Hotel towels

For gyms, yoga studios and sports clubs with high wash frequency, 350–400 g/m² is ideal – dries faster in the drum, is not too heavy in the backpack and cuts washing costs per cycle. The standard for three- and four-star hotels, holiday flats and guest houses lies at 400–500 g/m² – solid absorbency, economical in industrial laundry and shape-stable over years. For wellness hotels, spa areas and boutique houses we recommend 500–600 g/m² – dense feel, visibly higher-quality look, withstands 60 °C washing over 200 cycles. From 700 g/m² upwards begins the luxury range for five-star houses, suites and premium holiday properties – heavy feel, rich haptics, the textile the guest consciously perceives as a 'good house'.

The classic four-piece hotel room kit consists of a face cloth (15x21 or 30x30 cm) for cleansing, a guest towel (30x50 cm) at the basin, a hand towel (50x100 cm) for everyday use and a shower towel (70x140 cm) for after showering. In upmarket establishments, bath sheets (100x150 cm) are added and, for wellness/sauna areas, sauna kilts (80x200 cm) with hook-and-loop fastening. Per guest we plan two sets per stay with daily change; for multiple nights without change request, one set per guest plus 20% circulation reserve for the laundry is sufficient. Uniform range selection is important – colour, border look and fabric weight should be identical per room category.

The standard place for a name embroidery is the border on the short edge of the towel - the narrow, smoothly woven strip that holds the embroidery stitching permanently. Models with pure cottonⁱ in the field and 100% polyesterⁱ in the border (e.g. AR074, AR080-AR087 from the ARTG-SUBLI-Me® family) deliver the cleanest embroidery result even after 200 washes. For single-colour house brands we recommend embroidery (surcharge per unit, durable and high-end); for multi-colour motifs and small runs, sublimation printingⁱ on the polyester border (SUBLI-Me® series). The terry field itself is only embroidered in exceptional cases - the loops make a clean stitch pattern difficult, and the seam is less durable on terry than on the border. For club towels with crest or name: budget 5-10% reserve per order so you can serve replacements and new members.

Pure 100% Cottonⁱ terries tolerate 60–95 °C industrial laundering and are designed for continuous use in hotel laundries – they should survive at least 200 wash cycles cleanly, on premium series (600+ g/m²) over 300 cycles. Bamboo-viscose blends (55% Cotton / 45% viscoseⁱ) and Organic Cottonⁱ, by contrast, we wash at 60 °C, not at 95 °C – the viscose fibres become brittle at excessively high temperatures. Microfibreⁱ towels for sport and fitness are best kept at 40–60 °C. For chlorine-resistant use (swimming pool, public wellness pool) specifically filter for models with chlorine resistance; not every Cotton tolerates the chlorine residuals from the wash reservoir. Important for longevity: no fabric softener – it coats the fibre and reduces absorbency measurably. Instead, use a water-softener programme where the water is calcareous.

White is the hotel standard with a market share of around 75% in the range - neutral, professional, suitable for all room categories and easy to maintain in bleach washing. Beige, sand and muted natural shades suit wellness and spa areas with a natural-wellness positioning. Strong colours (red, blue, green, turquoise) are the choice for clubs (club colour), sports studios (corporate colour) and family holiday properties, where the colour distinguishes between 'children's Towel' and 'adult Towel'. Anthracite and black are the signal for modern boutique hotels and design properties that consciously set themselves apart from classic white. Important for operations: strong colours only with separation in the laundry (do not wash mixed with white) - without this precaution the colour fades and the white wash cycle turns grey.

For organic hotels, wellness houses and holiday properties with sustainability positioning: yes, definitely – the surcharge (typically 20–40% over standard cottonⁱ) is quickly recouped through review portals and the CSR report. For conventional three- and four-star hotels without special positioning: rather not – the organic story does not reach the standard guest, and absorbency is identical. For municipal tenders (swimming pool, sports hall, publicly funded club house): organic cottonⁱ and Fairtrade are increasingly must-have criteria – check the tender documents carefully, one or more certificates are often explicitly required. The difference in feel between organic and conventional is no longer noticeable with modern terry ranges; what matters is the certification chain on the inner label and in the data sheet.

Rule of thumb for stock planning: per bed, two complete towel sets in the room, plus three more in circulation reserve for laundry cycle, repairs and seasonal peaks – so five sets per bed in total. A set comprises, depending on establishment category, two to four textiles (face cloth, guest towel, hand towel and shower towel). For a 30-room hotel with double occupancy, that means around 300 towel sets in stock. With daily change and long stays we plan six sets per bed, with an environmental programme with change on request only, four. For gyms and sports clubs a different calculation applies: one towel per member use, plus 30% reserve for drying and circulation time. Important: budget 5–10% replacement reserve for damage and loss annually in the order.

Face cloths (15x21 or 30x30 cm) belong in every four- and five-star room and in every organic/wellness hotel - guests expect them and use them for make-up removal or facial cleansing. In three-star properties and holiday flats they are optional. Sauna kilts with Velcro closure (80x200 cm) are essential for every wellness hotel with a sauna area, every public wellness bath and every fitness chain with a sauna offer - a clear HACCP-relevant separation between room and sauna textiles, and the kilt stays on the body. Hammam Towels (light, thinner patterned Cottonⁱ Towels) are a speciality for Turkish-bath areas and wellness properties with an oriental positioning - not a replacement for classic terry, but a complementary experience component. Sports Towels (30x140 cm, elongated format) are the standard for the gym - large enough for the fitness machine, small enough for the gym bag.