IHG Hotels & Resorts Teams With Unilever to Replace Bathroom Miniatures

IHG Hotels & Resorts announced a new deal with Unilever to replace bathroom miniatures with bulk amenities in over 4,000 hotels.

As part of the deal, Unilever’s largest brand, Dove, will supply full-size hand wash, body wash, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion to IHG Essentials and Suites Collection hotels, including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

The rollout of full-size Unilever products across IHG’s mainstream brands, which accounts for around 80 percent of the company’s portfolio, follows the recent launch of larger-size bathroom amenities into InterContinental Hotels & Resorts properties.

“IHG has pioneered the move to minimal waste in the hospitality industry and we’re excited to spell the end of bathroom miniatures through our collaboration with Unilever,” IHG Executive Vice President Yasmin Diamond said. “Our guests are increasingly mindful of the impact their travel choices have on the environment and our colleagues, investors, owners and suppliers all expect us to act responsibly.”

“Transitioning to bulk amenities across our global estate was one of our first significant steps towards eliminating single-use items throughout the guest stay by 2030,” Diamond continued. “We’ll continue to find innovative solutions for operating more sustainably to deliver our purpose of True Hospitality for Good.”

The switch to full-size formats is expected to save an estimated 936 tons of plastic annually in the Americas region alone. In 2019, IHG pledged to eliminate single-use items throughout the guest stay by 2030.

In addition to larger amenities and eliminating single-use items, the hotel company is working to minimize food waste and adopt circular solutions for major commodity items by 2030.