Hotel Towel Etiquette

[lilafowler]

When you are done with a towel in a hotel room what do you do with it? Do you leave on floor? Hang up? Something else?

Prompted by my overnight trip with BFF where I learned that leaving your dirty towels in the tub/shower isn’t what you do.

I can’t stop laughing at myself. Where did I get this idea? I am now so sorry for the housekeeper when I went to San Francisco last year-I’m so glad I left her a generous tip. 🤣😂😅😅😅

Feel free to laugh at/with me.

[Jalapeñomel]

I hang them up, same I do at home.

Some places say leave on the floor if you want a new one though.

[fernweh]

During our stay I hang them because I don’t mind reusing- even though most hotels still replace them. When I am completely done with them/when we are leaving I put them in a pile in the floor. Dirty washcloths always go on the shower floor.

I have no idea what is proper but that’s what I do.

[arielroux]

I’ve definitely stayed at hotels that have signage saying if you want new towels, to leave them on the floor for replacement. I try to use mine at least two nights, so the ones I’m reusing, I hang up like I do at home. Usually i only leave used washcloths and hand towels on the floor for daily replacement.

[lilypad1126]

If I’m going to reuse my towels, I hang them up. But the hotels I stay in alway say leave them on floor if you want new ones, so I do. But sometimes I put them in the bathtub because then they are out of the way!

[pandorica]

I just hang them up the whole time so they don't get replaced and to keep them out of the way.
I'm pretty sure my H has done the bathtub thing though! No clue why but he also claimed it helped the housekeepers after we left.

[meanie]

If we are done using it, the towel goes in a pile on the floor of the bathroom.

[joy]

All towels are hung up.

I can’t bring myself leave them on the floor.

[orval]

Back in the day, I was a hotel housekeeper as a summer job. Either in the tub or on the floor is easiest to just pick up the pile if you are done using them. Hanging is fine too. It just takes a few seconds extra to pull them off the towel bar. No right or wrong answer.

[stephm0188]

Well if it's checkout day, I do pile all the used towels and washcloths in the tub. So then I got all anxious that I was doing it wrong and googled it, and it seems to be appropriate.

[erbear]

I hang up between days, and put in the tub when I leave.

[mcppalmbeach]

Yeah I don’t think you committed any egregious hotel sin. Most hotels these days seem to request that you leave towels on the floor if you want replaced for environmental reasons, otherwise you hang up. At the end of our stay I definitely just leave anything used in a pile so it’s easy to be swept up by housekeeping. We do cabin stays often and it’s almost always requested to leave used linens in the bathtub 🤷‍♀️

[Roc A Bee]

On the floor or in the tub. Throwing them in the tub is to get them out of the way and to make sure clothes left on the floor don’t get mixed in with the towels.

[gummybear]

Most of the time these days there’s a sign that says to put them on the floor if you want new ones. This development causes internal strife bc I have a really hard time with it. It just makes everything so damp. But I also make the bed even upon checking out soooooo…this is a me issue.

[brooke77]

I have also stayed at places that said to leave towels in the tub/shower if they need to be refreshed. The last hotel I stayed at had a basket to place them in. If there’s no sign, I just hang up.

[nicolewi]

I have definitely been at places where they say to put them in the bathtub.

[lessel]

When I’m checking out I always put all the towels draped over the side of the tub in a tidy pile. If it’s a shower and not a tub, I pile on the counter or toilet.

I’ve stayed at AirBnBs where the instructions were to put them into the tub.

[livinitup]

I just left a hotel room and I collected all of the used towels and piled them in the bathtub. I left the clean towels folded on the shelf.

What is better for housekeeping ?

[momin2013]

The instruction I have seen most often is to leave used towels in the tub, so that’s what I do.

[pixy0stix]

Oct 15, 2023 10:21:31 GMT -5 livinitup said:

What is better for housekeeping ?

Having also been a maid during various times of my life - anywhere in the bathroom is fine. Hanging up, on the floor, in the tub, doesn't really matter.

What always got me was people leaving wet towels on the bed.

[emilyinchile]

I hang them up even on the day I'm checking out because it just feels sloppy to me not to hang my towel. But I don't think there's anything wrong or weird about leaving them in the tub. If anything I think your friend is weird for making it a thing.

[sonrisa]

Most hotel rooms don't have adequate space to hang towels for four. which is obnoxious (on the part of whoever did the design)

[VillainV]

Maybe I just stay at cheaper hotels, but most places I stay don’t even do daily housekeeping unless you specifically request it. Most will do towels/bed every other day, and a full clean maybe once a week for extended stays or upon checkout (but you can always request more frequent if you need it). Many hotels just don’t have the staff for daily housekeeping anymore.

To answer the towel question, floor or tub is fine if you need the towel replaced.

[beerlover]

Hang up if I'm still using them, pile on bathroom floor when done.

[mcsangel2]

I was taught growing up that towels that need replaced or at the end of the stay, they all go in a pile in the bathtub.

[DarcyLongfellow]

I usually leave them in a pile on the floor (unless we're hanging up to reuse), but I'm sure I've left them in a pile in the tub on occasion -- especially if the bathroom is really small and a pile on the floor would take up all the available space.

Why did your friend find putting them in the tub so egregious?

[TR]

Oct 15, 2023 10:52:30 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Most hotel rooms don't have adequate space to hang towels for four. which is obnoxious (on the part of whoever did the design)

This! We just stayed at a really nice hotel and there was one hook and one short bar. Come on, now.

[orval]

Oct 15, 2023 13:32:36 GMT -5 TR said:

Oct 15, 2023 10:52:30 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Most hotel rooms don't have adequate space to hang towels for four. which is obnoxious (on the part of whoever did the design)

This! We just stayed at a really nice hotel and there was one hook and one short bar. Come on, now.

YES!!  If you want me to reuse my towel, I need somewhere to hang it.  When there are 3 - 4 people in a room, one small bar and hook are not enough!  The designers of these rooms baffles me.

[livinitup]

I can’t keep track of my towel when I share a hotel bathroom. I usually hang it to dry in a hanger in my room/closet. Last night, I used a hanger with those pant clips. Worked great.

[chickadee77]

I hang up whilst staying (we decline service during our stay) and then pile in the tub or shower when leaving. I've stayed in many hotels that request this, and it makes more sense than anywhere else to me, so I just do it routinely.