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Choosing the Best Hotel Soaps and Amenities

Last updated on May 10, 2024

It's no secret that guests expect and look forward to complementary single-use amenities in hotels or resorts. The brands, scents, and amenities you choose can impact your guests' overall impression of your hotel, so it's important to provide an option that shows that you value their business. Since hotel bath amenities come in a variety of scents, sizes, and shapes, choosing the right collection for your inn can be somewhat overwhelming. The right selection will ensure that guests walk away feeling rested and refreshed, and will contribute to their level of comfort in your hotel.

Types of Hotel Bath Amenities

To provide your guests with quality amenities that will pamper them from head to toe, there are a variety of options available in single-use portions, perfect for bathroom counters, amenity trays, or nightstands. Round out your amenities package with several of the following complementary products to give your guests the ultimate experience.

hotel soap collage
  • Body and face bars cleanse the body and rejuvenate the skin
  • Shampoos remove dirt, oils, and skin particles that build up in hair
  • Conditioners moisturize, protect, and replenish hair
  • Lotions restore moisture to the skin and eliminate dryness and irritation
  • Body washes evenly coat and cleanse the skin without bar soap lathering
Keep in mind that many of our lines offer several or all of these items in the same scent so that you can mix-and-match products to create your own ideal set.

Choosing Between Bar Soap & Liquid Soap

Opened bath soap disc laid over a wrapped bath soap disc
Opened bath soap disc laid over a wrapped bath soap disc

Bar Soap

Pros
  • Economical
  • Contains glycerin to improve smoothness
  • Commonly fragrance-free
Cons
  • Might leave a slimy residue on skin or in storage
  • Use can dry skin
  • Can harbor bacteria
Liquid body wash on a table
Liquid body wash on a table

Liquid Soap

Pros
  • Moisturizing
  • Available in an array of scents
  • Allows for easy dispensing and use
  • Allows for an optimal lather
Cons
  • Harsh fragrances
  • More costly
  • Waste and overuse

Hotel Soap Sizing

Hotel soaps are listed in either nominal or actual sizes. While this may be confusing to the consumer, nominal size does not refer to the weight of the soap. Instead, it references a size standardized by the amenities industry.

For example, a No. 3/4 bar of soap does not mean the bar will weigh 0.75 oz. The nominal size is 3/4, while the actual size of the bar may be between 0.3 and 0.4 oz.

Here is more information on both methods of sizing and their differences:

  • Nominal soap sizing actually dates back to the beginning of the soap industry. Adopted by leading amenities manufacturers, it has been used for so long that it is considered an acceptable option for soap sizing and is, in fact, the most advantageous technique for most companies to use so that their labels remain competitive. Nominal size works out to be about .25 ounces more than if you were to state the soap size in actual ounces.
  • Actual soap sizing is the most important sizing method when it comes to soap bar sizing. This refers to the exact amount or weight of the bar. Pay attention to this whenever it is available so that you know how much you are really paying for!

Courtesy Soap Sizes

courtesy hotel soap sizes
Weight in Ounces
Uses
0-2 Ounces
The standard single-use size that is perfectly portioned for overnight guests.
3-4 Ounces
A more generous size that can withstand multiple washes before running out.
5-6 Ounces
A long-lasting economy size.

Popular Soap Scents

The scents you choose for your amenities is an important part of the atmosphere you are trying to create for your guests. Below are a few popular scents to consider for your rooms.

popular soap scents wheel
  • Almond
  • Calming with subtle sweetness and moisturizing properties
  • Bergamot Orange
  • Fresh, zesty, and bold, this scent recharges the senses while vitamin C replenishes skin elasticity
  • Eucalyptus
  • With antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, this calming scent will refresh your guests and remove the exhaustion of a long day.
  • Fresh & Clean
  • Mild and cleansing scent without additives
  • Grapefruit & Sage
  • Fresh and citrusy with peppery herbal notes
  • Jasmine & Orange
  • Bold and sweet orange scents mix with delicate hints of jasmine for hydrating and de-stressing aromatherapy
  • Lemongrass
  • With energizing properties, this bright and clean scent will wake up your guests' senses
  • Milk & Honey
  • Sweet and moisturizing, these ingredients draw out skin impurities while rehydrating

