Hotels Prove They Care About Their Guests and Destinations

By Kristy Alpert Apr 23, 2025

Once upon a time, miniature bottles of luxury-branded bath gels, lotions and shampoos were the mark of a high-end hotel, but those single-use souvenirs are becoming a thing of the past as new trends indicate in-room amenities are meant to stay exactly there … in the room.

Many top hotels and hotel brands now remove single-use plastics and focus on eco-friendly products that are good for both their guests and local environments. In Venice, Ca’ di Dio, a VRetreats Hotel Collection, made the choice from the start to only use eco- friendly products in its hotel. “Venice is already feeling the effects of climate change, and we believe it is our duty to protect this unique city,” said Chiara Vierchowod, general manager of the property. “We want our guests to experience the true essence of Venice in all its beauty while also being part of a bigger movement towards [sic] a more sustainable future. We are passionate about Italy, and we want to help preserve it for future generations.”

Like Ca’ di Dio, whose line of Hemp Care products includes organic Italian ingredients, many upscale hotel brands built sustainability into their identity from the start, such as Six Senses, which makes its own eco-friendly cleaning products and bathroom amenities. Explora, for instance, refills earthenware jars with Majen products made with rainwater from Patagonia. In Ecuador, Mashpi Lodge used its in-room body products to rescue the Magnolia mashpi from extinction when it partnered with MANE and The Red List Project to recreate a quintessence of the species’ fragrance and replace the need for anyone to ever pluck one of these famously fragrant flowers again.

Marriott International is currently making a brand-wide swap to eco-friendly packaging for guestroom amenities, with refillable bottles taking the place of single-use miniatures at properties such as Hotel Arts Barcelona, The Shelbourne in Dublin and Ritz Paris. Ritz Paris recently unveiled its Nail Bar, offering ecological manicures with French-made varnish using 100 percent bio-based ingredients.

As hotels increasingly become more sustainable, their products become that much more exciting … one refillable bottle at a time.