I will be in Montreal at the Queen Elizabeth and the Chateau Frontenac. Does anyone know if they provide washcloths in these hotels?<BR>

Daisy,<BR> I have stayed at the Omni and Le Germain and they had washcloths. I don't think it is like Paris in that respect

Obviously, since Kate has taken this quite seriously, there appears to be some rational behind this question. I have stayed in Paris. I don't specifically recall whether or not there were all the different types of towels, (i.e. facecloths, hand towels and bath towels), but I think I would have noticed. What is specifically meant by 'washcloths'? Please let me in on this - I feel so stupid!

Lol~ gary!!<BR>On the Europe forums, now and then there will be a thread about the lack of washcloths (face) in the hotel bathrooms. Seems some Paris hotels don't provide them, people bring their own, etc.<BR>So, I figured Daisy thought Montreal would be the same<BR>Personally, in Paris or in Montreal, there has been plenty of towels, face cloths, etc for everyone!<BR>{Never feel stupid on these boards!!}

Gary, it's a pleasure to provide you with information, since you're always so helpful to the rest of us! A washcloth is a small towel, usually thinner than what you'd dry yourself with, used to apply soap or rinse water on your body. You would take it into the shower or bathtub with you. I prefer, personally, one of those scrubber things that hangs up on the shower curtain rod. But, to each her own.

and the "rational" is ... ? This wash cloth caper is fascinating.

"rational"??????

RATIONALE, I left the 'e' off. Sorry.

Actually I've never stayed in a hotel in Canada or the US that didn't have washcloths (or facecloths, whatever you want to call them). However, I have stayed in hotels in Europe or Latin America where they didn't provide them. <BR><BR>To Daisy, I stay at the Queen Elizabeth whenever I'm in Montreal on business - they do provide them.

Is it my imagination, but aren't washcloths kind of smelly in most motel rooms? Do they get washed, I am wondering. If they are bacteria laden, why would you want one in your bathroom.

No, they never wash the washcloths in motels. You have to use the one that the last 50 guests used to wash their nether regions.

I grew up calling them "wash rags".<BR>What's the big deal about them. I just spent 3 weeks in Europe, didn't have them, didn't miss 'em. <BR>What about the towels in Italy that are like linen tea towels. Nobody ever mentions them.

Kelly - how do you wash your face without a washcloth?

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that for a long time, bath/shower gel was a hard sell in the US because it doesn't lather well with washcloths, and people in the US don't wash with just their hands but need something else as well (as opposed to people in other places who washed with just their hands and so the gel lathered.) Once spa gloves and those plastic poufy things (which will make shower gels lathery) were available, bath & shower gels started selling much better.<BR><BR>(Disclaimer: the facts are only vaguely remembered, and I don't remember the source at all, so this may or may not be reliable)

et wa la!

Being from the US, I find that taking a shower or bath with a bar of soap is done pretty much the same way as most people do it in the world. We hold the soap in our hands and lather it up and rub it on our bodies~<BR>Some people enjoy sponges, cloths, etc, but that is also something that I have seen in London and Paris, Montreal also!<BR>So I don't think that this is particularly an "American thing"..and some women don't use cloths to wash their faces, they use tissues to wipe off cleansers!

Thanks everybody for the replies, and interesting chat!<BR>I'd heard that in many European hotels no washcloths are provided, and wanted to make sure they did in Canada.<BR>

Daisy<BR><BR>Where are you from?<BR><BR>I suspect from your email address you are american!

left unaddressed of course is that most interesting presence of the tea towel, and the obvious question of who serves tea in the loooo. Would you?

I didn't say they were tea towels, I said they were like linen tea towels. As opposed to the fluffy terry towels we are accustomed to in North America.<BR>And I like to drink tea while I have a bath.