Hotel Amenity Features and Uses

  • Deodorizing - The prime reason guests will jump in the shower at your hotel or bed and breakfast is to banish smells and feel fresh and clean after a long journey or stressful meeting. A good deodorizing soap will fight and prevent odors - not just mask them with a smell. If your hotel is off the beaten path and frequently welcomes weary travelers, consider soap with deodorizing qualities. Guests will appreciate your foresight and be refreshed and prepared for another day of traveling or a packed tour schedule. Choose a deodorizing soap with a pleasant and long lasting fragrance to keep guests fresh the whole day through.
  • Economical - Many factors go into choosing a line of amenities for every hotel, but if price is your chief concern, we offer several economically-priced brands to keep overhead costs low.
  • Environmentally Friendly - Our site offers many bath amenity lines that are great for your skin and the earth. All of the products in these lines are made from vegetable-based materials rather than animal-based materials and are energy risk professional (ERP) certified. They are ideal for environmentally-conscious consumers and vegan guests, and will show that you put a little extra effort into making your hotel sustainable, adding to its appeal!
  • Exfoliating - If your guests are plagued with rough or scaly patches of skin and need some extra rejuvenation, exfoliating soap is just what the doctor ordered. Exfoliating soaps break down calluses, increase circulation, and promote new skin cell production. They will give guests skin some extra TLC, and every trip to your establishment will feel like a spa getaway. Pamper guests with a spa-quality soap that buffs their complexion silky smooth. Products with pumice are great for sloughing off dead skin cells.
  • Moisturizing - Some of the germ-killings ingredients in soap cause natural oil to be stripped away from the skin, resulting in dryness. Not only is dry skin uncomfortable, it heals more slowly when injured and is more likely to become scarred. Remedy this problem and give your guests silky soft hands with a moisturizing soap. Moisturizing soaps include fatty acids or enriched cream to restore skin's moisture layer and repair damaged skin. Moisturizing ingredients you can find in hotel soaps include aloe, vitamin E, or oatmeal. For an added bonus, provide your guests with a moisturizing lotion to apply to face, hands, and body to lock in moisture and preserve the smoothness that moisturizing soap leaves behind.

Potential Soap Allergens

917755030

When choosing a line of body care products to offer your guests, it is important to consider potential allergies and what you will do to accommodate these. You can choose a line containing non-hypoallergenic amenities and have hypoallergenic products available upon request, or you can choose to supply a hypoallergenic line to all guests. The following issues are uncommon irritations, but may be caused by soap and other bath products.

  • Balsam of Peru
  • This substance creates warm scents such as vanilla and cinnamon, but although it smells good, it is a common allergen. The main ingredient causes rashes in those allergic. You may want to avoid products containing these scents to accommodate all guests.
  • Coconut Diethanolamide
  • Coconut extracts and oils are found in several varieties of soap because they are good moisturizers and scents. Those allergic to coconut diethanolamide, however, will experience a rash from using these products over an extended period. Because adverse effects are only shown over time, it is not likely that a short stay guest will become irritated from single-use bath products, but keep these side effects in mind when choosing amenities for your hotel.
  • Fragrance
  • As the actual ingredients in fragrance are not required to be disclosed on the label, many soap brands simply acknowledge whether their product is or is not fragrant on the label. If guests have an allergy or irritation caused by the fragrance in soap, the only remedy is to use a fragrance-free brand.
  • Paraben
  • Another common ingredient in soap, paraben is used as a preservative. Although allergic reactions are not common with paraben, it may cause rashes, irritation, and headaches. Be aware that guests could potentially suffer from a paraben allergy.
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
  • Although this is not an allergen, it is found in nearly all soaps. It creates the foaming action and strips the skin of essential oils, and, when overused, leaves skin dry and irritated. Pair your soaps with a lotion to avoid irritation caused by this chemical.

    The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details.

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