# [2010] What is it with Pool Towels?



## dioxide45 (Oct 19, 2010)

Most every resort has some type of system, scheme, or rationing process for managing $1.50 pool towels.

Last week at Ko'Olina one had to just about sign in blood that they were getting pool towels from the towel "hut". At Maui Ocean Club, you get cards at check-in that can be traded at the "hut" for two towels each. The cards threaten that if you don't return the card when checking out it means you happily purchased the $1.50 towel for a whopping $25.

At Grande Vista it isn't as bad, just some pool towels in the room to take as you please and you can exchange them or wash yourself. Though there is of course a little card indicating if any are missing at checkout that you should expect a happy charge to your credit card. Though I think you can also just walk up to the towel hut at Grande Vista and grab some more without having to "check them out". So they wouldn't know if you had 2, 4 or even 10 at any given time.

Would anyone actually keep the crappy towels they give out at the pools at Marriott resorts? It isn't like they are embroidered or even printed with any type of logo (likely to make their souvenir value worthless). All the ones I have seen are ugly green or blue and white stripped. Nothing special. I wouldn't use them in my home.

Would there be a towel free for all or feeding frenzy if they just plain dumped all the shenanigans? I doubt it.

I know that TS resorts need to keep costs down and walking towels would be a cost, but I would think that all of the systems and schemes they come up with and have to implement are likely more expensive than losing a few towels a week.

If anyone should wish to argue my $1.50 price on towels, please do. However, most if not all the resorts utilize a vendor to process all of their towels and linens. They don't really buy them, but would pay for towels gone missing when inventory is completed. However, the towels are bought extremely cheap, so I would think my $1.50 estimate to be pretty close.


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## scpoidog (Oct 19, 2010)

*Open to public?*

At Ko Olina I think it's more of an issue because the beach is public and you might lose some towels that way.  I have to admit that I was more careful about returning the towel than at other resorts or hotels I've been to that don't charge.  I normally wouldn't think twice about leaving the towel on the beach or by the pool, but since I signed out, I returned them.  

Annoying- yes, but not too big of a deal to me.


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## timeos2 (Oct 19, 2010)

*Not so cheap when hundreds or thousands involved*



dioxide45 said:


> Most every resort has some type of system, scheme, or rationing process for managing $1.50 pool towels.
> 
> Last week at Ko'Olina one had to just about sign in blood that they were getting pool towels from the towel "hut". At Maui Ocean Club, you get cards at check-in that can be traded at the "hut" for two towels each. The cards threaten that if you don't return the card when checking out it means you happily purchased the $1.50 towel for a whopping $25.
> 
> ...



At one of my resorts the "free for all" pool towel policy in place for over 20 years was changed mid-year 2009 to a new, strict sign out / room system that carefully tracks both the number of towels assigned and return of those towels.  After 6 months the combined cost of cleaning those towels and the reduction in replacement towels totaled nearly $8000 or an annualized $16K in pool towel expenses!  Sorry but that is not insignificant and the only issue now is why it wasn't looked at more closely in the past.

People need to realize that "small items" to one single homeowner aren't so small when multiplied by hundreds of owners, units & weeks.  The same economies of scale that may apply to bulk purchases also apply in reverse when looking at the ongoing expense of operations (cleaning all those "cheap" towels) as well as any cost for loss, theft or simple wear & tear.


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## Asia2000 (Oct 19, 2010)

To the GM of any property, certain budget items that exceed their budget, are heavily focused on in order for the GM and his or her staff to make a bonus.  Linens are often one of those budget areas where GMs feel they can focus on.  If the linen stays on the property, it just costs that much less.

The days of washing your car with hotel towels is becoming less of the norm, and for good reason. 

I have no problems being tracked for towels.  My only concern is if they will not provide enough or trust me with enough towels (which I cannot ever recall happening).


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## esk444 (Oct 19, 2010)

The one thing I don't like about towel fees is it seems like when someone loses a towel, they sometimes resort to stealing someone elses.  It happened to me at Aruba Surf Club and it's happened to a bunch of my friends at other resorts.  Instead of just getting a new towel from the pool hut, it's usually a long and involved process to avoid getting dinged $25 to $100 for a towel (often while still wet dressed in a swimsuit).  It's kind of made me watch out for my towel like a hawk, as to just oppose enjoying myself at the pool.


