# Why the "placemats" next to the beds in European hotel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506 "2015-09-25T19:26:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/1 "2015-09-25T19:26:48Z")
We’re staying in a very nice hotel in Florence. Each day when the maids make up the room, we find a nicely folded, uh, placemat/napkin next to the bed. Later in the day, when they come to do the turndown service, the mats - sort of large dinner napkins - are opened up and placed next to the beds. I can only surmise this is designed as a way for guests to wipe their feet before getting in to bed so that they don’t have to track in dust or dirt from the floor of the room. Seems really extreme to me. This is a 4 star hotel and there are lots of very nice amenities, but I’ll be damned if I ever saw this little fillup anyplace before. Anyone have any experience with such a thing? What’s it called? Why’s it there? WTF? xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![Nefario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/2 "2015-09-25T20:04:49Z")
Don’t know about “placemats” but do they supply washcloths? ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/3 "2015-09-25T20:36:25Z")
No, I never have. Lots of travel, but not to Italy. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/4 "2015-09-25T20:43:57Z")
You are correct that they are so you don’t have to put your bare feet on the floor. The places that have these also tend to supply slippers that you can then put on so that you don’t have to walk around barefoot on the floor. They are very common in nice hotels in Europe I am not sure if I remember them in the US. They had them on the Cruise I took a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/5 "2015-09-25T23:01:31Z")
My grandmother came from an “aristocratic” Southern family and she considered going barefoot to be low-class in general and something a decent woman would never do. When visiting, we wore “house slippers” at all times, as did she. And, yes, when getting into bed, she would step out of her slippers onto a towel so her bare feet never touched the “dirty” floor. When entering the house, one was required to wipe one’s shoes carefully on the “outside mat,” and then change into house slippers before entering the house proper. She considered wearing street shoes in the house to be bad manners. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/6 "2015-09-26T12:37:31Z")
I know an assistant manager in a very nice hotel in Florence. Unlikely to be yours, but I’ll forward the question. If it’s a common practice there, she should know. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/7 "2015-09-26T16:39:48Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > You are correct that they are so you don’t have to put your bare feet on the floor. The places that have these also tend to supply slippers that you can then put on so that you don’t have to walk around barefoot on the floor. They are very common in nice hotels in Europe I am not sure if I remember them in the US. They had them on the Cruise I took a few years ago. Yep - slippers (what we used to call house shoes) are in both wardrobes. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/8 "2015-09-26T22:47:04Z")
Apparently, it’s an Italian thing (I don’t remember seeing this in French hotels). It’s called a “scendiletto” and indeed intended to clean your feet before going to bed, and to not have to put your feet on the potentially cold/dirty floor when you exit the bed and don’t have your slippers just besides it. ---
**Author:** ![MrQwertyasd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@MrQwertyasd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrQwertyasd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/9 "2015-09-27T14:14:12Z")
You don’t know what a tissue next to a bed is for ? Sheltered life. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/10 "2015-09-27T15:14:25Z")
It’s just an area rug in a different material than the ones you’re used to. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/11 "2015-09-27T15:16:13Z")
I’m just amused by the ‘turndown service’. I can tuck myself in. Yes, I know they don’t actually tuck you in. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/12 "2015-09-27T15:23:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’m just amused by the ‘turndown service’. I can tuck myself in. > > Yes, I know they don’t actually tuck you in. The OP is staying at a " 4 star hotel " and turning down he bedding is common I bet it cost $$$ to stay there so why not get your money worth ? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-placemats-next-to-the-beds-in-european-hotel/732506/13 "2015-09-27T16:00:50Z")
> [@purplehearingaid](#): > > The OP is staying at a " 4 star hotel " and turning down he bedding is common > I bet it cost $$$ to stay there so why not get your money worth ? I know that. I have a different philosophy when it comes to travelling.