From “Ask Kit!”:
Q: What can we offer guests that they might have forgotten to pack, such as a razor or toothbrush?
A: Some suggestions: toothpaste (individual tubes), sanitary products for women, curling irons, hair dryers, Band-Aids, sewing kit, Q-Tips, and emory boards. You can have a basket in the hallway where guests can help themselves, or maybe have a pantry for guests where you not only provide those kinds of items, but also snacks.
Keep in mind that everything you offer has a cost. If you offer these items on a complimentary basis, you will detract from your net earnings. Knowing that you offer these items, some repeat guests may consistently ask for all of your complimentary goodies.
Other guests are particular about the type of toothpaste they use or the type of razor they shave with. I am fortunate in that a 24 hour convenience store is located within a half block on the opposite side of the street. Guests who have forgotten various items may simply run across the street and purchase whatever they want.
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Inn at Elizabethville
You’re singing my song! I agree that these items cost, but in my book, factor them into the room rate. What a life saver you can be with one simple item to give a guest. There are times that going to a convenience store isn’t possible so being told that’s the solution isn’t helpful.