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## startime (Oct 19, 2010)

I responsibly returned all my towels.  Then, I accidentally brought my pool towel cards home.  No charge yet.


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## Rush (Oct 19, 2010)

I also own at Harbour Lake, Dioxide, and it was explained to me by a big dawg there that so many were being stolen that they had no choice but to implement the system to which they have switched over the last year or so.

I don't know enough about the hospitality industry to comment meaningfully on the cost issues raised by John and Asia above, other than to say that I can see their point, and it makes sense to me.

I too don't mind being tracked for towels, so long as it's done reasonably...


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## emt (Oct 19, 2010)

*Towels as pool user tracking...*

I always thought it was a way for the resort to identify who's actually a guest of the hotel when at the pool, and who may be an interloper...i.e. if someone is at the pool with an 'unofficial' towel (or no towel) the staff can more readily approach them for room key, etc. 

This would be one reason the number of towels per guest is limited.  For example, in Maui it would limit a guest from grabbing 10 towels for friends staying at other nearby properties but planning to use Marriott pool for the day.

I know many resorts have moved to wristbands...they probably could have stayed with towels as markers if so many didn't use towels as 'place-holders' at 7am (leaving openings for walkers-by to settle in).


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## Weimaraner (Oct 19, 2010)

emt said:


> I always thought it was a way for the resort to identify who's actually a guest of the hotel when at the pool, and who may be an interloper...i.e. if someone is at the pool with an 'unofficial' towel (or no towel) the staff can more readily approach them for room key, etc.
> 
> This would be one reason the number of towels per guest is limited.  For example, in Maui it would limit a guest from grabbing 10 towels for friends staying at other nearby properties but planning to use Marriott pool for the day.
> 
> I know many resorts have moved to wristbands...they probably could have stayed with towels as markers if so many didn't use towels as 'place-holders' at 7am (leaving openings for walkers-by to settle in).



Agree about the interloper theory. I've brought my own towels and had security or other staff mention that I need to bring a resort towel too. They said it would save me the hassle of being bothered with questions about whether I'm a paying guest or not.


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## AwayWeGo (Oct 19, 2010)

*Pool Towels Supplied Right There In The Timeshare Suite.*

We spent a very nice timeshare week in Orlando FL last January at DRI Grand Beach Resort -- snagged it for 7*,*500 points + exchange fee via RCI _Instant Exchange_. 

Pool towels were stacked up right there in the 3BR-3BA unit, along with the bath towels & face towels & washcloths -- plenty in each bathroom, plus extras stacked in the closet with the pillows & linens for the sleep-sofa. 

All the linens were high-quality, & the towels were all decorated with DRI branding woven right into the fabric.  

The thick pool towels were super oversize, great for drying off after showering down in the unit, never mind using the outdoor pool (because that particular January was too cold for swimming in Orlando -- even for the Brits).  

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## NEGreyhound (Oct 19, 2010)

*Get rid of them*

Pool towels are a pain in the butt. All the methods used and the comments stated here are right on. I bring my own towels but if the resort has nice towels I definately use them.
I resent the groups who stock up on towels for their back, head, legs etc. and then there's none left for my family. The tremendous cost of collecting, washing and cleaning is something that I'm sure resorts look at in their budgeting process and for me I would not miss them because they usually are the quality of the $1.50 towel and over time costs hundreds of dollars to maintain. Without pool towels how would people reserve chairs at 6 am? Don't they bring their own?


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## rsackett (Oct 19, 2010)

esk444 said:


> The one thing I don't like about towel fees is it seems like when someone loses a towel, they sometimes resort to stealing someone elses.  It happened to me at Aruba Surf Club and it's happened to a bunch of my friends at other resorts.  Instead of just getting a new towel from the pool hut, it's usually a long and involved process to avoid getting dinged $25 to $100 for a towel (often while still wet dressed in a swimsuit).  It's kind of made me watch out for my towel like a hawk, as to just oppose enjoying myself at the pool.



This happened to me as well.  Came out of the pool with 9 y.o. DD dripping wet on a cool spring day to find out towels were gone.  That was not fun!  No place to get replacements!

