Comments on: Ethical Frugality Week: Hotel Visits

By: CJ

CJ — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:24:29 +0000

My spouse and I stay at hotels quite frequently for work.

We now have several BANKER’S BOXES full of toiletries – soap, lotions, shampoo, toothbrushes etc.

We have NEVER been anything but honest about our dealings with the hotel staff: we ask if we can have more and indicate we’d like to take some with. They’re happy to oblige.

At anywhere from $75 to $575 per night (Rome or Tokyo anyone?) the hoteliers aren’t going out of business if they give us a few extra soaps per night.

This is absolutely a frugal strategy. When we have guests, they can help themselves to use whatever toiletries they need and we aren’t paying the “miniaturization tax” on post-9/11 travel-sized toiletries from the drug store.

We draw the line at towels or other reusables.

By: borealis

borealis — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:43:24 +0000

If you have to hide what you are doing, then you know it is not ethical.

I have taken the shampoo and soap from hotels. That seems ethical to me, but they are still sitting under my sink. What good are they at home? And when you travel, don’t you want your usual shampoo? If you forget shampoo, it is nice that they provide it, but I would much rather have my own.

By: Jean

Jean — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:04:37 +0000

Many years ago, my daughter went on a weekend trip with a friend’s family and came home with a bath towel from the hotel. I was appalled, and when I asked her to explain why she had brought the towel home, her answer was “Well, everybody in Mary’s family was doing it.” After my explosion, we packaged it up and mailed it back, with a letter of explanation. We actually received a note of thanks from the manager,and I am sure she has never taken anything except the toiletries, notepad and pen ever again!
I work for a private country club that furnishes pool, tennis, golf and locker room towels, and we spend a ridiculous amount of money replacing these every year. (And these are RICH people who I am sure could afford much higher quality towels!) I wonder if they think about all the towels they’ve taken home when they gripe about their dues going up!

By: pam munro

pam munro — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:05:52 +0000

We all agree that taking the towels crossed the line. But I like little motel soaps to put in a soap dish (an old plastic ashtray) next to my kitchen sink to wash my hands with! And shampoo in little bottles can be used to put shampoo on dirty clothes as a stain remover before washing them – (on places like a dirty collar, etc.) – or when overnighting elsewhere!

By: Patty

Patty — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:35:47 +0000

Some hotels are now ‘going green’ and are donating extras to shelters including but not limited to over-ordered supplies and partial rolls of toilet paper. Sharing is caring!!!

By: Patty

Patty — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:26:58 +0000

And if you are staying more than one night. Do you hid the items so they are re-supplied the next day so you can take home multiple?
I’ve seen similar frugal-ethical discussions elsewhere talking about taking ketchup or sugar packets from resturants. (Not sure if this fits better with the samples or in this hotel section). Its fair to use a bit but where is the cut off. I don’t think you should re-fill your entire ketchup bottle at home out of samples but I do have a few extra packets to throw in my lunch box. Is it ethical to take one, two, six or seven? Sometimes drive throughs will just hand you a handful(I’d rather use than waste) while other stores will hand you only one after you ask at the counter. I have a feeling stores study this just as they study the benefits of providing samples.

By: SwingCheese

SwingCheese — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:10:29 +0000

@Henry (currently 118, and others):

What you are suggesting is deceitful. It doesn’t matter how you spin it – if you do indeed take the actions you’re claiming to in your comments, you are both a liar and a thief.

By: reulte

reulte — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:56:50 +0000

Tipping the housekeeper – my view is if the housekeeper performs a personally requested service (more blankets at midnight!) or you cause extra work (oops, spilled something) then you tip — and well. Otherwise, the housekeeper is paid for the regular duties of keeping the room clean. Half the time, I request no housekeeping services except replacement of used towels and toiletries so I don’t get the services of the cleaning staff.

OK – even though I take more than ‘my’ share of toiletries and ask for extras, I do take only what I use. I don’t take the coffee or tea, for example, because I don’t drink it. I don’t take the shower cap because I don’t use it. I don’t take – or even use – certain brands because I don’t like them. In my mind, there’s no ethical foul and it all evens up in the end.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:55:17 +0000

RE: ” I usually struggled with this a little, until one day I saw in my church bulletin a small note actually advocating taking the opened ones and donating them to the church!”–yeah, cuz everything every self-labeled ‘christian’ does is 100% ethical all the time, lol. People act unethically or make stupid mistakes, including people who write church newsletters.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:50:39 +0000

iT’S Pretty sad when people have to have long debates as to if stealing is ethical. one word: NO. Bonus word: DUH

By: David

David — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:08:29 +0000

Taking towels crosses the line.

However, the toiletries are a different story. An interesting noe. I usually struggled with this a little, until one day I saw in my church bulletin a small note actually advocating taking the opened ones and donating them to the church!

What a great idea! I do it all the time now–but usually only the open ones.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:07:51 +0000

I love your theme of the week.

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:27:53 +0000

#7 Johanna – We do that too! I figure the hotel calculates one set of toiletries per night, which we pay for in our per-night room fee. We generally only take the toiletries when we stay in nice hotels, though (which are over-priced to begin with). We now have little bottles of Davies Gate, Bath & Body Works, and other great brands to use at home or in our gym bags. (Of course, we recycle all the little bottles. Otherwise, it’d be a serious waste of packaging.)

