Period Care Provision In Hotels: All Essentials Are Essential

Shoe-horns, sewing kits and sleeping masks are just some of the freebies hotels provide, but how many cater for the most basic needs of their female guests? At Freda, we’re pleased to announce that we have partnered with The Retreat Palm Dubai to provide our natural pads and tampons for guests at The Retreat. We encourage other hotels and hostels to follow suit in taking women’s menstrual needs into account.

“I’ve always found the hotel obsession with plastic shoe horns and shoe polishes quite bizarre,” says Affi, Freda’s founder. “What do hotel managers think we do – men polish shoes whilst women get on with mending cuffs using the given mini sewing kits? As a frequent traveller, I would much rather have a pad or a tampon instead, saving me dashing out trying to find somewhere selling pads’.

We’ll be providing mini kits containing a pad and tampon, which are complimentary for guests and available in every bathroom alongside The Retreat’s selection of other essentials, such as toothbrush, razors and haircare. There are also larger pouches containing 16 products, which are available to purchase both in the room and the spa.

“When I actually thought about it, it was a no-brainer.” says Alina Abdullina of The Retreat. “The kits have already proven popular which goes to show that we have tapped into a definite need. Especially in a luxury context, where we aim to anticipate every need and desire of our guests – it’s a shame that it’s something we’d previously overlooked.”

In fact, a recent poll we conducted revealed that 100% of female travellers would like to see this provision made in hotels and hostels, a figure that Affi found interesting: “When I first began approaching hotels about stocking period products, many of them dismissed me, saying no-one ever asked for them. But this doesn’t mean they’re not needed – just that they’re not expected.”