When you stay at an established hotel chain like a Marriott hotel, you likely have certain expectations. And sadly, for this TikToker, these expectations definitely weren’t met.
In the viral clip, which has garnered 1 million views, TikTok user @therealjbz approaches the bathroom sink in a Marriott hotel. “What in the shrinkflation… is this?” she asks, picking up the soap.
Shrinkflation refers to the shrinkage of products while their prices increase. The item is small, narrow, and has holes running through it. In a tone of disbelief, she asks, “Marriott?”
The video is accompanied by on-screen text that reads: “Now this is just ridiculous.”
Tagging Marriott in the video description, she adds: “Honestly @Marriott Hotels get out of here with this soap.”
In a follow-up clip, the TikToker addressed the camera as she said, “So my little video about hotel soap went viral. I didn’t plan that. What do I do now?”
Additional on-screen text read: “People have serious thoughts about hotel soap.”
BroBible reached out to the TikToker and Marriott representatives via email.
What Did Commenters Think?
Commenters weren’t exactly on the same wavelength as the TikToker. Many argued that this move from the hotel was actually a good thing.
“Are you gonna use the whole thing before you leave?” one asked. “If so I understand, but it’s meant to cut down on soap being thrown away. Would you wanna use an old bar of soap that someone else used?”
“You’re going to use it 4 times and throw it away…” a second concurred. “What, you want more soap to throw away? That wasn’t enough for you to throw away?”
Similarly, a third asked, “Has anyone ever used an entire bar of hotel soap?”
And a fourth said, “Oh nooo is this FREE soap not up to your standards?”
Meanwhile, a fifth wrote, “Who cares, 98% of the soap is used once and then thrown away. I’m here for it.”
And a sixth explained, “The 3-holed bar soap found in Marriott (and other) hotel rooms is designed to be a waste-reducing and cost-saving feature. Bc most hotel guests stay for only a few days and leave partially used bars of soap that must be discarded, the holes eliminate the dense, unused center to minimize waste and ensure the bar fits comfortably in the hand. Hope this helps!”
@therealjbz Honestly @Marriott Hotels get out of here with this soap
Is The Marriott Hotel Soap A New Thing?
Given that Marriott recently cut ties with Sonder, a boutique hotel company, that may well be a reason for the hotel chain cutting costs. However, @therealjbz isn’t the only TikToker to notice this sudden change.
Also this month, TikTok user Felix Bazgan (@fbazgan) went viral after sharing what he described as one of the new “cheap or money-saving ways hotels are cutting back on different things.”
“Check this out. This is the hotel soap here at a Marriott,” he said, showing viewers the block. As well as being rather small, the soap block, like the one in @therealjbz’s video, has multiple holes running through it. “Instead of having a solid soap, they’ve got three holes … in the soap to take out the mass and the weight of it,” he added. “Interesting.”