Ray


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## wsrobinson (Oct 19, 2010)

*great idea!*

I think its a case of a few "bad apples".  I have a neighbor who rents a Marriott in HH every year and "steals" 6 towels.  He takes them off the maids cart so it doesnt effect his supply. He also steals them from hotels and says "I've paid for them".  The other issue I see is that people are far too casual leaving them lying around.  If a fee (a large one at that) encourages more responsibility among the seemingly irresponsible among us, then so be it.  I bet my neighbor won't make that mistake twice!


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## larryallen (Oct 19, 2010)

Unfortunately there are scum bags who steal towels. Both hotel guests and non-hotel guests. People like the above neighbor who thinks they "paid for it" and the person up above who seems to think it was at one time ok to steal them to wash your car. In any event these people are thieves. It's a crime.

Lower level hotels (and timeshares) tend to watch the towels more closely than nicer full service hotels. It's just part of keeping costs down. At the Four Seasons a few months ago they let us use as many towels as we wanted and did not keep track of them. It was nice but we paid for that "luxury."  Also, timeshares in places like Hawaii have lots of people crashing their pool and thus need to keep some control over the crashers. It's a way to monitor a little bit.  In either case it gets down to scumbags one way or the other.


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## scpoidog (Oct 19, 2010)

*You pack beach/pool towels in your luggage?*



NEGreyhound said:


> Pool towels are a pain in the butt. All the methods used and the comments stated here are right on. I bring my own towels but if the resort has nice towels I definately use them.
> I resent the groups who stock up on towels for their back, head, legs etc. and then there's none left for my family. The tremendous cost of collecting, washing and cleaning is something that I'm sure resorts look at in their budgeting process and for me I would not miss them because they usually are the quality of the $1.50 towel and over time costs hundreds of dollars to maintain. Without pool towels how would people reserve chairs at 6 am? Don't they bring their own?



The last thing I want to pack on a vacation are towels for the pool/beach.  That's valuable luggage space that is being used up for something that the resort can provide.   Also if you use your own towels, you always have to wait for them to dry, etc...

Most hotels I've been to never run out of towels.  As far as your 6am, question - no way I'm going to the pool at 6am, but if I did, I would keep the towel from the day before, dry it on the balcony and then use that.


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## NEGreyhound (Oct 20, 2010)

*Nice convenience but...*

I usually vacation where there is a beach at some point in my vacation so we always have beach towels packed. Diahrea tablets would be at the top of my "last things to pack" list but we pack them anyway. The towel shack in Williamsburg @ Kingsgate, both Sheraton resorts in Orlando and at the Westin Maui (the only time we didn't pack our own) have all been out of towels at times when we've visited. Towels are a nice convenience but towel cards and sign-out sheets are a pain. 
Anyone care to estimate the total cost for a year of towel service; washing, drying, equipment and labour costs as well as electrical cost at your home resort?


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## Rush (Oct 20, 2010)

larryallen said:


> Unfortunately there are scum bags who steal towels. Both hotel guests and non-hotel guests. People like the above neighbor who thinks they "paid for it" and the person up above who seems to think it was at one time ok to steal them to wash your car. In any event these people are thieves. It's a crime.
> 
> Lower level hotels (and timeshares) tend to watch the towels more closely than nicer full service hotels. It's just part of keeping costs down. At the Four Seasons a few months ago they let us use as many towels as we wanted and did not keep track of them. It was nice but we paid for that "luxury."  Also, timeshares in places like Hawaii have lots of people crashing their pool and thus need to keep some control over the crashers. It's a way to monitor a little bit.  In either case it gets down to scumbags one way or the other.



Well said!


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## jimf41 (Oct 20, 2010)

Rush said:


> Well said!



Actually I think the two word descriptor could have been phrased a little better.


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## Superchief (Oct 20, 2010)

Since we usually fly for our vacations, I greatly appreciate the MVC resorts providing the beach towels. They are bulky, add weight, and are a pain to pack. I actually prefer having the beach towels provided to each unit because I then have control over availability when I want to use them. When we were at Canyon Villas, the towel dispensing station was always out of towels when you needed them (primiraly due to people using 3-4 towels per person). Since we have washers/dryers, it is easy to wash our own towels when necessary. This system makes people accountable, but also offers flexibility. 

When I first saw this thread, I expected the discussion to be about saving chairs with towels. That is my biggest problem at all resorts. I suggest a one hour limit for towels on empty chairs, but I'm not sure how it can be implemented, but it would sure make everyone's vacations more enjoyable.


