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 Bathroom Is Barometer of Hotel Cleanliness
According to New Survey
November 6, 2002 - When asked how they determine if a hotel room is clean, nearly three  quarters of respondents said it was by the condition of the bathroom. To top it off, when given a choice of what they would most like to find after arriving in a hotel room, a truly clean room and bathroom was the number one pick of half of those surveyed. Cleanliness ruled over in-room amenities such as a whirlpool or spa (23 percent), a fully connected "office" (13 percent), a book and video library (6 percent), a working fireplace (3 percent), and milk and cookies (3 percent).

The survey of 618 adults, all of whom visited a hotel within the past year, was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of Kimberly- Clark Professional.

Further underscoring the importance of bathrooms was the finding that 84 percent of respondents inspected the bathroom and supplies -- such as toilet paper and facial tissue -- within 15 minutes of entering a hotel room.  Fifty-five percent examined the bathroom immediately after entering.

Examining Product Quality

Which products do hotel guests check for quality first? For half it's soap and other amenities, while 29 percent look at the toilet paper. Fifty- eight percent of those surveyed said they would prefer to find a brand name facial tissue in their hotel rooms.

What bothers hotel guests the most? Dirty hotel room bathrooms, according to 28 percent of those surveyed. This was followed by odors (23 percent) and a malfunctioning climate control system (20 percent). Last on the list were low-quality amenities or a lack of them (9 percent), carpet burns or stains on the floor (8 percent), lack of supplies in the restroom (5 percent), and holes in the curtains (2 percent).

Overall, respondents did not rank hotel rooms high on the cleanliness scale.  Forty-one percent said hotel rooms looked clean but probably weren't, while 37 percent said most hotel rooms were not as clean as their own homes. Only 18 percent of respondents judged hotel rooms to be cleaner than their homes.

Common areas, such as the lobby, meeting spaces and restaurants, were considered the cleanest areas in most hotels, according to 43 percent of respondents. After this were the public bathrooms (30 percent), followed by the guest rooms and sleeping areas (16 percent), and the closets (9 percent).

Wish List From Home

More than anything else, people missed their own beds when staying in a hotel, according to 36 percent of those surveyed. Family followed at 16 percent. A refrigerator/freezer stocked with favorite foods tied with pets for third place, at 13 percent each. Seven percent longed for their own sheets, towels and personal care products, while 4 percent missed a favorite chair or couch.

The number one choice for the hotel room of the future was a fully equipped entertainment center, according to 20 percent of respondents. This was followed by a mini in-room spa complete with personnel (15 percent), a state-of-the-art climate control system (13 percent), the latest electronic office equipment and gadgets (12 percent), an in-room gym (9 percent), and a personal chef (8 percent). Self-cleaning toilets and showers were the top choice for 8 percent of respondents and self-changing sheets and towels were selected by 5 percent.

Contact:
 Kimberly-Clark Professional
Linda Duncan
+1-678-352-6208
    http://www.kcprofessional.com
Also See: Hotels, Restaurants Turning to Chic Restrooms; P.S. -- the food is great but be sure to check out the bathrooms / June 2002
Internet Access and Cleanliness Top Guest Demands for a Hotel Room / Nov 1999


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