Top Hotel Toiletries

by  Becca Bergman | Apr 1, 2010
Toiletrees
Toiletrees / JulyProkopiv/iStock

No matter how much we travel, it's still exciting to peek into a hotel room's bathroom and see what kind of toiletries are on offer. With hotels nickle and diming guests at every turn (for WiFi, bottled water, beach chairs . . .), toiletries sometimes seem like the last sacred freebie a hotel guest can count on, whether at a humble Holiday Inn or a 5-star palace hotel.

The quality and type of toiletries can say a lot about a hotel—I’ll admit a sucker for this method of branding. But who isn’t? Here are some of the top hotel toiletries that I’ve come across. What are your favorites?

The old-world elegant Hotel Hermitage in Monte Carlo offers Bulgari toiletries—not terribly original, but classy and well suited to the over-the-top glamour of the location. I’ve heard George V in Paris stocks Bulgari too as do a lot of Ritz-Carlton hotels.

Blantyre, a refined Relais & Chateaux property in the Berkshires of Massachusetts also stocks Kiehl’s—even full bottles of shaving cream and tubes of the ever-popular lip balm. Apparently The Raleigh in Miami and the Thompson hotels have Kiehl’s as well. I remember the Thompson Beverly Hills having delicious Fresh toiletries at one point, but apparently they’ve made the switch.

True to its French roots, the Sofitel Buenos Aires has Roger & Gallet products. Meanwhile over in France, in the countryside near Saint-Paul de Vence, the lovely La Mas De Pierre goes local with items by Fragonard, the famous parfumerie located in nearby Grasse. In fact, a visit to Grasse that includes a free tour of the 228-year-old factory makes for an ideal daytrip from La Mas.

I’ve always been a fan of the light, citrusy scents and bright packaging of the Bliss products in W Hotels. And I’m still savoring the Val Harding products from Hotel Bel-Air, which is apparently one of the Melbourne-based Harding's favorite hotels.

While the scent may be too strong for some, the smell of Red Flower products now always brings me back to the Mayflower Inn in Connecticut.  (Smart marketing.)

So tell us, which hotels have toiletries worth taking home? Do you prefer name-brands or local products?

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