4 Critical Thoughts Guests May Have about Mismatched Towels

Hospitality properties want to display an image that is professional and pleasing to the guests during their stay.  This can range from having a friendly staff to well-cooked meals to lots of amenities to fresh and comfortable linens.  During the busy season, it can become challenging to keep up with inventory levels for all of the products being used throughout the facility.  Among the many supplies, linens can get stained, ripped, or damaged and need to be taken out of circulation.  This can eventually lead to shortages if staff members aren’t keeping proper track of inventory levels and scrambling to make sure there are enough clean linens in each room. This blog will explain why mismatching towels is a bad idea and how to prevent this issue from occurring in the first place.

What Guests May Think of Mismatching Towels

Unorganized Many guests will notice if you have different types of towels being used in a set.  This could include using towels that are different colors or have different dobbies.  It is a common expectation of the hospitality industry to have matching towels, and it shows that your property is on top of managing basic procedures like keeping track of inventory levels.  Not meeting this expectation can set a negative tone for the rest of the stay and leave guests dissatisfied.

Short-Staffed When guests see different types of towels in their bathroom, they may think the property could have staffing issues.  Guests may then begin to wonder how clean the rest of their room is and if it meets their expectations for sanitary conditions.  Or, at the very least, they may question how much time the staff is dedicating to preparing their room if they can’t properly match the towels.

Cheap– The sight of mismatched towels in the room could raise questions about the financial stability of the property.  They could be wondering whether management is trying to be budget-conscious and mix the towels thinking that guests won’t notice or care to help save money.  This would be a poor decision because many guests do care about this, and it could be enough of a reason to not be interested in booking another reservation there in the future.  Mismatched towels are subtle, but they can send a very powerful message that you ultimately only care about making money, which is not what hospitality is about.

Bad Reviews– Messages can spread very quickly in this day and age especially considering the instant access to the internet.  Guests who notice mismatching towels may feel inclined to spread the word making others aware of what they are getting into before booking a reservation at the property.  Most properties have websites on Google where guests can leave reviews.  Guests could dock a few stars on the rating because of the mismatched towels and leave a poor review so that other readers will be informed.

Proper Towel Inventory is Key

The best method to prevent the need to mix and match towels is to have the proper towel inventory levels to begin with and periodically monitor them.  It is recommended to have 3 sets of towels for each guest in rotation.  InnStyle recommends having one set in the room for the guest, one set in the laundering cycle, and another set on hand in the closet to be ready as a backup in case the towels the guests are using get damaged.  This way, there should be enough available towels so that you won’t have to mix and match towels, resulting in a sloppy and unprofessional look.  It is also crucial that staff members periodically monitor the towel inventory and order replacements well ahead of time to avoid future problems.

InnStyle Has Lots of Options for You

Towels will always be one of the most important linens for a hospitality property to invest in.  They are common and frequently used products that guests will take notice of.  That’s why it is important to have high-quality towels that are soft and durable.  They are constructed with many different types of fabrics, styles, and colors for you to choose from.  It is highly recommended that staff periodically monitor towel levels to make sure that inventory levels are satisfactory.  Please give InnStyle a call about towels or general hospitality questions that you may have.  They can be reached at 267-354-6020 or 800-877-4667.  Their website is https://www.innstyle.com/.