By the close of 2017, professional travel writers were complaining about the “disappearing” amenities” from hotel rooms.

Including bathroom doors.

USA Today’s Christopher Elliott wrote “I'm not kidding about the bathroom doors, by the way. Many of the newer hotels, in an effort to conserve space, have replaced regular doors that close and lock with sliding doors that neither lock nor fully close… Am I the only one who think this is a bad idea?”

There isn’t much we have to say about the bathroom doors in your property, that’s up to you.

But disappearing amenities are also a cause for much complaining by road warriors and other savvy travellers. NoVacancyNews’s publisher, Glenn Haussman, recently noted that he’s increasingly not finding soaps and lotions, desks, dressers or glassware in his hotel rooms. Haussman, like other road warriors, has taken to carrying his own amenity pack when travelling.

Some hotels are actually finding that providing basic amenities is a competitive advantage in today’s hyper “cut where you can” hotel world. Elliott salutes the upscale Ballantyne Hotel in Charlotte for stocking “extra chargers, toothbrushes, toothpaste and shaving kits.”

In fact, if you have decided that it’s the best business move for you to rethink what amenities you offer in every room, it would be a good idea to have amenity emergency kits on hand to offer guests.

These are prepared packs hotels can order that contain the sorts of things certain travellers could very well find themselves without in a hotel room, either because they forgot to pack them or the hotel doesn’t supply them. Things like razors, shaving cream, combs, toothpaste, shower caps and soap.

Not only are they a good way to please guests, in today’s hospitality climate they could make your property stand out.