How many towels do you leave for guests?

[Jenny]

Hello everyone!

Today, I’m here to discuss towels.

They come in all shapes and sizes, some are soft and fluffy, some are rough and worn, and the bathing experience would be pretty uncomfortable without them.  Unless you like air drying!

As we all know, guests come in all shapes and sizes too, and they all have individual needs and expectations when they book a listing. Some might bring their own towels, but others might prefer the convenience of having towels provided at the listing. After all, they’re bulky and take up valuable packing space.

I’m curious to know if you leave towels out for your guests!  How many?  What kind?  If you don’t provide towels for your guests, feel free to chime in and let us know more!

I’m looking forward to hearing your answers!

Jenny

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jenny one decent sized towel per guest seems more than enough. Only once have people asked for extra towels (people with long hair) which we were obviously happy to supply.

[Jenny]

Do you find you have to replace towels quite regularly due to them being used often @Mike-And-Jane0 , or do you find they hold up quite well?  I can imagine the constant washing and drying might wear them down a bit?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jenny Our towels come from Costco and cost about £5 each. As they get stained we replace them as they are very much a consumable item (like the sheets). As such they rarely wear out I am afraid.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Jenny 

Good question!

Our towels are excellent quality cotton, definitely not cheap. As such, they last for years, through constant use and washing. 

Funny thing - I have a pair of bath towels that are over 50 years old, still in use in our bathroom. One has frayed edges, the other is still in perfect condition. 

As usual, ya gets what ya pays for? 

[Huma0]

@Jenny 

The answer is yes, and lots of them!

I think it does depend a bit on the length of the stay. I started out providing one bath, one hand and one face towel per guest, which I think is fine for a 2-3 night stay. However, having long hair, I know myself that that's not going to be sufficient for me if I am washing my hair, so it's not a bad idea to have two bath towels per guest.

Now that I host long term guests, they get a big pile of towels. I will leave one set out for them and the rest in a cupboard in their bedroom, so they can grab them as needed and so that my linen closet isn't bursting at the seams! The guests then either have the choice of washing the towels themselves or, if they opt to have me clean their rooms, I'll wash the towels at the same time.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Huma0 @Jenny 

I have long hair too, and that 2nd bath towel is a necessity. 

[Jenny]

As a fellow long-haired person I love this @Huma0 - one towel doesn't cut it!  Given the kind of use a towel gets, do you choose a specific colour to try and get around things like makeup and things like acne treatments?  I've read previously that this can lead to discolouration.

[Huma0]

@Jenny 

I have both white and coloured towels. I tend put a different colour in each bedroom so that guests don't help themselves to each others towels. 

I don't know about acne treatments but, yes, make up is an issue. Although a good stain remover will get it out, some guests leave such an insane amount of make up on the towels that they are basically trashed. 

So, although I am not a fan of make up wipes, I do put them in the guest bedrooms with a sticker on them, asking guests to use the wipes, instead of the towels, to remove make up. I have found that while guests very, very rarely use the wipes, it gets the message across and stopped the damage to the towels. I am sure this tactic works because, the last time I forgot to put the wipes in the room, I ended up with another towel like the above, which was not salvageable.

[Ruth413]

@Jenny 

I'm the same as @Huma0.  A set of 1 Bath towel, 1 Hand Towel, 1 face towel per guest.  If they are staying a week, I offer a change of towels & bed linens halfway through the stay.  Some take this offer, others decline it.

They also get a hand towel in the kitchen & a dressing gown each for the Hot Tub and a dog towel if they are bringing a pet.  And yes, I do have to have 2 washing machines ! 

[Huma0]

@Ruth413 

I forgot to mention tea towels in the kitchen. These are a must. I have a huge stash of them and, as a homeshare host, I can just swap them out and wash them as necessary. We got through a lot! 

As the bathrooms are communal, I also have hand towels in each one (and of course bathmats) so guests can either use the ones I give them or the ones that are already there. It's up to them. For sure, they have to be washed frequently. It always grosses me out when I'm at friend's or somewhere where there is just one manky, crusty hand towel in the bathroom 😞

How do people feel about robes and slippers? I don't have a hot tub or anything like that, but is it worth providing these things for a bit of luxury in an inexpensive listing, or just a waste of money/needless increase of laundry?

[Ruth413]

@Huma0 

Re the dressing gowns, I would say 99% of guests use them and they also get mentioned in the reviews as an added bonus.

I suppose I tend to put things into my listings, that I would like if away on holiday myself & I think for hot tubs, especially in winter, a dressing gown is a must.  Getting out of a Hot Tub on a frosty night is not fun if you haven't got something to snuggle into straight away !  I must admit, I wouldn't provide the dressing gowns if we didn't have the Hot Tubs. 

Re the laundry, yes it does add to it in a substantial way, but although I love soft and fluffy towels and dressing gowns, I now simply refuse to use the tumble dryer.  So everything in winter is dried on the Aga rack or in Summer out on the washing line, so it is not an added cost to dry them.

I hope I have the balance right regarding price & a little luxury but I must admit those things are constantly changing in today's world, what might be inexpensive one minute, costs a fortune the next !  

[Huma0]

@Ruth413 

For sure, if I had a hot tub, sauna, spa or something like that, I'd definitely provide the robes.

I think otherwise, it's a luxury, not a necessity, but I can see how robes and slippers would impress guests, so I guess one just has to weight it up. I do have hotel type slippers that I will give to guests on request, but I don't automatically leave them in the rooms. It's not something that long term guests usually request (I can think of only one), but I did used to get a few requests for these when I still did short term.

RE the towels, I also do not want to use the dryer. I have a washer-dryer combo, which is more common here due to shortage of space, but they are not very effective at drying and take hours and chow loads of energy. So, I line dry the towels and then put them in the dryer just for a few minutes when they are almost dry. This helps them to keep them softer and fluffier. Fabric conditioner also helps, but I know a lot of hosts do not like to use scented products.

[Ruth413]

Ah,  I might give the Fabric Conditioner a try !  I must admit I have unplugged and moved my dryer to stop temptation.  Although I miss the water from it - fantastic for cleaning windows !  The only added problem I have now is how to stop the cats from climbing onto the Aga rack to sleep - the warmest place in the house. 

You must be having better weather than down here in icy Dorset.  I think if I hung anything on the line at the moment, it would just become an ice block in a couple of minutes !

I provide the slippers too and they are just thrown away afterwards as they are hotel style - I know not very environmentally friendly, but definitely the most hygienic option. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Huma0 

We have a no shoes policy here, and most of our guests don't wear shoes in their homes either. I automatically leave hotel slippers in the room - a basket with several pairs - and at the shoe rack b y the door. For those who must wear shoes indoors for some physical reason, I have shoe covers, like what is worn in hospitals. 

That dryer is great for fluffing and removing any dust or fibers. Definitely no scented anything! Hay fever city !