Poll after poll of travellers finds that the most desired hotel amenity is free Wi-Fi. Second is a free breakfast. Who can argue with those?

Beyond that, the amenities you offer your guests depend heavily on what clientele you cater to, where your property is located, and the image you seek to convey.

Custom-branded amenities are an excellent way to reinforce your hotel’s identity and stick in your guests’ memories. There are certain amenities it makes sense to brand.

Bathroom toiletries are prime customisable items. Custom-branded tubes of shampoo, conditioner and body wash, shave sets, individually-wrapped soaps, dental kits, vanity kits and other items will get thrown in your guests’ suitcases as they leave, and used at home or elsewhere. That’s your property name in front of them, and probably others, again and again.

Shoe shine kits, sewing kits, shower caps, items that your guests use at home, even laundry bags and luggage tags, stand a good chance of going home with them. Make sure your brand name goes along.

The Solution to a, uh, "Problem"

Offering boutique soaps or eco-friendly products is a good way to practically beg your guests to take the amenities with them - eco-conscious green travellers will be looking for ways not to waste, and will “conserve” disposable amenities that come with the price of the room. Putting your custom brand on such items gets your property extra exposure.

Higher-end items, such as bathrobes or dressing gowns, may be branded, and in some cases serve as a, uh, disincentive for the guest to assume that it comes with the price of the room as well.

Guests who enjoy travel kitsch may take the door hangers, so customising them doesn’t hurt either. At least they last longer than a bar of soap does.