Complimentary hotel toiletries .. no sanitary towels

[TwentySmackeroos]

I’m in a fancy hotel on my holidays (total beach/resort set-up; not corporate at this time of year) and the tray of free toiletries includes:
Shampoo
Conditioner
Shower gel
Bar of soap
Loofah/scrapy sponge thing
Make-up remover towelettes
Toothbrush/toothpaste set
Comb
Manicure set
Sewing kit
Shoe shine scuff fixer
Razor and shave balm

All the above have been replenished daily as used.

Meanwhile, a pack of panty liners retails in the hotel shop at €3.90. Tampax are €4.50.

Caught unawares (seven months into my first Mirena), I’ve been wadding loo roll and rinsing my bikini bottoms nightly. And obviously bought the panty liners when it became clear I needed to.

I’m a hotel middle-level manager (but no input into purchasing, in my role). Most guests here are parents under 45 with kids. There are loads of toilet facilities (spotless and well maintained) but no dispensing machines in any.

AIBU to think a sanitary towel or three in the toiletries tray is a reasonable expectation, when all other ‘immediate’ sanitary needs are?—and the shoe scuff fixer is not a pressing need IMO—

Some religions would be offended by tampax or indeed sanpro

Surely this can't be right? What do the women in these unspecified religions do when they have a period? Not use anything? I get that some people might consider menstruating women as 'unclean' (it's in the back of my mind that this included some early Christians, possibly St Paul?), but surely not sanpro itself, which is (as another poster pointed out) essentially just wadded up cotton wool. It would be odd if that was somehow objectionable: how would they clean a baby's bum?

That would have been a life saver for me a few weeks ago, was staying in gent and I went into two shops looking for tampons (any sanitary protection really) and couldn't find them, ended up walking to a supermarket to get them at which point they have two types of Tampax and nothing else! At nearly €5 for the box! I left the remainder of the box in my hotel bathroom, I hope they kept them so if someone requests them they have some

I was charged 7 euros for a box of OB tampons (for 16 or even 12) in a Spanish pharmacy. It was in a small town on the weekend and the only place open i could find them. No other alternative really and I had ran out of bottom of handbag back up by then. Sure I got ripped off!

I stayed in a very male dominated, business based hotel in Hong Kong a few weeks back. They had something similar to the in room breakfast menu where you could tick any additional toiletries needed which included liners, towels and tampons.

There again, this place even had mini deodorants in the room in such a humid place, so they definitely think about things more than most places.

There’s a reason I choose their hotels where I can! It’s little things like this that lead to brand loyalty

OP, you do have a point but I only came to that conclusion when I remembered the condoms Ive seen provided in the mini fridge or dresser drawer.

Is having sanitary wear worth a campaign in its own right? No. It think its just one of those things and its not something you seem to have given any thought to even at work where I assume there's no sanitary protected in the bathroom. And yes, I understand you don't have purchasing input in your role but surely you could have spoken to someone who does if you'd even given this thought before now.

My dad, Muslim (if that’s helps), used to bulk buy sanitary products for us, with five of us

I know. Where I live its just something men and women alike bung in the shopping trolly.

A went into a country pub, deep in the North Yorkshire countryside and that had pots of tampons in the toilets. Very enlightened and a fabulous pub.

All hotels should provide them as standard.

Surely this can't be right? What do the women in these unspecified religions do when they have a period? Not use anything? I get that some people might consider menstruating women as 'unclean' (it's in the back of my mind that this included some early Christians, possibly St Paul?), but surely not sanpro itself, which is (as another poster pointed out) essentially just wadded up cotton wool

This man is decided to do something about it and I think if you googled you'd find the documentary on him.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26260978

Also there's this organisation.

www.daysforgirls.org

A local group was set up where we live by my daughters friend and its very successful. And I'd like to say more about where they have supplied kits to but it would be too identifying.

Excellent point op.

I’ve only seen this at a hotel once and that were in the ladies toilets. Sanitary protection is all free at my DH’s work and is laid out in baskets. (I visited last year)

I'd go on holiday without "sanpro" (??) because my periods have been regular as clockwork all my life and why carry something you don't need! It's only as I've got towards the menopause that I'm getting caught out.

I can't believe how many women are being condescending towards other women because they occasionally need an emergency tampax! For what it's worth, the emergency tampax in my handbag is often squashed and with a ripped wrapper when I come to need it!

I once stayed at a campsite where the women's toilets included a basket containing a range of tampons and pads.

If a campsite can provide sanpro, I don't see why it's an issue for hotels to do it.

i went to a very very fancy restaurant a couple of years ago and the loos had a range of tampons/ sanitary towels etc. all in little baskets to help yourself to.

I repeat my earlier question - if these hotels provide other 'unnecessary' fripperies like make up remover pads (I've never worn make up in my life, so completely unnecessary to me) why wouldn't they provide san pro? A few extra pence and it could make all the difference! Like make up remover pads, cotton buds, sewing kit - all things you could buy yourself if you needed them.

So why not?

I used to work In a hotel - we never provided sanitary wear. Everything else yes, but not that.

Zaphod, because they provide the things their research and experience has shown them will be most requested if they don't provide it.

If it was just a case of providing useful things there's loads of things that they could provide - earplugs, toothpaste, condoms...

I went to a pub recently, one that does food, and in the ladies there were sanitary towels and deodorants and things. It was the first time I'd seen free sanitary towels, although some workplaces have sanitary items and an honesty box in the ladies.

The one time I’ve had this issue I was staying in a premier inn and it was past midnight. The toilets had run out both in the hotel and the attached pub! Had to go for a long walk in the dark to find a shop Needless to say I claimed the night back under their ‘good night’ guarantee...

It would be a great idea to have some available but I’d also count myself lucky just being able to buy some!

because they provide the things their research and experience has shown them will be most requested if they don't provide it

I think it could be argued that until fairly recently many women might have struggled to ask for it? I’d suggest that outside of mumsnet a significant proportion of women might prefer not to have to ask.

I know the whole “if men had periods” chestnut is a bit worn, but ffs men expect to be able to shine their shoes while women scuttle off in silent embarrassment to deal with a natural condition.

Actually now I think of it anyone who doesn’t need a pad for a period could use it to shine their shoes

Visited google hq in London a while ago. They had free sanitary products in the loos. So they’re not all bad!

I have seen many places offer a basket in female loos in case you get caught out, which isn't just periods, miscarriage in a hotel at 2am....
I think all large hotels should at least sell them as it would save on their cleaning!

So around 6-7% of hotel guests are likely to be in need of san pro at some point during their stay, and that's if you assume they stay one night - most people would stay a little longer so you might as well say 8-10% to allow for overlap.

Surely 8-10% of hotel guests are not having ripped clothing or shoe shine emergencies during their stay? I can't remember the last time I ripped something in a place I'd need to repair it and in fact I don't even think that I own any shoes which could ostensibly be shined!

Again, I'm not even saying that all hotels must or should provide san pro - it's just that the argument that "only" X% of guests are going to be able to use them is really weak as a justification. It's obviously not the reason they aren't provided. That might be sexism or it might be tradition based in sexism or it might be simply thoughtlessness, possibly related to the gender of hotel buyers, but it's not because most people won't have a need to use them. Otherwise there are plenty of items hotels wouldn't provide.

So, the hotels are supposed to keep a stock of panty liners, thin pads, maxi pads, night time pads, all sizes of tampax, all sizes of non applicator tampons, a moon cup, a cotton reusable pad and maybe each size of those pants you just bleed into because let's face it, if they didn't there'd be someone on here complaining they didn't have their choice of sanitary protection!

Poor planing on your part, buy your own.