Travelers tend to have some strong feelings about hotel toiletries, so here’s an interesting shift for a popular luxury hotel brand.
Continue reading: Waldorf Astoria Switches To Aesop Toiletries
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Come on.
"There’s another major shift happening as Waldorf Astoria changes its toiletry brand. We know that most major hotel brands are moving to reusable containers for toiletries, in order to be a bit greener."
That is fake news. You know that isn't true.
This is 100% about cutting costs. Period.
Seems too much of a juxtaposition of brand images.
Park Hyatt Tokyo uses Aesop, and their image of clean lines, Organic living, simplicity and aromatic scents works together.
Waldorf used to use Ferregamo AFAIK, not a great image either really, Tuscan rugged leather scents with some Tuscan herbal aromas, not really a match for chandeliers, and suited and booted UES types.
Byredo, although Scandinavian would be a better match, particularly some of their stronger scents, Guerlaine also makes more sense. It’s actually quite hard to suggest for Waldorf, but even Bond No. 9 harks of old school NYC, which actually would work very well.
Have not stayed there in a few years, but Park Hyatt Tokyo used to use Aesop. In the early 2000's it was where I first learned of them as at that point they were just a small boutique brand out of Melbourne. Been using their face products for years ever since.
WA has been using this in some hotels for a few months. The switch is old news.
I love it. I bring empty bottles and fill them up. Before I could take home maybe 50-100ml, now I've got a product that lasts me weeks. In suites there are multiple dispensers too. It's a win-win for me.
Interesting note: the Waldorf in Amsterdam and Guerlain have a partnership regarding their spa. So that brand is definitely fitting Waldorf too.
agree 100%
. . . except for the EDITION Le Labo Canadian toiletries, in my opinion when i had my first ever Salvatore Ferragamo at a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, i was HOOKED!
After experiencing the Burj Al Arab with there spectacular and Arabian scent HERMES brand, WA was my TOP toiletries, WORLDWIDE.
Longh lasting, amazing manly and woody. GERAT
The aspect of switching to reusable full size containers and wall mounts is good, . . . but as you can read from one comment above . . .there is people, who are cheap and would take even the toiletpaper home.
With not the best housekeeping, that could produce MORE waste then ever before with individual, small containers.
The COST for the properties might go down, but i doubt it's that "GREEN" after all!
I'd consider Le Labo to still be one step above Aesop if i'm being honest. I have both at home and we find Le Labo to amost always feel more special.
Sad to read that . . .
shows how different tasts are!
While some Hessen born Guy likes Aesop products i can't say NO or YES, as i have seen it around Munich stores, but never tried.
Will be interesting to find out, but still . . . i'm hooked to Salvatore Ferragamo / Tuscan Soul, so far, MY best toiletries at any Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Only one that might be better, EDITION / Le Labo Shampoo!
. . . perhaps the different taste, as i am from Bavaria 🙂 🙂 😉
The Ferragamo toiletries smell nice, but Aesop products are probably higher quality / better for skin, so it could bs seen as a win regardless of cost cutting motives.
If you guys enjoyed bringing home hotel toiletries, just start bringing empty travel containers with you and filling up. I'm sure you can find some on Amazon.
Agreed, Aesop is great. Some of the older Waldorfs used to have Bvlgari. Just stayed at the Park Hyatt DC who have swapped out all their Le Labo for Pharmocopia other than the bar of soap, a significant downgrade
The switch already happened at the Waldorf Versailles when I stayed in March. I do think the products are an upgrade, even though I liked the Ferragamo. However, the lotion was basically empty. I called down to ask them to refill it, and they said they would, but no one ever did. I prefer toiletries I can use over empty bottles of nicer ones.
Can’t help but note the immediate triggering of a climate denier…god forbid one can cut costs and be more environmentally sound at the same time.
“ This collaboration marks the first and only global hospitality brand with which Aesop has partnered to provide its products at this scale.”
What a funny way to say this stuff is already in lots of hotels
That's interesting that the lotion was also in a "big/re-useable" bottle. I'm finding more and more hotels with shampoo/conditioner/body wash in the showers in the big pumps, but still having small bottles of lotion on the vanities.
Another cost-cutting measure. I hate reusable toiletries, and I am going to miss Ferragamo.
Le Labo is a fragrance brand. Their products certainly smell better than Aesop (as they should), but I find Aesop to be better for the skin and hair. I like and use both brands, but find them hard to compare beyond similar styles in terms of packaging.
I love Aesop products as well, however, I don't think this is a good brand fit. I think Aesop would be best for a brand that is focused on style and design. Waldorf is crusty old luxury, and I feel the Farragamo products are a better fit.
Conrad, Hilton's other luxury brand, recently switched to Byredo toiletries, also in full-size containers.
Just stayed at a Waldorf a week and a half ago and they already used the Aesop 500ml bottles. It was great, but hopefully they clean after every guest!
The Waldorf Astoria hotels in Berlin, Edinburgh, Versailles, and Jerusalem have long had Guerlain spas, too. But the partnership has never extended to in-room amenities, so far as I know.
CX have dropped Aesop in favour of Bamford; a British bodycare and clothing brand.
Bamford's stuff is great but, like you, I've always associated Aesop with CX.
Cost cutting ... absolutely. I'd also rather use toiletries no one else has used AND if the hotel is going to use the full size jars make the shower brackets they sit in easier to manage. And what if you wanted to take a relaxing bath instead of a shower, I have never seen the full size bottles at any of the hotels alongside the bathtub. At the Continental Hotel in Oslo I got them to undo the bracket holding the Molton Brown products so it was easier to use in the shower.
ALSO, please stop with the annoying video pop ups. It's been requested often by your readers.
Except even in first on CX it was a bit of a letdown. They didn't include Aesop toothpaste and they didn't include Aesop deodorant and they didn't include Aesop mouthwash and worst of all they didn't include the brilliant Aesop resurrection rinse-free hand wash, a no-brainer for an airline, but they did include the pretty mediocre Aesop lip balm, which was liquid-y and off-putting. At best it was a partial Aesop partnership.
Aesop and cost-cutting? Ho-ho. I must say that Aesop shaving gel is fantastic and also very expensive. Doubt if that item is on the Waldorf list.
So … I am both a road warrior and a hotel management executive on the franchisee side of the coin. FACT: Yes, it is likely there will be financial savings. FACT: Guests have regularly commented on the waste and lack of green awareness continuing to offer the individual use items. FACT: There products are sanitary. The bottles lock and in another luxury brand houskeeping is not even allowed to re-fill them in the room, they must be filled in a specially designed filling station in Housekeeping. FACT: There is significant one time costs for brands that are placing these in a secured brack. Some luxury brands are leaving the ‘free to remove’ with a subtle or not so subtle notice your welcome to purchase a fresh bottle at the desk or gift shop. FACT: I will miss my at home drawer filled with bottles of favored products I stick in my suitcase both at my hotels and others at which I stay. BOTTOMLINE: This is a positive change provided the new product is good or better than what is replaced. That my two cents,
Waldorf now, however, seems to be the brand which is the most focused on interior design among other classic old luxuries like Ritz Carlton and st. Regis, take a look at how fancy and great design that Waldorf Xiamen, Kuwait, Beijing and Bangkok are.
Time to bring your own big bottles to take all shampoo, conditioner, and lotion home since they are expensive at retail stores.
Funny how this is going to work... rather than putting ~fluids~ into the reusable containers, people are going to drain those into their own bottles to take home.
Use points at a cheaper WA and get a couple hundred worth of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion.
Rinse and repeat... happy cost cutting, hotel industry 🙂