Research assessment: How the hotel industry uses sensory and consumer science to analyze hotel toiletries

Abstract

AbstractHotel toiletries are complementary items found in hotels around the globe. Though this is true, toiletries are not an area of emphasis in hotel research. The hotel toiletry category encompasses an assorted set of products such as shampoo, lotions, soap, makeup wipes, and considerably more. While some interesting research is available, much of the hotel industry research is conducted using more informal methods with little regard for consumer expectations and perceptions. The hotel industry could benefit from a consumer‐targeted approach to hotel toiletry research. The field of sensory and consumer science has a multitude of avenues for evaluating consumer opinions and perceptions, and even describing and optimizing hotel toiletry products. This review outlines current sensory and consumer methods used by the hotel industry to analyze hotel toiletries and other aspects of the industry, as well as highlights future research opportunities.Practical ApplicationThis review summarizes the available published research on the hotel industry that uses sensory and consumer science to analyze hotel toiletries. This review aims to cover and present how the hotel industry can utilize sensory evaluation methods to evaluate hotel toiletries and identify gaps as well as future research using these approaches.