The Mystery of the Missing Hotel Toothpaste (2013) • Hacker News Board

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

#71

Post by ghaff » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 6:22 PM UTC

caf wrote: post #28

chrisbennet wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's one: https://priceonomics.com/why-every-movie-looks-sort-of-orang...

Another movie one: Between the time that Tyler Durden pointed out the "cigarette burn" marks at the change-of-reel and the time that digital projection displaced film, I'd notice them _every_ time.

Cue dots were actually largely anachronisms in most commercial movie theaters before digital came along because multiplexes spliced most films onto one large platter--though cue dots may still have been present.

There were typically two cue dots for each ~15 minute reel. On the first cue dot, the projectionist would start the second projector running while the second was the cue to actually switch over.

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

#72

Post by ArtDev » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 6:27 PM UTC

On that note; why do I need two bars of soap when the hotel internet less than 1Mbps? The hotel industry is in the US is strange and archaic. Hotel internet and toothpaste are great examples of issues that should be obvious.

Heck, I provide a bottle of wine to my Airbnb guests.

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

#73

Post by grendelt » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:16 PM UTC

> “If you think about toiletries, you’re diluting those products with copious amounts of water,” said Kersley, “and they’re only in contact with your skin topically.” Toothpaste, on the other hand, goes in your mouth, and maybe down your throat.

...then why is it that can I find mouthwash in about half the hotels I stay at? Mouthwash "goes in your mouth, and maybe down your throat".

> Or perhaps it’s a simple matter of portability and convenience. A bottle of shampoo might leak in your luggage; a bar of soap is often slimy; a tube of toothpaste, though, can be tossed into your Dopp kit without a second thought.

...yeah, but have you ever had a tube of toothpaste leak or explode in your kit? What an absolute mess. It's happened twice in my life. The first time took forever trying to clean everything else - even then my deodorant case and razor handle always left my hands smelling minty fresh a long while. The second time it happened I just threw it all out and bought new gear. That's why I rarely pack a new, whole tube of toothpaste anymore.

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

#74

Post by allendoerfer » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:20 PM UTC

Al-Khwarizmi wrote: post #67

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.

FYI in at least some European countries it's the same. In my recent stays at hotels in Spain and Belgium the situation is just as the article describes for American hotels: you get all kinds of situational or barely useful stuff like shower cap, shoehorn, conditioner, etc.; and no toothpaste. And I have always thought it doesn't makes sense and wondered about the reason, like the post's author. I think it was the sam…

Same in other European countries.

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

#75

Post by allendoerfer » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:28 PM UTC

I always think that this is a waste of resources. Imagine the sheer amount of conditioner that gets thrown away unused because of this. I have seen wall-mounted shampoo and soap and really liked the idea, although it does not convey the mentioned branding effect, which hotels try to achieve with these toiletries. It made me feel better. Unfortunately consumers are incredibly stupid. If you want to achieve a positive branding effect from doing sensible stuff like this, you cannot just do the practical thing, because that would seem cheap. You have to tack on all this hipster bullshit and mention how you are saving the planet on every occasion.

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

#76

Post by malz » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:31 PM UTC

Soaps and shampoos are a bit of a luxury item, which is why there are whole stores like "Bath & Body Works" that just sell them. It's a marketing opportunity for the manufacturers to pay hotels to put out their mini-bottles for free. There's no such niche for boutique toothpastes.

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

#77

Post by ghaff » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:38 PM UTC

silencio wrote: post #68

IANAD wrote: post #24

Some years ago I went on a cruise and they provided a name-brand toothpaste, and iirc a hotel in UK or Europe provided toothpaste on my stay. I was excited each time I received it. A Sheraton I visited recently provided a packet of shave cream. It smelled of horrible medicine and it didn't protect my face at all during shaving; in fact, I determined over two days that using it had been worse than not at all. Note tha…

Have you ever tried using hair conditioner instead of shaving cream? I prefer conditioner even at home. I never get enough shaving cream for my legs, if I even get one that doesn't smell "manly", so I always just pack extra conditioner.

Huh! I have a beard and don't shave regularly but I sometimes want to on longer trips. I'm sort of a lightweight packer and resent taking even the travel-sized shaving creams for something I might use once but never found a more compact alternative that I liked. I will give conditioner a try.

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

#78

Post by failrate » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:43 PM UTC

I really dislike using a different toothpaste than usual, but it doesn't bother me to use a different shampoo.

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

#79

Post by Aloha » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 7:49 PM UTC

silencio wrote: post #68

IANAD wrote: post #24

Some years ago I went on a cruise and they provided a name-brand toothpaste, and iirc a hotel in UK or Europe provided toothpaste on my stay. I was excited each time I received it. A Sheraton I visited recently provided a packet of shave cream. It smelled of horrible medicine and it didn't protect my face at all during shaving; in fact, I determined over two days that using it had been worse than not at all. Note tha…

Have you ever tried using hair conditioner instead of shaving cream? I prefer conditioner even at home. I never get enough shaving cream for my legs, if I even get one that doesn't smell "manly", so I always just pack extra conditioner.

I like all in one shampoo, I then use aftershave afterwords. If you'd like an after shave that doesn't smell super masculine, try gables lilac scented - its for sure a unisex scent.

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

#80

Post by nullc » Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 8:00 PM UTC

igf wrote: post #4

Bringing my own shampoo is a hassle, because I buy shampoo in normal-sized many-use bottles that are quite large and might leak. Bringing my own soap is even worse, because nobody wants to carry around a slimy wet cake of soap. Bringing my own toothpaste is easy, because it's small, and I get the brand whose taste I'm accustomed to. Also, I've got to bring my tooth brush with me anyway, so the toothpaste as well isn'…

> Bringing my own toothpaste is easy

You don't fly anywhere where TSA 'protects' the skies then?