A guest supply is any item that is conducive to the guest’s
material comfort and convenience. The term amenity is
commonly used to identify luxury items that a hotel gives
away to its guests at no extra charge, although the cost
of those items is often hidden in the room rate.
There are also those guest supplies that are expected
to be used up by the guest that cannot be classified as
luxuries even at the most spartan budget property. We
shall categorize those items as guest expendables.
Then there are items essential to the guestroom that
are not normally used up or taken away by the guest.
These items shall be referred to as guest essentials.
Guest loan items are those guest supplies that are not
normally found in the guestroom, but are commonly
available to the guest when requested.
These categories of guest supplies are fairly arbitrary,
but they represent an attempt to distinguish those items
that are necessary in every room from those items that
are discretionary purchases.
Quite often the rate to be charged for each guestroom
will have a bearing on the quantity and quality of these
guest supplies. Although the guest supplies are not
particularly expensive if considered on an item-by-item
basis, their aggregate can add substantially to a hotel’s
costs. Today, many budget properties are scaling back
on their amenity packages. Yet luxury hotels can
ill afford to reduce their amenity packages. Many
think that a reduction in the amenity package would
seriously reduce the perceived value of many luxury
hotel rooms.11
Guest supplies are a major storage and security
concern. Some items such as guest pens, stationery,
and envelopes appear in such great quantity and appear
to be of such little significance that employees who are
not well trained may feel that their use at home is quite
acceptable. Other items of higher value (such as portion
packages of guest laundry detergents and bleaches) may
require even greater security in storage. In such cases,
locked-cage storage (inside storage rooms) is in order.
If not properly controlled, the indiscriminate use and
negligent storage of guest supplies can become a costly
expense.
AMENITY PACKAGES
Although amenities extend well beyond the guestroom
(free breakfasts, recreation facilities, and so on), our
discussion encompasses only those amenities that are
found in the guestroom.
Bath Amenities
When members of the general public think of guestroom
amenities, they typically think of bathroom amenity
packages. Table 6.1 contains a listing of common amenity
items.
There are two opposing schools of thought when it
comes to bathroom amenities. One believes that the
guest appreciates seeing name-brand products on the
vanity counter, whereas the other is of the opinion that
the products should be ‘‘branded’’ with the hotel’s logo.
Fortunately, a number of suppliers can arrange (for a
price) to print both.