I love travelling for leisure, but I haven’t had the chance to indulge this year. Still, the occasional work trip has served to fulfil that tiny bit of wanderlust in my soul. And one of the fun things about travelling is hotel stays. Ok, I can’t possibly be the only one out there who secretly (or not so secretly) enjoys staying in a hotel? 😀
Where else can you have a lovely plush bed, full air-conditioning, watch TV while in bed, a lush bathroom, lots of clean towels, and be allowed to create a mess knowing you don’t have to clean up? erm… oops! 😉
I was away for an overnight work trip a few days ago and while I was in the bathroom, a curious question struck me.
You know how hotels always provide little compact bottles of shampoo, conditioner, bath/shower gel etc? Do you use them? Or do you bring your own?
I know of people who don’t bother packing toiletries when they travel because every hotel will usually provide something. This means they don’t have to add to their luggage weight nor do they risk liquids leaking out into their toiletry bags (I’ve had a shampoo leak all over the inside of my toiletry bag – it foamed up when I tried to clean it!)
I however, always pack my own toiletries and rarely use the ones provided by hotels, no matter the class of hotel I stay in. I find something comforting in using a familiar product while away from home and it is sometimes my chance to indulge.
The other reason is because I find most hotels, even chain hotels, provide generic products for hair and body and I don’t like how drying they are and how they strip my skin and hair. I’ve stayed in some hotels that provide “branded” toiletries from Molton Brown and L’Occitane but that was when I also learned that my skin and hair do not take kindly to toiletries from these brands as I find that they make my hair and skin dry.
So whenever I travel, aside from my facial toiletries, I always have a shampoo and conditioner that I know my hair can handle, whether in travel size or sachet form, and a small bottle of body wash. Currently, it’s the REN Moroccan Rose Otto body wash and I can tell you that it’s so comforting after a long road trip or after a long day, to envelop yourself in the scent of lovely fresh roses.
Do you use hotel toiletries or do you prefer to bring your own?
I bring my own everything, even cotton pads when I remember, because not every hotel gives cotton pads as their amenities. When it comes to bath/shower stuff, I’m quite fussy and I love a bit of indulgence so little travel sized bottles of some luxe shower gel usually finds its way into my travel bag for my next hotel stay! 😀
Paris B
i only used their body wash and that’s it! im the type that will tug the full set of own toiletries when i travel, i.e. toothpaste, shampoo, body lotion etc. Yes, i am a heavy packer! hahaha
LOL! I bring my own everything too! I sometimes am curious so I may sneak a use of a nice body wash but I stick to my own toothpaste too!
Accessories such as cotton swabs, cotton balls, etc. I always bring, and hair and body wash I used decide depending the star rating of the hotel I’d be staying at. However, ever since my stay at a supposedly 4* hotel in Vegas; my hair and skin became so dry and itchy after one use that I had make a pit stop at Sephora to grab something decent.
Now I bring everything ^_^
I experienced the same thing D. I thought a good hotel would have better quality products but apparently not! So it’s safer to bring my own and then experiment if I like with what’s in the hotel, but I know I have a backup if needs be 😀
Grand Blue Wave is a lousy hotel! Bearable rooms but the food is really terrible. I bring my own stuff for face and hair. If I can’t bring my own shampoo, at least I bring my own conditioner.
Hahaha… To be fair to them, the rooms have been refurbished (I made sure I checked because the last time I stayed there I was so disgusted by the rooms!) and are now quite decent. Breakfast was also quite decent, but I didn’t eat in there otherwise. Do you have other suggestions for hotels in JB though? 😛
I always bring my own….especially since I have an aversion to strong smells and hotel toiletries sometimes have very funny smells! The only thing I take away with me are their lotions which I tuck into my handbag – not for me but for my two almost teenage daughters who always ask for “cream, mummy!” to slather on their sensitive dry skins!
Ooh you’re right about them smelling funny, almost chemical even! My mom used to swipe the hotel lotions too. Saved her buying, she said LOL
Def a fan of bringing my own! I totally agree with you that even if hotels provide good brands – they still don’t cut it for me. I’m quite high maintenance when it comes to hair care because my scalp is quite sensitive to conventional products. I tend to shop at a local drugstore if I don’t want to pack too much. If it’s a location I’m very unfamiliar with, then I would bring the whole kitchen sink and more haha.
It’s funny right, how even some “good” or “decent” brands don’t cut it. I wonder if it’s to do with the dry air in hotels that makes us feel this way? Or maybe the products just don’t work. I found out this way that I don’t take kindly to L’Occitane and Crabtree & Evelyn hair and body washes because it was so drying!
I will bring own toiletries except for body wash as my body seems to be able to handle almost every brand of body wash. In the rare occasion where a body wash is not suitable, I will just buy a bar of soap (Dove/Dettol/Lux etc.) from the local convenient store or supermarket and it works fine for me.