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## Rush (Oct 20, 2010)

jimf41 said:


> Actually I think the two word descriptor could have been phrased a little better.



I'll be sure to get right on that...


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## gblotter (Oct 20, 2010)

startime said:


> I responsibly returned all my towels.  Then, I accidentally brought my pool towel cards home.  No charge yet.


My personality is always opposed to unnecessary waste.  Therefore I'm certainly in favor of reducing expenses through more efficient management of pool/beach towels.  I don't consider the various methods mentioned in this thread to be a huge burden.

Having said that ... my experience at Ko Olina and Maui Ocean Club is that these policies are mainly creating a mental incentive to be more conscientious with your towels.  I am skeptical that they are actually implementing a financial penalty. I would be surprised if many/any guests are ever charged for a missing pool towel.  Certainly the staff at the towel hut don't seem particularly concerned about the accounting when you get/return a pool towel.


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## london (Oct 20, 2010)

*1.50 Pool Towel*



dioxide45 said:


> Most every resort has some type of system, scheme, or rationing process for managing $1.50 pool towels.
> 
> Last week at Ko'Olina one had to just about sign in blood that they were getting pool towels from the towel "hut". At Maui Ocean Club, you get cards at check-in that can be traded at the "hut" for two towels each. The cards threaten that if you don't return the card when checking out it means you happily purchased the $1.50 towel for a whopping $25.
> 
> ...



Are you sure the towels only cost $1.50? I would guess they cost about 3.00 to 5.00.

The Resort on Cocoa Beach gives you 6 pool towels in the unit, when you check in.

If you lose a towel, the charge is $15.00.


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## dioxide45 (Oct 20, 2010)

london said:


> Are you sure the towels only cost $1.50? I would guess they cost about 3.00 to 5.00.
> 
> The Resort on Cocoa Beach gives you 6 pool towels in the unit, when you check in.
> 
> If you lose a towel, the charge is $15.00.



I can buy a better quality bath towel at Walmart for $3.00.


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## chriskre (Oct 20, 2010)

So has anyone really been charged for a pool towel?  

I mean, are they really taking inventory of every single room or are they just using this as a deterrent?  I think it's the latter.  

I've checked into several timeshares that leave you an inventory sheet to fill out and sign. I've never done it as I think it's really an insult :annoyed: and a waste of my vacation time and guess what?   So far no charges for missing spoons or towels.  

Recently had a room that did not have a wine opener.  If they are really doing inventory every single time then they would have caught that, right?  

I think it's just a scare tactic and apparently it's pretty effective.


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## Deigh (Jun 25, 2016)

*Pool Towels*

Everyone who has ever taken a shower or used the pool at a hotel/resort is instantly a towel expert.

I can assure you all that the entire reason that a hotel/resort/TS takes or does not take an approach to pool towels is to minimize the number of complaints received from guests.

Three major pool related complaints can often equal the cost of one towel order.

That said, if a property puts out 2000 towels, the guests will consume 2200.  If that figure is upped to 3000, the guests will consume 3300.  As pointed out on this thread, the individual cost is cheap/towel.  Guests know this and therefore do not respect the towel or their need for a towel later in the day or tomorrow.  Regardless of the quality, pool towels are not designed for single use and guests wanting towels tomorrow should return them today, whether they use 1 or 6.

Just sayin...


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## DeniseM (Jun 25, 2016)

Hi Deigh, and welcome to TUG.  Curious:  what compelled you to search for and respond to a thread from *2010* about *towels*?


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## tlwmkw (Jun 25, 2016)

Wow! This is an ancient thread that has been revived. Was shocked to see a post from timeos (RIP) until I saw the dates .


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## Finntastic (Jun 25, 2016)

I am out at the cottage (camp) today and would like to start issuing my kids and their friends towel cards!!  I am sick of hanging up wet towels and summer here hasn't even really started!  Maybe a loonie every time I hang up a wet towel:rofl:


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## topmom101 (Jun 28, 2016)

I understand the towel policy and am extremely careful keeping track of them but last week, while vacationing in Aruba, 2 of our towels were stolen.  When I reported the theft, I was informed by security that I would be held responsible for a $50 replacement fee. Talk about being victimized twice!!!

