saaveraward

Is there any other way to interpret this sign?

And, no, that's not my hair.

Adam1222

are these huge bottles with pumps? Someone else a few months ago took several home and was shocked that he was charged. This is a nice way of making this clear.

The bathrobes and furniture are used too, and you'd be charged if you took them home.

saaveraward

Yes. And i dont think that's a remotely fair comparison.

And who takes home used toiletries?

It's a poorly worded, dumb, low-rent sign.

nicolas75

I am not sure to understand what is not clear: the message is to explain that customers who think they can take home the big refillable bottles will be charged.

It should be remembered that :
- while most bottles are attached to the wall, in some suites the bottles are just placed on the bathtub, for example;
- the large refillable bottle policy is intended to reduce the use of plastic. Clearly this policy (and the associated costs) will be a problem if guests take the bottles home (and the fact that some hotels feel obliged to display this message shows that some guests have no scruples to take the bottles, as some take home bathrobes or towels).

HadesNL

This is a sign saying in friendly wording:
do not elope with our huge refillable bottles!

- minis are ok to take home
- the refillable ones are our take on : conserving plastic waste [ aka lowering costs ]
so use em here and don't pilferer them

The same at certain hotels where a %high of bathrobes seem to make it by their own out of the room and seem to check outof this planet...
It usually say something like:
- please enjoy them for your comfort during our stay,
if you are interested in after stay comfort, please know these are for purchase....


in a personal anecdote:
on certain Lufthansa and Swiss First flights
in the lavatory one may find La Praeri Handcream (retails around €80)

flights to a certain country in the northern eastern sphere,
see before landing and securing cabin, both flasks taken,
by women whose faces have been so tightly pulled, it makes Cher look natural!
most likely for home consumption.....


Lufthansa thought to be smart and removed the screw cap,
Because the thought is whom is going to carry a tube that can squirt!

The same with the Business Class lotion/scents in the Singapore Airlines lavatories, all screw caps are removed to reduce % of it being stolen....

About the sign:
So nothing about used toiletries for sale or such !

Atacama40

Is an admirable strategy to stop plastic waste and one that in the main I 100% support. But the problem is, that for years, many better rooms and suites have always come with large format bottles which have always been fair game to liberate. Normal rooms less so, with the standard take away small form bottles. I guess less frequent stayers tend to see that as part of the glitter. Think I did when I started out this insane journey early 90's and a lot younger.

And it's the same at Kimpton with their range. Have to say whilst liking the initiative, it's not well worded. Or rather I should say inconsistently applied.

I just had a stop and daughter number 4 who likes the Byredo washes asked me got a few. I did and there was zero such messaging. It was a pricey suite with loose bottles. I would be more than a tad upset should I be billed for them. For me, it's an occasional lift. The mini bar more regular.

I think the utilitarian approach of "if it's bolted to the wall it ain't for free" approach is a clearer and more consistent message. This is implemented nicely at newer locations such as IC RAK in their larger suites and villas. It cannot be beyond the skill set of any older location to get their Facilities guys to get the drill out That would clarify the message somewhat better.

Either way, it is the case that we should have a personal responsibility to reduce the plastic. And indeed budget hotel groups have been doing it for years, more so on the basis of unit cost reduction.

Edit: just saw Hades comment on small bottles and echo that

Atacama40

I have to plead guilty to liberating and freeing into the wild, the bottles of Bulgari smelly stuff off EK F A380 flights whenever I get the opportunity. Twice on last flight. On BA in J they are bolted to the wall .... message clear.

HadesNL

Atacama40 : i like the way you think with:
If bolted on the wall, it becomes part of the real estate!

I only saw up untill now the big white round Byrodo flasks : triple crisco size : double HAK's vegetable conserves size.
Didn't know other flask sizes volumes were present at IC's

Atacama40

Double HAK .... made me laugh.

Yeah I think it avoids the vagueness of marketing speak messages.