Sometimes depending on the country (usually tropical countries), I will even use the body moisturiser provided by the hotel as my body skin is not that fussy. Other than these 2 mentioned, I need my own regular stuff (even toothpaste, I am particular about my toothpaste).
Haha I bring my own toothpaste too! Not every hotel provides toothpaste and those that do, I’ve seen some really dubious looking brands, especially when travelling in China. There, I make sure I carry my own everything 😛
Very interesting and relevant topic!
I always pack my own stuff (everything), including toothbrush and toothpaste. And body lotion, something which is usually not provided by hotels, is a must for my dry skin too. In short I travel with a small vanity table 🙂
The toiletries provided by hotels are usually way too drying for me. I use the hotel shampoo or shower gel to do my laundry if needed 🙂
So do I Tracy! My travel pouch which is more of a travel bag houses anything I could possibly need or not need because I don’t always stay in nice hotels that give you everything you need and more besides. When I do, they go home with me but when I don’t at least I have feel nice even if not staying in a nice hotel 😀 That’s clever about using the detergent to do laundry! I must remember that next time
I love to pack my own stuff. You know, those sample sachets that pile up? It’s perfect time to get rid of them! I use samples from face cream, eye cream to body wash. It’s funny how lazy I am at home with eye cream. But when away, I have all these samples to use and the thought of not bringing them back home is motivating enough to slap on a lot of products. HAHA
Packing for kids also ensure that I forget something. And it’s always the shampoo!! So if it’s a short 1-2 night trip, I really cannot be bothered with my own. If the hotel’s shampoo is so bad (often is), I use my kids’ shampoo. HAHAHA :p
Yes! Travelling is the best time to use up sachets and samples! 😀 But I’m also a little wary because that’s when you could break out too! 😀 Oh and you’re lucky you have a back up in your kids toiletries! Haha If kids can use them so can you!
Hehe I also bring my own stuff too:)
I rem when I used to hv long haul trips, I spent half a day packing my skincare, make up n hair shampoo n conditioner
I know! I always end up taking so much time agonizing about what toiletries and skincare to bring 😛
I don’t use them, but I will always bring the shampoo and body wash home…to wash my toilets…lol. And if the bottles are cute, I will reuse them to decant my normal shampoo/body wash for future trips.
I will also tapao whatever toiletries the hotel puts out; shavers, toothbrush, cotton swabs, combs, etc…I have tons of these lying around! I have hoarding issues. 🙁
Wash your toilets! LOL Do they foam up nicely? 😉 At least it’ll smell good too hehe… Ooh the ameneties can come in useful! I usually leave a couple in my travel bag because I’ve been known to forget my toothbrush and then it comes in useful because not every hotel will provide you one (unless you stay in nice swanky hotels all the time haha!)
I am currently traveling for business, and this hotel has Peter Thomas Roth products which I really like! But I brought my own because I am going to be here a while and didn’t know what was going to be in the hotel.
I may or may not have put the hotel-provided toiletries in my bag to take home though 😉
Ooh! Luxe, Wendy 😉 Yes, take them home and trial at leisure hehe… at least that’s what I tell myself anyway 😛
I only use the hotel products if I know the brand or the products themselves. Those cheap ass things that come from the dollar store “ass, face, body, hair and mouthwash in one” won’t touch me. We all know beauty lovers have a bag (carry on, trunk) full of stuff. No need for mini’s 😛
LOL! Indeed! When I don’t see a brand in the hotel (which happens most of the time since I don’t end up at swanky hotels) I just whip out my own supplies. Never travel without your own beauty products from head to toe, I say!
I tend to use whatever soap or body wash they have in the hotel, body lotion if they have it but I steer clear of the hotel shampoos and conditioners since I have a very sensitive scalp and can only use natural haircare.
Hey Megan, in your job I’m sure you stay in lots of hotels so it’s interesting to hear your thoughts 🙂 I think hotel shampoos can really screw with our hair so it’s best to stay away but for the body, we can take a little more liberty unless we have very sensitive skins of course 🙂
While not a jet setter by any means I do travel abroad and locally at least a couple of times a year. Regardless of what kind of hotels I stay in I always prefer to bring my own toiletries. It’s like every one has been saying the products are drying and does not suit me at all. On top of which I always find that my skin tends to break out when using them and because of this I will always bring with me my tea tree shower gel. I am as paranoid as you Paris about these liquid items spilling into my luggage, so I tend to double bag everything in a zip lock bag! My next trip will be to Vienna, Austria in a fortnights time. Looking forward to spending Summer in Europe! ????
Ahhh Summer in Europe! I’m officially jealous of you ceetee! 😀 I hope you have loads of fun as I’m sure you will and that you come back with loads of memories and goodies! I think it’s definitely advisable to bring your own toiletries. Some of these hotel ones feel worse than bleach! 😛