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The Mystery of the Missing Hotel Toothpaste (2013)

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Re: The Mystery of the Missing Hotel Toothpaste (2013)

#111

Post by Scoundreller »

Manozco wrote: post #107
tuna-piano wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure this Hyatt thing is true? I recently stayed at a Hyatt and didn't see toothpaste in the room. Maybe their spokesman misinterpreted for "standard in room" and "available upon request"

I also stayed in a Hyatt in Vancouver recently and no toothpaste. The "issue" was that I was flying with only carry on luggage, so no toothpaste possible in the cabin and I had to to grocery shopping for a tube of toothpaste for one night in Vancouver...

<100mL tubes aren't hard to find at all... Even as a non-travel size.

Re: The Mystery of the Missing Hotel Toothpaste (2013)

#112

Post by Scoundreller »

achow wrote: post #37
wodenokoto wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But they have already set up manufacturing for such tubes for Hotels in Europe and Asia, so it should only make sense that they would want to sell more of these. Emirates also supplies a toothbrush and toothpaste on long flights in a nice little toilet bag, even for economy passengers. These things are everywhere, except apparently American Hotels.

I suspect these 'mini sizing' consumer goods trend is reserved for Asia and I guess now Europe. In USA the marketing strategies of these companies does not include 'Sachet marketing' or mini sizing. And of course importing these small size containers for a niche market in USA would not make sense at all. [Edit] This blog writes about how the new trend in Europe is 'Right sizing' of packaging. Smaller is Better as Glo…

My dentist seems to always have piles of sample-sizes to hand out. At my last hotel trip, I had to make the trip to the concierge, and they had 5mL packs of brand-name toothpaste that was like a flat ketchup pack.

Re: The Mystery of the Missing Hotel Toothpaste (2013)

#113

Post by spicytunacone »

dingaling wrote: post #70
mpclark wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So this is a really valuable marketing opportunity for toothpaste manufacturers, a rare switching opportunity. Here's a chance to get a guest to try their brand of toothpaste, in a market where driving change is difficult. They should be giving little tubes to hotel chains -- and very soon even paying the hotels to stock their brand.

I'm a total toothpaste-tart because of those little tubes; I'll use whatever comes along. My dentist receives them by the boxload, presumably as promotional items from the various manufacturers vying for recommendation, and dumps them in a crate at reception for free distribution. So every six months I stock-up on a cocktail of various toothpastes and just use whatever comes out of the bag next. The only one that was…

So, would you say the chart was correct? How do you find it now as opposed to before? Could this be the start of high culture toothpaste one's palate must be developed for?

Re: The Mystery of the Missing Hotel Toothpaste (2013)

#114

Post by munchbunny »

GarrisonPrime wrote: post #101

I don't see the mystery. It seems perfectly straightforward to me. (1) Toothpaste, deodorant, tampons, and similar "intimate" items are highly desired by most people, and so, clearly, most people will bring them as a matter of course. (2) Soap, shampoo, and other things you usually find provided by hotels are, however, awkward for the traveler to carry on their journey. But they are cheap for a hotel to provide, so t…

You'd think it'd be this obvious, but then again Asian hotels give you the brush and toothpaste.

When I think about why I bring toothpaste and a toothbrush with me... it's because hotels don't provide them. It's not because I want my toothbrush, or my toothpaste, or even my floss, I just bring it because I can't rely on always having it otherwise.

Which just gets into the circular reasoning. Hotels don't provide it because travelers bring it because hotels don't provide it etc. That's probably the reason the pattern continues, but then why didn't it catch on in the first place?

Re: The Mystery of the Missing Hotel Toothpaste (2013)

#115

Post by erroneousfunk »

copperx wrote: post #53
careersuicide wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> risks offending users of a "higher" or competing brand I strongly suspect that I am not alone in the stubbornness of my toothpaste preference. I will grudgingly use a different shampoo if I have to as most shampoos don't have too strong of a smell. In any given day I use probably 3 to 6 different soaps, with only the one in my house being my preference (mmmmmmmm coconut ginger) so using some random soap at a hotel…

I feel like an alien after reading your comment. I will gladly use any soap, shampoo, or toothpaste as long as it's free. I have never met someone as picky as you say you are with your toothpaste. I don't think you're the norm in any way.

I'm in the same boat, although I'll always bring my own conditioner to hotels (I'm female, so it's probably not as big of a deal for guys with shorter hair). Occasionally, they don't provide it, or it's "conditioning shampoo" (which doesn't condition at all), or the bottles are too tiny and the product is too watered down to condition sufficiently.

But soap is soap is soap, and toothpaste is the same ingredients in the same concentration for basically every manufacturer (and even then, it's mostly the mechanical action of brushing that gets your teeth clean, not the toothpaste itself -- you can brush with water in a pinch and still be fine). I convinced my husband to buy generic toothpaste and it's saved us DOLLARS (Woo! Big money!) a year!

Re: The Mystery of the Missing Hotel Toothpaste (2013)

#116

Post by Doctor_Fegg »

morgante wrote: post #98
Doctor_Fegg wrote: post #23

A thousand times amen to this. At home I share a tube of toothpaste with my wife: if we go on holiday together, we bring the tube with us. If I'm travelling solo, for business or whatever, then the home toothpaste stays at home, so I need to remember to buy a new tube to take with me. It's the only thing I need to expressly purchase other than the hotel room booking. This can't be that unusual a scenario... can it?

> If I'm travelling solo, for business or whatever, then the home toothpaste stays at home, so I need to remember to buy a new tube to take with me. Keep in mind that you always have the option of getting them to send up toothpaste. That's what I always do. I definitely can't be bothered to pack toothpaste and have yet to encounter a hotel where they didn't have some available. At the end of the day, I think that's t…

Yeah, kind of. I'd agree except that it's not "always". The last time I tried it was in a London hotel where they didn't have any at the desk. Given that it was 1am and I'd just had an Unbranded Fried Chicken as the one meal still available at that time of night, I was a bit gutted...
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