A TRAVEL expert has uncovered the secrets of fancy hotel toiletries and revealed why you should never trust them.
Holidaymakers love to horde tiny bottles of high-end shampoos and lotions but you might not be getting what you think you’re paying for.
Travel whizz Jessica Sulima revealed the truth about hotel toiletries[/caption]
Plenty of hotels sign exclusive agreements with luxury cosmetics brands to carry miniature versions of their signature products.
These can add a touch of class to an en suite, but bosses are keen not to give away too much for free.
And, according to travel whizz Jessica Sulima, they don’t.
Writing for Thrillist, she claimed that when it comes to hotel toiletries most of the value is in the name on the bottle.
Jessica said: “These days, it’s rare to find a generic, unheard-of brand lining your bathroom sink or shower caddy.
“As far as luxury hotels go, expect to find D.S. and Durga at The Carlyle, Bamford at The Palace Hotel, or Diptyque at the Ritz-Carlton.
“The trend is a win-win — the hotels get to amplify their prestige, and the cosmetic companies get to spread brand awareness.
“It was probably naive of me, however, to think that such products are exact replicas of what you can find in stores.
“In practice, hotels typically work with these brands to create custom formulations that reasonably approximate their product at scale.
“These samples are designed to be as close to the real deal as possible, and in a perfect world, guests wouldn’t be able to sniff out the substitute.”
Her suspicions were backed up by Anna Ableson, a professor at the Tisch Insitute of Hospitality at NYU.
The industry insider said: “Some hotel toiletries may look like retail name-brand products, but they’re often formulated and sourced differently to meet hospitality industry needs.
“This can cause variations in quality and composition compared to store-bought versions.”
And Ian Ginsburg, president of beauty brand C.O. Bigelow, added: “The north star is to do it exactly as it is.
“But it’s a balance of cost. Sometimes the cost is too much, so we’ll try to modify the fragrance.”
It comes after a Brit who has gone on more than 50 cruises revealed the one item he never leaves home without.
