“I Paid for It:” Is It OK to Stockpile Hotel Amenities?
Ariana Arghandewal March 31, 2018
There’s a whole subgroup of frequent travelers who share a strange habit: Stockpiling hotel amenities. We all know those tiny bottles of shampoo and body wash are ours to use during a hotel stay, but is it ok to stuff them in our bags for later use?
I came across a Tweet recently from someone who said he cleans out the amenities every night so the staff will replenish them. He then stockpiles these bottles and uses them later at home. It’s how he saves money on shampoo and conditioner!
But is it ok to do this, from a moral and environmental perspective? That depends on who you ask.
The “I Paid for It” Defense
Those who defend the practice of stockpiling hotel amenities argue that they’re paying for those amenities. No, you’re technically paying for the room.
Any half decent hotel will include amenities, but there’s nothing guaranteeing guests a certain number of bottles of shampoo. It’s not the hotel’s responsibility to restock your personal toiletry stash – they’re simply supposed to provide you with enough to last during your stay.
Taking advantage of hotels by clearing out the bathroom every night so that the amenities have to be replenished and you can keep stuffing them in your bags is wasteful and inconsiderate.
If you feel you’ve paid an inordinate amount of money for a hotel, maybe stay at a cheaper place next time and put the extra money towards buying full-sized toiletries for your home.
The Environmental Impact
Aside from the fact that the, “I’m paying for this” argument doesn’t hold up, it’s also environmentally irresponsible to stockpile hotel toiletries.
Those tiny bottles are a complete waste of plastic and there’s no need to add to the floating pile of trash in our oceans. It would be nice if hotels offered refillable containers for toiletries as a means to be greener.
However, just because they’re not, that doesn’t mean we should go to town on those travel-sized toiletries and waste more plastic than we need to.
Charitable Giving?
When debates like this come up, some people will be quick to distinguish between people who stockpile amenities for themselves vs. those who donate them to charity.
Non-profit organizations will hold toiletry drives and distribute travel-sized toiletry kits to the less fortunate throughout the U.S. and abroad. That’s great, right?
Except, this still leads to waste. It would be more environmentally friendly to buy full-sized bottles from local suppliers. Not only would it cut back on waste but the local economy would benefit from it.
Regardless of whether you’re doing it for a good cause or to save money, there are less wasteful ways to go about it than to stockpile travel-sized amenities from hotel rooms.
But I want your thoughts: Do you think it’s ok to stash hotel amenities for your personal use? If so, how much do you think is ok to take?
We wouldn't have this conversation if the hotels use dispenser bottles attached to the walls.
I take it all and use it for myself or for my house guests. Except for the conditioner - I have no use for that. I recycle any plastic bottles if possible. I'm currently enjoying Disney World shampoo and Celebrity Cruises soap!
The author should learn the difference between opinion and fact. And then rewrite this piece because the logic is so flawed in so many places that my old high school debate team would have ripped him to shreds. One example: 'Taking advantage of hotels by clearing out the bathroom every night so that the amenities have to be replenished and you can keep stuffing them in your bags is wasteful and inconsiderate... Aside from the fact that the, “I’m paying for this” argument doesn’t hold up' Except that your first point is an opinion, and you then jump to saying that the contrary opinion "doesn't hold up". Which is just YOUR opinion. Not fact. #themoreyouknow
This topic isn't worth an article. Sorry. It's up to hotels to come up with innovative ways to manage the toiletries they provide, including the waste that results from their use. These social norms you're espousing are based on the premise that judging people will change behavior. Wrong. Better topic: innovative solutions to this problem.
For decades, I've been giving them to a women's shelter. The women and children who are staying there need and appreciate these little things, that help provide a sense of caring and dignity.