I am with my wife and unless we are staying just one night 3 towels really irritates me. I like to try to be “green” and use a towel more than just once but after two days I want a fresh one. If there were 4 towels I could go 4 days without having to bug housekeeping for an extra towel. Plus, when I do bug them, I tend to get 2 new ones (one for each of us) that I would not have done had there been 4 to begin with.
I know this really is not a big deal in the grand scope of travel, but it would seem to me that this, and other traveler irritations, would get picked up by those who run hotels. Surely an MBA could do a survey of those in the loyalty programs and find these kinds of things out. But in case they have not why not help them out! 😉
What are your hotel room specific pet peeves that they could simply fix or adjust to make your stay better and not irritating? – Rene
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Hi Rene
I absolutely hate when bath towels are slightly oversized hand towels !!!! I like large fluffy towels.
I do not understand why hotels do not provide heated towel racks except for extreme upgrades sometimes—/ most BnBs provide heated towel racks!!!
I am grossed out by upholstered furniture because who knows what could be lurking in those fibers—-
Likewise I prefer hotels who’s floors are NOT carpeted but floored with a wood composite, wood, tile basically anything but carpet!
Hi Rene
I absolutely hate when bath towels are slightly oversized hand towels !!!! I like large fluffy towels.
I do not understand why hotels do not provide heated towel racks except for extreme upgrades sometimes—/ most BnBs provide heated towel racks!!!
I am grossed out by upholstered furniture because who knows what could be lurking in those fibers—-
Likewise I prefer hotels who’s floors are NOT carpeted but floored with a wood composite, wood, tile basically anything but carpet!
On some occasions I have another person with me and with my long hair i need 2 towels. If there are 3, the other person can’t have a towel for her hair. That is when I notice the 3 towel number the most, but it’s too common. I try to count towels upon arrival if I have another person with me so I can get extras before I need them. Makes no sense.
Hilton giving me 2 bottles of water for being Diamond and acting like it was scotch.
Dirt, one towel, towels or sheets that are ripped, frayed, or stained. Rude agents. Back to the obvious dirt anywhere. Ignoring the do not disturb sign!
Drains that flood the shower. Happens way too often. How hard is it to use draino occasionally??
Also, not enough shelves for soap/shampoo, etc. in a lot of showers.
Personally, I can’t stand blankets. They are heavy and you know they rarely get cleaned.
That’s hilarious, because I always seem to get just 2. When I travel with my family that’s can get quite annoying since we’re 3 people.
I wish more hotels proactively gave 3…
Come on, does anyone use new towels everday at home? So why would anyone use a new towel everyday in a hotel other than it’s “free”? Smh.
What irritates me is when towels are too small/thin.
Was just at Intercontinental Jo’burg and they repeatedly thanked me for being an IHG member and gave me a letter in an envelope to show their “appreciation”. I asked what benefits I got from my “membership”. Answer – nothing, other than the letter. Had a good laugh at the absurdity/theater of it all. They did have water at check-in, so at least got something. A nice hotel considering it’s an airport hotel – rooms renovated and well appointed – location steps from terminal is excellent. Zero airplane noise.
I don’t understand why every hotel ever has door closers that SLAM the doors. And how is it the doors weigh 8 tons, yet you can hear someone unwrap a candybar on the other side?
1) Tissue “flowers.” Who wants to use tissues someone else has had their hands all over?
2) AC units that won’t fun all night even when set to “fan.”
3) Check in staff ignoring top-tier status.
Rene, as a counterpoint, one possible reason why three towels is a thing: most common business travel is Monday-Thursday, 3 nights, one person.
The next time you post a picture of the me first guy just remember how picky you are about your travel nits. Maybe that guys has nothing else to do or nowhere else to go so he starts the line. Someone has to be first. Just another example of how everyone has a travel routine or expectations and should be judged or silently ridiculed. Now feet on the bulkhead–you can hit on that every time
last hotel stay -best western had 2 of us and 2 towels!!!! needed to ask for more..
Most hotel websites ask how many guests in the room. From that, they could provide an exact number of towel sets. Some hotels, like Aloft in Germany, give you a green option to opt out of daily linen change in exchange for 500 extra guest points, or a credit at the lobby pantry. Nice.
What use to irk me was the housekeepers who forgot to turn off the alarm clock setting from the previous guest. Especially if near a golf course! Now, people use their phones and ignore the clocks, I guess.