I pled my case to front desk management and was told the same. Finally, I went to the towel hut and spoke to the attendant. He kind of winked at me and asked that I come back at closing time. At 7pm I show up again with $10 in my hand and the guy hands me 2 towels. We never took our eyes off those damn towels again. Hate towel thieves.


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## geekette (Jun 28, 2016)

<<I can assure you all that the entire reason that a hotel/resort/TS takes or does not take an approach to pool towels is to minimize the number of complaints received from guests.>>
What are your credentials that you are positioned to offer such assurances and have diagnosed that guests "do not respect the towel"?

Frankly, when I'm on vacation, I don't care if there are 1000 or 10,000 towels in inventory.  When a resort says they supply towels, then, supply towels.


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## SueDonJ (Jun 28, 2016)

topmom101 said:


> I understand the towel policy and am extremely careful keeping track of them but last week, while vacationing in Aruba, 2 of our towels were stolen.  When I reported the theft, I was informed by security that I would be held responsible for a $50 replacement fee. Talk about being victimized twice!!!
> 
> I pled my case to front desk management and was told the same. Finally, I went to the towel hut and spoke to the attendant. He kind of winked at me and asked that I come back at closing time. At 7pm I show up again with $10 in my hand and the guy hands me 2 towels. We never took our eyes off those damn towels again. Hate towel thieves.



Am I reading this right?!  Are you saying that the towel hut guys are running their own for-profit scam, charging $5 a piece so that guests don't have to pay the $50 fee to replace towels?!  What a racket!  And why hasn't anybody reported it to the GM?!

I like that they institute a fee which "encourages" folks to keep track of and not walk off with the towels, because every towel that has to be replaced costs the ownership money.  There has to be a way for the resort to implement it that makes allowances for stolen towels though - and that shouldn't be a scam run by the guys at the towel hut.  Good gravy!


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## dioxide45 (Jun 28, 2016)

topmom101 said:


> I understand the towel policy and am extremely careful keeping track of them but last week, while vacationing in Aruba, 2 of our towels were stolen.  When I reported the theft, I was informed by security that I would be held responsible for a $50 replacement fee. Talk about being victimized twice!!!
> 
> I pled my case to front desk management and was told the same. Finally, I went to the towel hut and spoke to the attendant. He kind of winked at me and asked that I come back at closing time. At 7pm I show up again with $10 in my hand and the guy hands me 2 towels. We never took our eyes off those damn towels again. Hate towel thieves.





SueDonJ said:


> Am I reading this right?!  Are you saying that the towel hut guys are running their own for-profit scam, charging $5 a piece so that guests don't have to pay the $50 fee to replace towels?!  What a racket!  And why hasn't anybody reported it to the GM?!
> 
> I like that they institute a fee which "encourages" folks to keep track of and not walk off with the towels, because every towel that has to be replaced costs the ownership money.  There has to be a way for the resort to implement it that makes allowances for stolen towels though - and that shouldn't be a scam run by the guys at the towel hut.  Good gravy!



The problem is that high "lost towel" fees cause theft among guests. Someone loses their towels, they just swipe some from someone else. In the end, the resort probably isn't short those towels. They are still in the mix, someone just turned in four at the end of their stay instead of two. But the person turning in zero towels still gets charged $50 when the resort is still whole? It doesn't sit well with me. Neither does the towel hut people getting a kickback for giving out a towel to cover the guest who had their swiped. What about all those towels you see them picking up at the end of the day around the pool and on the beach. Is each equal to a $20 bill for the property? Do they use those to offset those that are considered lost?

I think better solutions are available. Just the premise of some type of towel inventory system has people taking better care of their towels. Kind of like security theater. If I think the resort will be checking at the end, then I am more careful. In the end, does the housekeeping staff really count the number of wet pool towels left in the heap in my villa bathtub?


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## rebels (Jul 2, 2016)

I also do not like "checking out" towels.  We own HGVC and Wyndham and go to MC via II getaways.  Wyndham uses a sign out system which works but is a pain.  We have stayed at three MCs in Orlando and they all put pool towels in your room and that works good.  This is the same at HGVC resorts on Marco Island.  But the best system is the HGVC resorts in Orlando.  They have large covered huts at the pools and you just take the towel(s) you need and then drop them off when you leave.  Also you can wrap yourself in them and go to your room.  You can them leave them in room.  The huts are always full and never run out.


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