I know a question for the hotel but I am not getting through. What has been your experience? In the process of packing would love to leave them behind.

Towels, yes.
Maybe not thick or new, but towels.
Washcloths and tissues are unlikely.

Thanks elaine

In the cheapest hotels I've stayed at in Italy (but still 2 or 3 stars) I've sometimes gotten towels that I'd call dish towels. Not terry cloth, but a flat thin fabric.

Sometimes in two and especially one star hotels, you must specifically ask for soap bars. Many of these properties won't stock any shampoo. Some will "run out" of soap altogether. The towels will be very basic and rather smallish.

It goes without saying that many one-star hotels in Italy don't have private bathrooms.

Patrick is right about the towels not being like our fluffy terry ones. They're like the kind you use in the kitchen, and leave you feeling like you're last night's dinnerware. Surprisingly absorbent, though. Bring a sample size bar of soap just in case.

Hi Sarah,

You will always get towels; won't get washcloths. You may not get a TV or phone or hairdryer or elevator. These days you most always get soap; probably won't get shampoo. What hotel are you staying at?

I know the answer will vary by hotel probably, but how many towels on average are provided per person, and are these changed daily?

It seems to me that all hotels in Italy we have stayed at provided clean towels daily. Usually a bath towel and hand towel for each of us. Sometimes we have had terry towels, but other times the sort described above. Sometimes smooth cotton and other times waffled fabric, both of which were very absorbant.

There was a long thread on the linen in Italy a year or so ago, and many negative comments about the non-terry towels. I personally like them and the other linen (sheets, etc.) too. Have promised myself I'd take home some of the beautiful linen, but have yet to do it. May on our next trip.

I always carry a couple of small face cloths and more recently have been using a net sponge which stays in my travel toiletry bag. I usually have shower gel and a small bar of soap in the bag as well.

Don't think you'll have any problems. You are after all going to Italy, not some uncivilized outpost!

I did see one budget hotel/hostel in Rome that specifically stated that towels and sheets were included in the price and changed every three days. I suspect that might be a zero star. I would still consider staying there, but might just bring a couple towels of my own. (I don't have any firm dates yet, but just researching in advance!)

Some of the "flat" towels are nicer than others. The really good ones are made mostly of linen and are expensive to buy (about 30 euros for a big bath sheet). I liked those ones! The cheaper ones are like the cotton dishtowels. The waffle weave ones are wonderful!

Funny thing about how travel broadens your life experiences, even with silly things like bath towels. I though towels were towels were towels. I mean terry towels. Lo and behold, Italy shows me linen towels, waffle towels, dishtowels...

As a 1/2 star stayer, I've always gotten the towels! Yes, often they are Italian style-a waffley style linen or plain hand towel item that ranges from hand towel size to gigantic. When I did get terrycloth, I often wished I hadn't: they air dry things mostly there, and it was stiff as a board. The trick is to blot and then use like a regular towel. You can usually ask for more if your hair needs a towel all its own! I like this style myself and we brought some to bring home.

What we tend to do is to bring a thin camping towel that is handtowel sized. You can wrap delicates in it for the return, and it's useful on picnics as well. They are super absorbent and dry out quickly.

We once tried to figure out the difference among the stars, but we stayed at 1 stars w. TV and plastic covered cups or glasses, and 2 stars with nothing. ah well. There's no telling, just enjoy!

I don't think I've stayed in a 1-star hotel in Italy, but I've never stayed anywhere in Europe, from a lowly chambre d'hôte to a 4-star hotel that didn't provide towels. Maybe not towels as you know them at home, as in large fluffy things you can wrap yourself up and snuggle in, but at least some sort of cloth you could dry yourself off with after a shower.
On my recent trip to France, we encountered showers in two B&Bs/hotels that had clearly been air-dried, and not a hint of Downy or Snuggle. They were clean and fresh, but they also provide a total-body exfoliation I wasn't necessarily expecting.

I've stayed in hostels that did not provide towels.

Hostels throughout the world do not generally provide towels. Everywhere we stayed in Italy, from basic 'rooms' to a 3 star hotel, all provided towels. In one basic place we stayed in Cinque Terre, the towels were not changed during our stay - 4 nights.
Kay

YES

I am absolutely amazed that so many of our very very familiar posters who always talk about the 4 and five star hotels THEY stay in are so remarkably well-informed about what is and is not provided at the ONE-star level....

speaking for myself, I've been all over the map so to speak in the kind of hotels I've stayed in, with the exception of hostels, I've never stayed in one of those.

Sometimes circumstances or youth my budget or a generous companion allowed for a 4 star hotel, mostly not. I've seldom stayed in one-stars, but there have been a couple, and they were not, for me, positive travel experiences. So now when I budget, I add in more $ for a hotel, esp since youth is not so much a factor in my favor anymore.

what a funny long thread. I never knew there was so much to know about linen in hotels. Thanks for the tips everyone now I know I need to check out linen stores. Perhaps more than just myself is due for a trip?

Have a great week everyone! I will think of you all when I am eating a pastry and sucking on an expresso at "Dolce & Dolcezze".