Do Holiday Cottages Provide Towels?

Asking whether a holiday cottage provides sets of towels is a perfectly sensible question; as with all practical questions, there isn't a 100% definitive answer. That being said, it is standard practice for holiday cottages to provide towel sets for each guest, comprising one hand towel and one bath towel. If a property you are interested in booking does not provide towels, ask if they have sets to rent. If not, bring your own, but check the small print in their terms and conditions to see what else they don't provide before booking. Little surcharges can add up!

Towels will vary in size, colour and quality. A good owner will replace their towels yearly, although good quality cotton towels will last much longer than that. Sizes ten to be standard, but you may want to check whether the bath towel is a towel or a much larger bath wrap (they're the best - and more often are found in luxury holiday cottage rentals). As for colours, well, one theory is that if towels are white, it is easier to tell if they have been correctly laundered, but many properties will have colour-coded towels to match the decor of a bedroom. Having one towel colour per bedroom also makes it much easier to ensure that they have all the towels at the end of a booking and that one or more hasn't accidentally been packed by departing guests in a hurry to pack and go before the departure deadline.

Email or call the owner if a property website or terms and conditions don't mention towels. This is one of the advantages of being able to contact owners directly. Rather than have to go via an agency, websites advertising independent holiday homes, such as My Favourite Holiday Cottages,  include links to a holiday cottage's website, booking page, and the email and phone number of an owner or the manager.

By the way, very few holiday cottages will provide face flannels, so be prepared to bring your own.

Finally, toilet paper: If it's a good holiday cottage, it will not only ensure there's a roll of toilet paper in each loo, but all toilet rolls will be brand new - no leftover toilet tissues from previous guests. Again, supplies should be enough to last 48 hours; ample time to purchase supplies for the remainder of your holiday. It's rare these days to find properties that don't include loo rolls unless they are right at the budget end of the market.

In conclusion, towels are generally provided in holiday cottages, and confirmation of this can usually be found on the property's website or terms and conditions - but ask, likewise, for toiletries and toilet rolls.

As well as asking owners and agencies, My Favourite Holiday Cottages is always happy to answer your questions and provide advice about holiday cottages - whether from owners or people planning to book self-catering holidays. Feel free to email us.