The toiletries war heats up at hotels

When designing guest rooms at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City, choosing the right bathroom toiletries was just as important as choosing the right bedding.

"It's a big deal if your bath amenity is bad," says Jeff David, managing director of the Knickerbocker, a historic Times Square building that re-opened as a hotel in February 2015. "It's almost like buying a Mercedes and the stereo is bad."

Toiletries used to be an afterthought for hotels. If they offered guests a generic shampoo and bar of soap, their obligation was met. That's no longer the case in a world in which boutique and lifestyle hotels are trying to infuse personality into every aspect of the guest experience. The competition to provide amenities that will wow guests has turned fierce, and hoteliers say they are spending more time and effort to choose the right ones.

In addition to providing even more types of toiletries — think facial foam and makeup remover wipes — hotels are customizing toiletries or even teaming up with celebrities to lend their names to bathroom products.

"Every product, service or amenity a hotel provides impacts its branding, for better or for worse," says Chekitan Dev, a marketing and branding expert at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. "Bathroom amenities are typically not the reason a guest stays at a hotel but can play an important role in increasing satisfaction and repeat purchase."

The factors that go into choosing toiletries can range from scent to bottle size to how eco-friendly they are to how well they appeal to different genders and age groups.

"The psychology of an amenity is really interesting," David says.

Over the course of two years, the designers of the eco-conscious 1 Hotels chain tried more than 100 brands of toiletries before deciding to create their own natural, paraben-free brand.

The product team at Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites looked at 20 to 30 options before they too developed their own proprietary brand called RAIO, says Anne Smith, vice president of brand strategy for parent company Choice Hotels.

Hilton Worldwide's staff typically tries out 15 to 20 different brands of toiletries before landing on the right one, says Cindy Patton, the company's senior director of product development.

Most of the hotel companies declined to disclose how much they spend on bathroom amenities, but Smith says a Comfort brand hotel may spend from $7,000 to $13,000 on bath amenities per year. David says the Knickerbocker spends about $5 per room a day on amenities.

Emilie Hoyt, founder and president of LATHER, a California skin care products line that has worked with hotels, says she won't offer discounts to lure clients. Instead, she develops products for special occasions or gifts for VIP guests.

"When we have a great partnership with a like-minded property, it's a fantastic opportunity not only for them to offer products that appeal to their guests, but it's also a sampling opportunity for our brand," she says. "It's a win-win."

The demand is there. A survey conducted by Hilton found that 52% of travelers use their shower amenities.

"I think people are more in touch with well-branded luxury products and I think things can catch fire quicker through social media," says Kemper Hyers, senior vice president of design for Starwood Capital Group, which developed the Baccarat Hotel in New York. "This makes great amenities a real plus for a hotel."

Hotels are particularly trying to appeal to business travelers, their most frequent and demanding customers.

"Business travelers can be on the road for a long stretch at a time," says Paul Davis, senior vice president of strategic sourcing for Wyndham Worldwide, which earlier this year began introducing Matrix by L'Oreal at many of its hotels. "When you're away from home for that long, you want to use products that remind you of home or are more special than what you use every day."

The types of toiletries a hotel offers sends a message about how it wants to be perceived, hoteliers say.

For instance, the Ritz-Carlton is an established luxury brand, so when it sought out a new line of bath amenities in 2012, it went with Asprey, a British luxury goods house that dates back to 1781. Guests get a package of Asprey Purple Water shampoo, shower gel, conditioner and body lotion along with soap, shaving and dental kits. They've been so popular that guests commonly use one set of amenities per day, says Steven Holt, regional director of public relations for the Americas.

The Baccarat Hotel created its own line of toiletries, working with renowned French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian on the scent.

Ian Schrager, who developed the EDITION hotel in New York, wanted guests to feel that they were getting a bespoke product. So the hotel teamed with high-end perfumer Le Labo to create a custom scent for its toiletries.

At Conrad Hotels and Resorts, guests can customize their preferences for toiletries via the Conrad Concierge mobile app. Among the options are Shanghai Tang's new line of Mandarin Tea products and vegan skincare products from Tara Smith Vegan Hair Care.

Much like they've done with their restaurants, many high-end hotels now are teaming up with celebrities to create lines of amenities. The Knickerbocker got celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson to design its bath amenities. Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts has an exclusive partnership with fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo.

Some hotels are concentrating more on the environmental impact of their toiletries.

Starwood Hotel and Resorts' specialty select brands, which include Element and Four Points, have dispensers in every shower. Before settling on that, they considered many factors, including whether or not shower gels would pump out with ease.

"A lot of research went into making this decision and really the big question was, are guests open to using a dispenser for their bath products?" says Brian McGuinness, global brand leader of those brands. "Through trial, we found that they're very amenable to it."

When the toiletries are a hit, hoteliers say they are glad to see their guests take them home with them. And in fact, many do. Hilton's recent survey showed that 73% of travelers leave with their bathroom amenities. More than 35% of business travelers said that they do.

"It's a testament to the great guest experience delivered by the hotel when guests want to take a little part of that stay home with them," Smith of Choice Hotels says.