One-Size or S/M/L: What Robe Sizing Does to Guest Complaints and Stock

Short answer: most hotels should buy one generous size for rooms and keep a small stock of an extra-large on request. Full S/M/L runs only pay in spas and resorts where the robe is worn for hours.

What each choice costs you

Every size you add is another line that must have its own par level. With four sizes, the store runs out of one size while holding plenty of another.

Who one size fits

A wrap robe is forgiving. The belt takes up the width and the sleeve is cut loose. A well-cut one-size robe fits most adults. The guests it fails are the tallest and the broadest, and they are the ones who mention it in a review.

That is why the two-size route works. Rooms get the standard robe. Reception and housekeeping hold a larger size and offer it. A line on the in-room card, "a larger robe is available on request", turns a complaint into a service.

When full sizing is worth it

• Destination spas: guests wear the robe between treatments all day.
• Villas with butler service: sizes can be asked for before arrival.
• Retail: a robe sold in the shop needs sizes, because the buyer is paying.

Give the supplier measurements, not letters

"Large" means different things in different countries. Put the finished measurements on the order: body length, chest width, sleeve length. Our bathrobe GSM and sizing guide lists typical measurements you can adjust.

White robes start at 50 pieces per size, in standard or custom sizes. So a hotel can order 300 standard and 50 extra-large without paying for a full run of each.

A simple rule

If housekeeping cannot tell the sizes apart at a glance, it will put the wrong one in the room. Ask for a coloured size tab inside the collar, or a different hanger loop colour, on the larger size.

For numbers, see how many bathrobes a hotel needs per room. To price a two-size order, send us your room count.