I just come back to Rome from a travel through the USA where I stayed in many different hotels (New York, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Los Angeles, LAs Vegas and Grand Canyon). Each hotel has its own "standard" in fact of towels: we were 3 and sometimes we found 2 bath towels (the largest) 2-3 face towels and 1/2 very small ones. I'm wondering normally which is the "habit" in an american family...(or in an american hotel!!!) in Italy we normally use 3 towels each.
Thank you

It isn't an "american standard" it is a hotel standard. Hotel rooms are set up for occupancy by 2 people. Hence your "usual" 2 bath, 2 face, 2 washcloths. With 3 you need to ask at the desk during check in for additional towels.

As to my "standard"? If I am washing my hair it is 2 towels - one a bath sheet 7ft x 3.5 ft and the other a regular towel. If I'm just showering it is usually just a bath sheet. I have a loofa so I don't use washclothes when bathing.

Probably TMI.

In our home, we use three - we have a bath towel (large one), a hand towel (smaller for when we wash our faces), and a washcloth (very small), kept in the shower (or bathtub), to use with the soap. I usually find that hotels follow this pattern (multiplying the total amount by how many people they expect in the room).

Thre are also the extra large bath towels and the extra small finger towels, just to confuse things even more!

Of course we brought our fluffy American-style towels with us to Italy but I use one of those net poufs or a loofah to wash. We still use our washclothes tho....to dry us off as much as possible before using the towel. In the winter when our heavy American towels can take longer to dry, it's easy to wring out the washcloth a few times to keep the towel from being soaking wet.

This same topic came up at work, of all places. I also use the wash cloth in the shower to pre-dry, so that my bath towel doesn't have to absorb all the water.
More to the point of traveling though, I bring an extra towel (medium and not too thick)with me to Europe (Spain) because there are never enough to dry the body after a shower and wrap around your just washed hair. And they are usually in between an American bath and American hand towel size. Maybe men don't have the need but us women...
The luxery hotels probably set more out but in the moderate hotels and hostals, not.
Have other travelers run into this same problem? Or is it just the places I pick to sleep?
kathyk

Oh, Gosh! It is very intersting! (In Italy, as you probably know) we use the little one for the bidet...
Thank you all for the very interesting and useful explanations!

I carry a "hair towel" with me when I travel. It is designed to wrap my wet hair and loop around like a turban...Definitely helps cut down on drying time!

I travel constantly for work in the US...just checked the bathroom in my hotel room. There are three complete sets of towels. Room has 2 double beds, so I guess it is set for more than just two people. I've never had trouble getting extra towels if the room doesn't have enough, although since I usually travel alone, it is rarely an issue.

Anne

Single guy with very little hair here.

Small had towel for downstairs bathroom.

Large towel upstairs for everything else. I rarely use a washcloth except for a quick freshen up but I almost always just step into the shower.

Lia:

If I understand correctly, you were a group of 3 people. I think I understand your situation. We are a family of 5 who have stayed in hotels throughout the US and Europe. My experience with US hotels is that rooms are prepared for 2 people, even if one reserves for 3. And housekeeping standards vary. Therefore, I do not believe the number of linens you found are an indication of cultural practices or a specific practice in US hotels.

At home, we use one towel and one washcloth each.

Joan