Agree with abram on this - even if I hang towels, they replace them. What I imagine is that housekeeping staff cares less about environmental benefits, real or imagined, and more about getting rooms cleaned, without guest complaints. Easier to replace all the towels than mess it up in one room and have someone complain about dirty towels.

Bmurray- you're right to wonder about hotels' motives but does it matter? Even if they are just doing something to increase their bottom line, if it helps the environment also, I'm in. I certainly don't need a new towel every day and I live in an area where droughts and water restrictions are a real issue so I'm happy to contribute even in a very small way.

What gail said. I've also never (or maybe once) seen the maids actually follow the program.

And I'm pretty sure that these kind of programs have little to do with lowering operating costs and more to do with Corporate being able to profess that they have "green" policies to keep them out of environmentalist's cross-hairs.

I get clean sheets and towels each day on vacation. I think it's about saving $$$$ for the hotel and being perceived as doing their part rather than being green.

If anyone who owns a B&B or manages a hotel is reading here is my plea. Include more washclothes. I hate reusing a damp washcloth and if their are not enough clean dry washcloths I use a hand towel or bath towel. You could save laundrying a large towel by tucking in an extra washcloth.

My husband's pet peeve is the lack of recyling facilities in hotels.

I never reuse a washcloth at home...it skeeves me out.

It is condescending for hotels to try to shame their "guests" into reusing towels with the spurious "environmental" plea.

It is enough to mention that towels in the tub will be washed and that those hanging on racks will not be washed.

Please spare me the self-righteous twist on this request?

HTtY

But almost all hotels give 4 wash and hand towels, plenty for 2 people and way too many for one. and if there are a lot of you in the room, why not just call fro extra towels?

<i> Include more washclothes.</i> I agree. I'm finding four bath towels in most rooms, but only three hand towels and three wash clothes

<i>Why not just call for extra towels?</i> I do, but why should I have to?

On a recent trip to Spain I found extra blankets in the closets of most of our rooms, but in the US I seldom find blankets to replace way-too-heavy comforters. I call for blankets, but why should I have to?

Some Hampton Inns have no blankets--only comforters that are too heavy for me. Some people who work at Hampton Inns don't know that it is common practice in the hotel business to provide blankets.

HTtY

Picking up a phone to call and ask for a blanket or a hand towel = first world problem. Sorry you have to take 15 seconds to do that because a hotel chain doesn't have your room prepared exactly the way you want it.

At home we change our bed sheets once a week and bath towels maybe once-twice a week. I think having the hotel sheets & towels changed daily is excessive.

Good for hotels that are finally realizing it's expensive for them (and they pass the costs on to the consumer) and bad for the environment.

I just want to be sure that the housekeeper doesn't use my (or someone else's ) wash cloth to clean the bathroom and then wash the drinking glasses/ coffee mugs etc with the same cloth!!! I hate plastic or paper cups but the sleeve factor for the glasses is high. And yes I do wash the "new" glasses everyday before using them.

We usually reuse bath towels while staying at hotels. I do have them replace hand and wash clothes each day though.

Palmettoprincess--At Sunriver Resort here in Oregon, the lodge rooms have separate recycling containers in each of the rooms, next to the garbage can. I really like that!

Amazing. Even if it saves the hotel money, it also does save water and water treatment--it IS important.
We do it all the time--and also, don't change the sheets.
If you want full service, have at it.
and I agree about the recycling.

We had recycle sections in the trash cans in our rooms in Scandinavia..paper, metal and organic,food. I really liked that.
I like it when hotels give you lots of towels but the number of bed pillows gets ridiculous. We always have a stack of them next to the bed.

By Googling "hotel towel reuse study," one can find research reports that help in understanding whether hotels promote towel reuse more out of concern for the environment or more to save expenses and increase the bottom line.

HTtY

I think the reason some hotels are now using comforters/duvet covers is because of germophobes here who have questioned the cleanliness of re-used blankets over washable duvet covers.

Equating Laundromat or home prices to the hotel industry is a red herring of the first order. LOL

Sorry I haven't read all the posts. Just wanted to say that it bugs me when a hotel asks me to help the environment, then the maids replace the hanging towels anyway.

I don't really care how much money the hotel saves or doesn't save. I think it wastes water. And the laundry soap probably pollutes.

These are issues we all care about. Hopefully.

As a resident of a state with perennial water shortages, it doesn't matter to me why hotels make changes to save water - environmental concerns, money, PR, or something else entirely - I am just happy to see them doing it.