To take the body lotion and soap from a £250 a night hotel? They have asked for it back!!!

[mum2sons]

DH and I spent our wedding anniversary in a v expensive boutique hotel. I took the body lotion and soap home as I usually would do (sad, but I get v excited about these things!)Yesterday we received a letter from the hotel asking for us to send the 2 items back for the future enjoyment of guests!!! Talk about humiliation! Looking forward to MNetters views

I think the hotel looks lovely, and I love Norfolk, but I shall forever think of it now as the hotel that fleeces you first, then writes rude letters to you afterwards!

People can do what they like, Powder. Why on earth are you upset by it?

it's hard for the hotel though as if they are nice people nick them and if they put don't nick this as it isn't green to do so on it then it won't look pretty

glass ones would disappear and be heavy to send back

of course ideally the whole room would have notices saying only one light bulb is provided and heating turned down and a only between nov30 and jan 31

share a bathrrom down the corridor to conserve water

oh it sounds like a seaside boarding house circa 1959 now

really don't know where I stand with this one...agree with boht sides...i.e. in a way it was a wrong thing to do, but on the other hand, I also think it's silly for the hotel to write to you, if you weren't made aware of them having that greenpolicy...hm....
however, I am glad that Hotels actually are starting to be greener now....stayed last year in a posh hotel and there was a note in the bathroom, that due to them not wanting to wash clean towels, if you wanted a towel to be washed, please leave it in the abthtub...so, they know which ones need washing...they still used minitures though...think the refil thing is much much better...maybe they should have those screw on the wall ones instead though, lol....seeing that people seem to truely assume that it's their right to take soaps and things...

You paid them £250 for a bed and a room, and now they expect you to stump up postage for a couple of plastic bottles to be transported to them in an autovehicle and that's somehow 'green'?

This 'green' nonsense is turning into the next Prohibition Act.

snigger

I must admit, the bottles look quite big and fancy in the pictures (but maybe they aren't the same as the ones you took).

No matter what, writing to your guests like that is pretty bad PR. I imagine they have to do it all the time as most people assume the toiletries in hotels are there to be consumed/taken.

There is no need to become hysterical about a hotel just asking for their stuff back now is there? They could have sent her a bill for the items, would that have been fairer?
I expect if that had happened people would say 'dont pay them, just send it back'

I'm sure everybody isn't emailing them powder

the green thing is very hard to realistically combine with luxury though

unless you are very dedicated it can only belip service

It wasn't actually a bar of soap was it?

Or would you rather everyone took things and the hotel had to keep buying these bottles? That goes against their policy.

It's a hotel, powder, not a private home or guesthouse.

Hotels make their money by offering their guests so a pleasant experience that their guests return and/or tell all their friends about their lovely stay there.

Not be sending petty letters demanding the return of petty items in plastic bottles.

it's not a bar is it it is one liquid which is used for shower hair and hands

OK having read the thread I agree with everyone who says this is out of order. If their policy is to refil/recycle they should say so in the rooms. It is extremely rude and mad to write asking for them back.

Def show them this thread. Now instead of your recommending Strattons as a lovely place to stay you'll tell people to steer clear because of this. It's shite customer service imo. And there's nothing in the terms and conds about soap either.

My family and I spent 6 months travelling last year. I have lost count of how many hotels we stayed in - but I reckon it's about 60/70 different hotels.

They ranged from 3 star self catering apartments to 5 star honeymoon suites.

I can honestly say that aside from linen/towels/bathrobes I never ever had any compulsion to take the toiletries.

In most hotels there was a polite note in the bathroom re. the reuse of towels and linen to save the environment and another one in the cupboard about the cost of bathrobes/towels if a guest wished to take them away.

I think this is a very poor show and would be furious if it happened to me. Unless clearly stated I think it's a universal truth that toiletries are part of what you pay for. If they don't want guests removing the dispensers, they should leave a little note out saying so.

hysterical?

slight exaggeration methinks

If it goes against their policy then they should state their policy in writing on notices in their rooms, their welcome brochure, the statment you sign with your bill, etc.

Not write guests rude letters after the fact.

Incredibly unprofessional to a business that makes its sustenance off catering to guests.

Ok, i have to go and do wench type chores now, plus nothing new to add.

I really should preview:

that should have read:

I can honestly say that aside from linen/towels/bathrobes which I never ever had any compulsion to take, I considered the toiletries fair game.

I think they've missed a trick for a bit of PR- surely the cost of a couple of plastic bottles of lotion is covered by the £250/night cost so they should expect/encourage guests to take them, and make sure the bottles have nice labels on with the name of the hotel on.

Either that or chain 'em to the tiles.

but people hate little notes..which would in reality if they are trying to be environmentally efficient be on everything

is there a link to the bottles?

I have emailed them this link, and put a note saying I rather suspect your green policy has backfired on you this time.

No, they don't, zippi.

There are often plastic placards screwed into the walls of hotel rooms, stating policy on certain things, security, fire saftety, etc.

I've not been in a place that didn't have at least one plastic placard screwed into the wall advising or one thing or another.

What's to hate about a note? A discreetly placed note underneath the dispensers and on the back of the keycard is entirely acceptable.

It beats a rude letter after the fact!

To be truly green you need to empty all their nice lotion into your own bottles.
Problem solved.
Ok they sound like tight arses
I'd explain it away as sentimental tokens of your anniversary etc
And take the humble road, but yes they should make their policy dead clear in BIG letters, so people know what they're paying for

We've all taken trinkets from hotels FFS
When we went the US last yr I had a small bag of gorgeous little things. Well we did get engaged and it was dp's work paying...

I wonder how many letters from shitty hotels his work got