A chocolate on one’s pillow at turndown. The simple gesture has long been a symbol of luxury, a gift from the hotel to punctuate the turndown experience and send guests to slumberland with sweet dreams.The concept is thought to have originated at the Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis back in the 1950s, or more accurately, by request of a famous guest.As the story goes, actor Cary Grant had booked a suite at the landmark property. In anticipation of a visit from a lady friend, the Hollywood icon had the hotel team lay a trail of chocolates from suite’s living room to the bed. Management later appropriated the idea, and a chocolate at one’s bedside became the hotel’s signature amenity.While thousands of hotels since have taken a page directly from Grant’s playbook, others have taken the spirit of the gesture and adapted it to reflect their own unique history and sense of place.Here are 10 hotels bolstering their guest experience with creative turndown services.
- JW Marriott Marquis (Miami): The luxurious Marriott Marquis has reinvented traditional turndown service with what they call their "Nightly Refresh Program." This complimentary service fulfills guest’s passions for culture, food, and well-being by offering nightly treats. Some of these include organic snack bars, wine tastings, or essential oils for the bath.
- Mohonk Mountain House (New York): Guests at this spa resort located in New Paltz, NY receive a very different kind of treat at turndown. Each night original poems, written by Frieda Feldman, are placed on guests' pillows. Feldman, the official Poet Laureate of Key Largo, writes these quirky and elegant poems encouraging guests to relax and unwind.
- RiverPlace Hotel (Portland): At night, guests of the RiverPlace Hotel are greeted by "Bedtime Butlers." These butlers deliver goodies to guests' rooms including fresh tea, towels, cookies, and even books for the kids. The twist? It's always a surprise. You cannot request or specify this service. It just happens. You never know when the Bedtime Butler will show up.
- The Fearrington House Inn (Chapel Hill): This upscale getaway, situated in a country village outside Chapel Hill, North Carolina, treats their guests to a carafe of port and truffles to top off their night.
- St. Regis Bora Bora Resort (Bora Bora): One of the top destinations for honeymooners is the luxurious St. Regis Resort in Bora Bora. Couples can conspire with the resort's romance concierge for turndown treats to start the spark, including colorful bouquets of tropical flowers. The service is complimentary for couples who book a honeymoon suite.
- Lake Austin Spa Resort (Austin): This resort, located in Texas' capital, is a wellness-infused destination spa. They aim to empower their guests by placing "Power Thought" cards on their pillows each night at turndown. Examples of phrases found on the cards include "It is safe to look within" and "I release all criticism."
- Le Quartier Francais (South Africa): The housekeeping staff at Le Quartier Francais has a unique way of wishing their guests pleasant dreams. During turndown service, the staff leaves brightly colored, hand-written notes on the bathroom mirror. These messages often say "Sweet dreams" or "Slumber well." They also leave a single flower in a vase by the note, freshly picked from the property's garden.
- La Playa Carmel (Carmel Beach): Situated on the sands of Carmel Beach, California, this hotel helps guests remember fond childhood memories at bedtime. Each night guests are provided with Ghirardelli chocolate chip cookies and milk to unwind from playing at the beach. This tradition is actually rooted in the history of the hotel. Originally the hotel was built as a mansion for a member of the Ghirardelli family.
- The Peninsula (Beverly Hills): This luxury hotel offers one of the most personalized turndown services a guest could imagine. Guests staying in one of their suites are greeted by personalized monogrammed pillowcases. These special pillowcases are stitched in-house, and are even done in the characters of the guests' native language.
- Rosewood (Washington D.C.): This stunning property is located in the heart of Georgetown, along the historic C&O Canal. At bedtime, they offer their guests customized turndown services to anticipate their unique needs. One popular guest favorite is a tree decked out with small bags of macaroons.
A chocolate on one’s pillow at turndown. The simple gesture has long been a symbol of luxury, a gift from the hotel to punctuate the turndown experience and send guests to slumberland with sweet dreams.The concept is thought to have originated at the Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis back in the 1950s, or more accurately, by request of a famous guest.As the story goes, actor Cary Grant had booked a suite at the landmark property. In anticipation of a visit from a lady friend, the Hollywood icon had the hotel team lay a trail of chocolates from suite’s living room to the bed. Management later appropriated the idea, and a chocolate at one’s bedside became the hotel’s signature amenity.While thousands of hotels since have taken a page directly from Grant’s playbook, others have taken the spirit of the gesture and adapted it to reflect their own unique history and sense of place.Here are 10 hotels bolstering their guest experience with creative turndown services.
- JW Marriott Marquis (Miami): The luxurious Marriott Marquis has reinvented traditional turndown service with what they call their "Nightly Refresh Program." This complimentary service fulfills guest’s passions for culture, food, and well-being by offering nightly treats. Some of these include organic snack bars, wine tastings, or essential oils for the bath.
- Mohonk Mountain House (New York): Guests at this spa resort located in New Paltz, NY receive a very different kind of treat at turndown. Each night original poems, written by Frieda Feldman, are placed on guests' pillows. Feldman, the official Poet Laureate of Key Largo, writes these quirky and elegant poems encouraging guests to relax and unwind.
- RiverPlace Hotel (Portland): At night, guests of the RiverPlace Hotel are greeted by "Bedtime Butlers." These butlers deliver goodies to guests' rooms including fresh tea, towels, cookies, and even books for the kids. The twist? It's always a surprise. You cannot request or specify this service. It just happens. You never know when the Bedtime Butler will show up.
- The Fearrington House Inn (Chapel Hill): This upscale getaway, situated in a country village outside Chapel Hill, North Carolina, treats their guests to a carafe of port and truffles to top off their night.
- St. Regis Bora Bora Resort (Bora Bora): One of the top destinations for honeymooners is the luxurious St. Regis Resort in Bora Bora. Couples can conspire with the resort's romance concierge for turndown treats to start the spark, including colorful bouquets of tropical flowers. The service is complimentary for couples who book a honeymoon suite.
- Lake Austin Spa Resort (Austin): This resort, located in Texas' capital, is a wellness-infused destination spa. They aim to empower their guests by placing "Power Thought" cards on their pillows each night at turndown. Examples of phrases found on the cards include "It is safe to look within" and "I release all criticism."
- Le Quartier Francais (South Africa): The housekeeping staff at Le Quartier Francais has a unique way of wishing their guests pleasant dreams. During turndown service, the staff leaves brightly colored, hand-written notes on the bathroom mirror. These messages often say "Sweet dreams" or "Slumber well." They also leave a single flower in a vase by the note, freshly picked from the property's garden.
- La Playa Carmel (Carmel Beach): Situated on the sands of Carmel Beach, California, this hotel helps guests remember fond childhood memories at bedtime. Each night guests are provided with Ghirardelli chocolate chip cookies and milk to unwind from playing at the beach. This tradition is actually rooted in the history of the hotel. Originally the hotel was built as a mansion for a member of the Ghirardelli family.
- The Peninsula (Beverly Hills): This luxury hotel offers one of the most personalized turndown services a guest could imagine. Guests staying in one of their suites are greeted by personalized monogrammed pillowcases. These special pillowcases are stitched in-house, and are even done in the characters of the guests' native language.
- Rosewood (Washington D.C.): This stunning property is located in the heart of Georgetown, along the historic C&O Canal. At bedtime, they offer their guests customized turndown services to anticipate their unique needs. One popular guest favorite is a tree decked out with small bags of macaroons.
