How to choose hotel slippers: materials, sizes and cost

Start with who is wearing them

Before comparing samples, write down your guest mix. A business hotel in a city centre has guests who step from the bed to the bathroom and back. A resort has guests walking on tiles to a plunge pool. A spa floor has guests in robes for hours. Each profile favours a different slipper.

Also note the climate and the flooring. Polished marble is slippery in a thin sole, and carpet makes almost any slipper feel acceptable. Ask housekeeping which floors get the most complaints, because that tells you what grip you actually need.

The four parts of a slipper

Every slipper is an upper, a lining, an insole and a sole. Judge each part separately rather than the pair as a whole.

Upper: terry cloth, waffle weave, cotton-blend fabric, non-woven fabric or velour. This is what the guest sees and touches first.
Lining and insole: a thin foam layer improves comfort. A bare fabric insole feels flat after ten minutes.
Sole: EVA foam, rubber or thin non-woven. EVA is light and flexible, rubber grips better and lasts longer.
Stitching and edging: look at the toe seam and the heel. Loose threads show up here first.

Open toe, closed toe and sizing

Open-toe slippers suit warm climates and fit a wider range of feet. Closed-toe slippers feel more finished and suit cooler regions, but a wrong size is more obvious. Many hotels order one adult size that fits most guests, and add a larger size for suites or for markets where guests tend to have bigger feet.

Ask the supplier for the stated length in centimetres and measure a few sample pairs yourself. A common mistake is to approve a sample in a small size and receive bulk stock that runs slightly different. Check three pairs from the carton, not just the showpiece.

Working out the real cost

Look past the unit price. For example, a 60-room hotel at 70 per cent occupancy and 1.5 guests per room hands out roughly 63 pairs a night if every guest receives a pair. Over a month that is close to 1,900 pairs. A saving of a few rupees per pair sounds small, but it is multiplied by that volume, and so is the cost of complaints about a poor pair.

Decide whether slippers are placed in every room, only in higher categories, or on request. Each policy changes the monthly volume by a large factor, and your order quantity should follow the policy, not the other way round.

Packaging and presentation

Slippers can be sealed in a clear pouch, wrapped in a paper band or tied in a small fabric bag. A sealed pouch keeps them clean through storage in humid stores. A paper band looks better on the bed but needs dry handling. Ask whether the pack can carry your logo or a simple printed sleeve, and whether the material is recyclable, since guests often look at what is left behind.

Mistakes that cost money later

Approving on looks alone. A slipper that photographs well but slides on wet tile creates a safety complaint, which is a worse outcome than a plain pair.
Ordering one huge batch. Colours and sizes can drift between production runs. Order in two or three lots through the year if your storage allows, and compare each lot with the approved sample.
Ignoring the carton. If a carton holds a very large count, it may be heavy for housekeepers to carry up to the floor store. Ask for a carton quantity that one person can lift comfortably.
Forgetting kids and extra beds. Decide in advance what happens when a family asks for more pairs than the room standard.

None of these is hard to fix at the sample stage, and all of them are annoying once stock is on the shelf.

Checks before you order

Request a sample of each size and wear them for an hour on your own bathroom floor.
Wet the sole and test the grip on a tile.
Pull gently at seams and the toe edge.
Check for any smell on opening the pack.
Confirm colour matching if you have a brand colour.
Ask for the carton size so you can plan storage.

If you want to compare options side by side, our guest slippers range is a reasonable starting point, and samples can be requested for a trial in a few rooms.

Questions on this topic

Should every room get slippers?

It depends on your category. Many hotels include them in every room above a certain tier and offer them on request elsewhere. Decide this first, because it sets your monthly volume.

How many sizes do I need?

Most hotels manage with one adult size, plus a larger one for suites. Check the stated length in centimetres on each sample rather than trusting the size label.

Can slippers carry our logo?

Usually yes, on the pack, the sole print or an insole mark, depending on the supplier. Ask about minimum quantities for each method.

Keep reading

Looking for supply? See Hotels & resorts, browse the product range or request samples.