ROSWELL, GA—Guests gauge a hotel’s cleanliness by its bathrooms, according to a recently released national survey. When asked how they determine if a hotel room is clean, nearly three-quarters of respondents in a survey conducted by Opinion Research Corp. said it was by the condition of the bathroom. The survey of 618 adults, all of whom visited a hotel within the past year, was conducted on behalf of Kimberly- Clark Professional. 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%), a fully connected office (13%), a book and video library (6%), a working fireplace (3%), and milk and cookies (3%). Further underscoring the importance of bathrooms was the finding that 84% 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. Which products do hotel guests check for quality first? For half it is soap and other amenities, while 29% 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% of those surveyed. This was followed by odors (23%) and a malfunctioning climate control system (20%). Last on the list were low-quality amenities or a lack of them (9%), carpet burns or stains on the floor (8%), lack of supplies in the restroom (5%), and holes in the curtains (2%). Overall, respondents did not rank hotel rooms high on the cleanliness scale. Forty-one percent said hotel rooms looked clean but probably were not, while 37% said most hotel rooms were not as clean as their own homes. Only 18% of respondents judged hotel rooms to be cleaner than their homes. Cleaning Up Common areas, such as the lobby, meeting spaces and restaurants, were considered the cleanest areas in most hotels, according to 43% of respondents. After this were the public bathrooms (30%), followed by the guest-rooms and sleeping areas (16%), and the closets (9%). More than anything else, people missed their own beds when staying in a hotel, according to 36% of those surveyed. Family followed at 16%. A refrigerator/freezer stocked with favorite foods tied with pets for third place, at 13% each. Seven percent longed for their own sheets, towels and personal care products, while 4% 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% of respondents. This was followed by a mini in-room spa complete with personnel (15%), a state-of-the-art climate control system (13%), the latest electronic office equipment and gadgets (12%), an in-room gym (9%), and a personal chef (8%). Self-cleaning toilets and showers were the top choice for 8% of respondents, and self-changing sheets and towels were selected by 5%. The survey was conducted by Opinion Research. The margin of error is plus or minus 4%. For its part, Kimberly-Clark Corp. is a manufacturer of tissue, personal care and health care products. Kimberly-Clark Professional, based in Roswell, GA, provides tissue and towel products, skin care products and industrial wipers for workplace settings.