By: stella

stella — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:59:07 +0000

Posts are not only being renumbered, some are being deleted after being posted.

What’s going on Trent?

By: Sally

Sally — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:04:05 +0000

Take the sundries – leave everything else. If you have some issue with the room, talk to management. I feel sorry for the wife – the issue with her husband is much bigger than the towels.

By: Henry

Henry — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:12:44 +0000

Lindsay, sometimes I’ve wished an automobile I’ve had would be stolen…insurance pays me instead of me dealing with the problems it’s developed. As far as someone breaking into my home, I’ve not made that easy for people, like the stores make it easy. You should be glad many of us draw the line at corporations instead of just declaring society to be a free-for-all. We do have emphathy, since I assume you as an individual has not wronged me, but since the Wal-Mart and other companies such as fast-food and others have so many books written as indictments against them, for crimes they will never pay for, it is time to take what you can. I suppose you think it’s wrong to call the 800 numbers on all the fast food restaurants as often as you can to get freebies because you’ve been wronged. And when they stop coming, call the managers directly to report how there were no napkins in your bag, or pickle on that sandwich, that you wanted with no pickle, but actually full well knew you forgot to mention that, but by the time you call the manager, swear up and down that you know you ordered it that way, and it was the drive thru attendant that wasn’t listening, so you can have your free sandwich.

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:41:32 +0000

I think these ethical discussions have been so humorous. Trent hasn’t even attempted to intelligibly establish his view of morality (ethics), which is all tied in with whatever his views are on the foundational issues of epistemology (which deals with nature of knowledge) and metaphysics (which deals with the nature of reality).

That Henry (forgot post #) who thought it was OK to rip off corporations, should just be happy that he hasn’t (so far, apparently) run into someone who thinks it is perfectly OK (based on HIS worldview) to rip off individuals (like Henry). Bet he’s awfully glad to get up each morning and find that his automobile is still there or that no one broke into his house and took his wallet! LOL

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:18:39 +0000

I agree with the overwhelming majority of the other commenters: send the towels back. The towels were unambiguous theft. And yeah, I think it’s a bad sign about the husband’s character.

I strongly disagree with the idea that it’s okay to steal if you feel the hotel owes you something. It’s just a bad excuse for pointless vindictiveness and petty theft. How is it fair for you to decide what they “owe” you in hotel property anyway? Bad experiences happen; you can complain to the management and try to get a partial refund, you can tell potential customers about your experience, or you can simply resolve not to go back.

I think that taking the disposable toiletries at the end of your stay is just fine, but hiding them to get extras doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t think anyone’s a horrible person for doing it; I just think it puts a toe over the line between frugal and cheap. One of the things I consider cheap is expecting other people to foot the bill for your “frugality”. Having the hotel (and therefore the other hotel guests) pay for you to stock up on toiletries to use at home is cheap. Not evil, not immoral… but cheap.

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:52:45 +0000

Along the same lines in regards to hotels…is it unethical when you make a reservation to only say that there are 1 or 2 of you when there are really more? Alot of times there’s a $10 per person upcharge on the rate…

By: Nik

Nik — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:48:07 +0000

@Kevin Most programmers are highly overpaid and should be charged a “reverse tip” for all of the things that they so carelessly break. Most people in the computer industry capitalized on the ignorance of many who knew nothing about the computer causeing less competent people to make a lot of money doing next to nothing and having very little consequence for not being able to do the job. If you get fired, you can always get a job with some other company working for some other guy who has no concept of what you’re supposed to be doing. Now that more people are becoming more technically astute, those that were mediocre or not able to evolve with the technology and economy are left to do nothing meaningful but sneer at those who do work that they feel is “beneath them” and not very hard at all because, heck, they do that for themselves everyday.
If you don’t get tips or raises as a programmer, you are terrible at your job or just an even worse advocate for yourself. Don’t try to play the “you don’t know me, man!” card because I know a lot about programmers. I know good programmers, mediocre programmers, terrible programmers, and even programmers that are fantastic BS artists. You may not be doing well economically, but it is no one’s fault but your own. You are not willing to take all of the options available to you to get farther, so don’t rant at others for not feeling sorry for you because you are way too oppressed to participate in the “socialist conspiracy” that you claim to experience. I take that back, rant all you want, just don’t be surprised if people who’ve heard that song and dance don’t offer the sympathy you demand.

As for the towels, I feel that even the husband knew he was doing something wrong, otherwise he would have taken them from the room if he were somehow entitled to them. The fact that he stole them from a public area where missing towels could not be traced back to him is a pretty good indicator that he wasn’t acting ethically.

It is perfectly common to inadvertently steal things. (Like if you were at the pool and used their towels to dry off after a swim. If you have a chaotic environment where you absentmindedly put the towels in your bag as you are packing up to go back to the room or wherever you came from, it isn’t so bad but you should still return them… Unless you’re like me and later find towels in your bag that you aren’t certain where they came from or where you purple sweater is now.)