WHY DO WE LOVE OUR HOTEL’S SOAP SO MUCH? Three letters:T, S, A

Oct 5, 2009

 When will we be able to board planes again with jugs of our favorite lotions, shampoos and conditioners? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but not any time soon. Due to technology glitches, the Transportation Security Administration does not expect to scrap the three-year-old ban on carry-on liquids and gels this fall, as previously anticipated. For those of us who like to toss our belongings in a carry-on bag to avoid the tedious task of checking in luggage, that means we’ll have to rely a little longer on hotel toiletries.

After all, they’re the most convenient – even if it means we might smell like a floral arrangement.

A recent online survey asked the question – How big a deal is your hotel’s shampoo and soap line? While one respondant said, “given the carry on restrictions, it’s nice to have decent toiletries and mouthwash”, another thought “most of the junk they put in hotels is terrible. Who wants to smell like a bouquet of flowers at a business meeting?”

Some folks liked the hotel toiletries so much that they admitted going out and purchasing them at a store. Others called out the brands like the person who wrote that “Hampton Inns have cheap soap that seems glued to the paper.”

One reader wrote that she loves Marriott’s line of Bath & Body Works orange ginger soaps and shampoos, but also gave a shout out to a Hyatt Regency for providing toothpaste. “I do really appreciate when hotels have nice toiletries. Given the travel restrictions on liquids, I’d much prefer to use the hotels products than bring my own because of the hassle.

Restrictions on the 3oz bottle of liquids aside, will someone please tell me why airports in the US are the only security checkpoints that STILL make us take our shoes off? I know, I know…”The Shoe Bomber” from 5 years ago. I’m just curious, though; if The Shoe Bomber had instead been The Underwear Bomber ………………………..