Bathrobe in a hotel: can you take it – and is your own worth it?
For many people, the bathrobe in a hotel is part of the holiday feeling: freshly folded on the bed or on the hook in the bathroom, sometimes with a logo on the chest. No wonder the question keeps coming up whether you are allowed to take it home. On top of that there are practical considerations: is the robe hygienic? Does it even fit? And is it worth packing your own bathrobe? In this article we explain what is allowed, what you can look out for and when your own robe is the better choice.
Contents10
- Can you take the bathrobe from the hotel?
- How hygienic is a bathrobe in a hotel?
- What the hotel bathrobe often can't do
- Hotel bathrobe or your own: when is which worth it?
- Which bathrobe of your own fits in your hotel luggage
- Your own robe in the hotel: three small tips
- Bathrobe in the hotel spa: a quick word on etiquette
- The hotel feeling at home
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
Can you take the bathrobe from the hotel?
The short answer: no. The bathrobe in your hotel room belongs to the hotel and is only intended for use during your stay – just like towels, bed linen or the hairdryer. If you pack it, you are taking someone else's property. Many hotels check after departure whether bathrobes are missing and charge for them afterwards. Some explicitly state a price in the room or in the house rules.
Consumables are a different matter. Small soaps, opened bottles of shower gel or shower caps are usually intended for the guest and may generally be taken. How the hotel handles this exactly is often stated in the room folder. If in doubt, ask at reception.
Can you buy the robe?
Many hotels sell their bathrobes at reception or in the hotel shop, especially wellness and spa hotels. If you particularly like a model, that is the proper way. Alternatively, you can ask which brand the hotel uses.
How hygienic is a bathrobe in a hotel?
In reputable hotels, bathrobes are changed after every guest and washed professionally, usually at high temperatures. Hygienically, this is generally fine. What you can't see, though, is how often a robe has already been used and whether it has just been shaken out or is really fresh. On longer stays it is also not changed every day, often only on request.
A few clues that tell you a robe is fresh:
- It is neatly folded or cleanly hung up and smells neutral to fresh.
- There are no hairs, stains or damp patches.
- If it is wrapped in film or has a paper band, it is usually unused.
If something seems off, simply ask for a new one. That is a perfectly normal request in any hotel.
What the hotel bathrobe often can't do
Even if a robe is waiting in the room, it is not always ideal:
- One size: Many hotels only offer one size. It often fits tall or very petite people poorly.
- Heavy terry: Classic hotel robes are thick and fluffy. In a warm spa area this quickly becomes too much, and once wet, such a robe will hardly dry by the next day.
- Not available everywhere: Many guesthouses, holiday flats and simpler hotels do not provide a bathrobe.
- Spa charges: Some hotels charge extra for a bathrobe and sauna towel in the wellness area or only provide one set per day.
Hotel bathrobe or your own: when is which worth it?
| Situation | Hotel bathrobe is enough | Your own is worth it |
|---|---|---|
| City break, 1–2 nights | yes, if available | hardly |
| Wellness hotel with spa | usually yes | if there is a fee, only one size or several sauna sessions a day |
| Holiday flat, guesthouse | often not available | yes |
| Longer holiday | often only changed on request | yes, for beach and pool |
| Very tall or very petite | rarely fits | yes |
Which bathrobe of your own fits in your hotel luggage
The biggest objection to taking your own robe when travelling is space in the suitcase. A thick terry robe quickly fills half a bag. For travelling, light models are therefore better: they take up little volume and dry overnight.
- The Trimita Barok bathrobe is made of 100 % Turkish cotton in a light quality instead of terry, weighs about 500 g according to the product information, is quick-drying and has a tie belt and pockets. Sizes S/M and L/XL, colours green, blue and red.
- The Trimita women's bathrobe with hood is made of three-layer muslin (100 % Turkish, OEKO-TEX certified cotton) and, according to the product description, fits into any sauna bag. The hood is handy in the hotel's sauna garden.
How to pack a light robe in a space-saving way and what else matters when travelling is covered in the article Light bathrobe for travel and holidays.
Your own robe in the hotel: three small tips
- Don't hang it on the hotel hook: Don't hang your own robe where the hotel robe usually hangs, and don't leave it lying on the bathroom floor. Otherwise it may accidentally end up in the hotel laundry during room service.
- Let it dry overnight: After an evening in the spa, drape it loosely over a chair or on a hanger by the window. A light fabric will be dry by breakfast.
- Check when packing: A light-coloured robe can easily look like the hotel robe. A quick look at the label saves you a mix-up in either direction.
Bathrobe in the hotel spa: a quick word on etiquette
In the wellness area, the same rules usually apply as in a thermal spa. You walk from your room to the spa and between sauna and relaxation room in your bathrobe. You don't take it into the sauna cabin itself – there you lie on your towel. In the restaurant or lobby, bathrobes are frowned upon in many hotels, unless the hotel explicitly allows it, for example at a spa breakfast. More on this in the article Bathrobe at the thermal spa.
For the sauna bench, it is best to bring your own towel. A hammam towel is ideal because it is flat-woven and takes up little space. You will find our towels in the hammam towels collection.
The hotel feeling at home
Some people aren't looking for a robe for travelling at all, but for exactly the feeling a thick hotel bathrobe gives – just at home. A heavy robe is right for that. The DOTWAVE bathrobe made of 100 % cotton in a textured weave weighs approx. 1.6–1.7 kg, has a hood and is available in S to XXL. It is too heavy for the suitcase, but just right for a Sunday morning on the sofa.
Related reading: Packing for a Wellness Weekend: Checklist for Spa Hotel, Sauna and Spa · Bathrobe for travelling: light, packs small and dries quickly · Rent a sauna towel or bring your own? Cost, hygiene and what's worth it
Conclusion
The hotel bathrobe stays in the hotel. If you take it, expect a bill – if you really want to keep it, it is better to ask at reception about buying one. For short stays, the hotel robe is usually perfectly sufficient. Your own light bathrobe is worth it if the hotel doesn't provide one, charges extra for the spa, the one-size robe doesn't fit or you are out and about a lot on holiday. You will find all models in the bathrobes collection.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take the bathrobe from the hotel?
No. It belongs to the hotel. Missing bathrobes are often charged afterwards. If you want one, ask at reception whether you can buy it.
What are you allowed to take from a hotel room?
Usually consumables such as small soaps, opened care products or shower caps. Textiles, hairdryers or coat hangers stay in the room.
Is the hotel bathrobe washed after every guest?
In reputable hotels, yes. On longer stays, however, it is often not changed daily, only on request.
Is it worth bringing your own bathrobe to a wellness hotel?
Yes, if the hotel charges extra for the spa, only has one size or you do several sauna sessions a day. A light robe takes up hardly any space in your suitcase.
Which bathrobe is good for hotels and travel?
A light cotton robe that takes up little space and dries quickly, for example made of flat-woven cotton or muslin.
Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.