It's also a style issue and attempt not to alienate certain customer types I'd say.

The 'bolt to wall' thing can present itself as very utilitarian if done poorly. If done well then it looks right, gets used right and will simply avoid the marketing messages which depending on personality type will work or annoy.

The difficulty is to overcome the mental (guilty as charged in the past) that these things are walkables.

I think you have three categories ..... those who fleece everything and consider it part of the price (me in the past), those who occasionally take something nice that has a niche appeal (me now) and those who don't give a damn and prefer their own stuff at home. For 20+ years, our kids did not know you could buy soap, shower gel, shampoo etc. I'm a (slightly) better person now.

nicolas75

According to what rule?
Furniture and lamps are not hung on the wall (an InterContinental / Kimpton / Six Senses / Regent is not a prison or a psychiatric hospital), and yet these elements do not have to be brought home.

In the end, this whole conversation makes the hotel right to put out this kind of message that seemed to be just common sense: when you stay at a hotel room, you benefit from the use of the elements at your disposal, but you don't own those elements.

There is a difference between consuming in the room (shampoo, shower soap, etc.), using an appliance (a remote control, a hair dryer, etc.) and taking these items home.

UKtravelbear

These are used as in you've just used them in your room and not a collection of half empty bottles and bars of soap for sale at reception.

Personally I wouldn't take anything like large bottles. If I liked the stuff that much then I'd want a new bottle that I knew would be full.

Apart from the extra line before 'Final invoice' and Inter Continental' as two separate words I see nothing wrong with the sign.

At the San Francisco IC the other week there were signs on the bathrobes saying if you took them you would be charged for it. But again if I wanted a bath robe I'd want a brand new one.

nicolas75

On Air France, the Clarins products offered in the Business class toilets are capless and are removed before landing to avoid theft..

PS: La Prairie (formerly Sanofi Beaut�) now belongs to the Beiersdorf group (owner of ...Nivea).

It has not been proven that expensive cosmetic products are more effective than cheap ones (provided they do not contain toxic ingredients).

Atacama40

Maybe taking basic 'surface consumables' to the extreme there a little Nicolas. I'm not sure anyone would make the giant leap between calculated theft of obvious items and the clearly grey area of 'in-room consumables'.

And regarding the rule you suggest .... there is and never has been any such rule. And again surely that's the whole point. No-one has ever been billed for taking what traditionally has always been a consumable item. As you will know in some locations, they are even boxed ready for you to take. It's a regular thing for larger containers of the better toiletries to be put in larger rooms/suites.

It's a new order of things and a good one. But there are obvious ways to communicate it. And then are flaccid and confusing ones as highlighted by the OP.

I'm just off to see if I can fit the de-longhi coffee unit into my Tumi

Edit: Example of take away's that could fill a hand carry and all within 'the rules' is BAA in DXB ..... they refresh every day with multiple Hermes full size products and it's all take away.

nicolas75

Are you suggesting that you leave a restaurant with the bottle of olive oil, salt and pepper, mustard and sugar?
These are indeed consumables.

Common sense is not so common after all. And I'm always surprised to see that, if no rule is posted, some people may consider it possible (probably the reason why in the hotel transfer buses from NRT airport, it is specified that it is not allowed to make phone calls, or in some spas).
I remember a [German] passenger in the Air France business lounge in Rio who, when asked by the staff to end his Facetime call, retorted: but it's not written anywhere!
He was told: yes, because that's just basic politeness towards other passengers who may not want to hear your private conservation with your mother!

Atacama40

Again extending the point to a point where it breaks free of it's natural orbit of logic Nicholas. Maybe a re-read in the right spirit is in order. We are discussing coffee sachets, bars of soap, hair conditioner and cotton buds here. They define themselves very clearly. And the hotels are fully aware of this.

A little hearted debate about hotel surface counter walk-ables becomes an essay on stealing remotes and bottles of olive oil?

On the etiquette of needless video calls in inappropriate locations I do however absolutely agree with you.