# Who pays for the luxury soap/cosmetics products in hotels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 24, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-the-luxury-soap-cosmetics-products-in-hotels/726013 "2015-07-24T00:11:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andrea\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@andrea\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrea_green)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-the-luxury-soap-cosmetics-products-in-hotels/726013/1 "2015-07-24T00:11:22Z")
Luxury hotel rooms will typically feature specific high-end brands of designer soaps, shampoos, creams etc. These brands are prominently mentioned in hotel marketing material and in the rooms. I would like to know what typical deal terms of these product placements is. By this, I mean, do the hotels buy the soaps or do the soap companies provide them for free (or even pay the hotels) in order to gain exposure to thousands of affluent potential customers. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-the-luxury-soap-cosmetics-products-in-hotels/726013/2 "2015-07-24T03:09:54Z")
Some of these products aren’t available retail, so there’s no point in drumming up retail demand. Molton-Brown Lili-Pili shampoo, for example. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-the-luxury-soap-cosmetics-products-in-hotels/726013/3 "2015-07-24T03:50:07Z")
I’d guess one of two things- either the personal care brand provides them for free to the hotels, as a sort of advertising scheme, or they provide them at a discount to certain hotels. I suspect the second is the case; for example, Bliss stuff doesn’t really _need_ to give their stuff away to the W hotel chain, but it does benefit both parties if the hotel uses that brand exclusively (W gets top-notch stuff, Bliss gets exposure to the W’s clientele, and association with their brand), so I suspect they sell it at a discount to the W chain. ---
**Author:** ![McGuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@McGuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McGuffy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-the-luxury-soap-cosmetics-products-in-hotels/726013/4 "2015-07-24T03:58:01Z")
The hotels buy them. Here is one article about it: > **[Hotel Seeks Soap With Chic Image for Guests to Swipe](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903341404576484221378689018)** > > Hotel properties choose those little bathroom soaps and shampoos based on which beauty lines will enhance and mesh with their desired message. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-the-luxury-soap-cosmetics-products-in-hotels/726013/5 "2015-07-24T10:54:25Z")
There is considerable competition among hotel chains to offer ‘exclusive’ brands. In the end, it’s the customer who pays, whether they take them home or not. > [@](#): > > One reason that Hermès is making money is that, as Klein puts it, “If you want Hermès products, you pay Hermès prices…and if it costs me $5 to carry it, it supports why I can charge an extra $50 on the room.” Rooms at the City Club start at $225 per night. If one were to subtract the cost of fancy soaps from the price, the rates would begin at $175, a bargain for New York. > [@](#): > > Kiehl’s spokesperson Abbie Schiller says that the company receives “tons” of requests from hotels, but their partnerships are only done on a “relationship basis.” Schiller says that Kiehl’s only breaks even from its hotel amenities program. “We’re not making a profit from it, but we’re not making a loss either,” she says. “It’s not an aspect of the company we’re looking to grow.” [Hotels Clean Up On Soap](http://www.forbes.com/2002/05/02/0502feat.html) (no subscription required)