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New, More Fashionable Hotel Bathrobes

[pinkshoes comments on the state of hotel bathrobes.]

I don't know about you all, but for me one of the most important factors in my hotel-choosing process is the quality of their robes. Seriously, after a long day of sight-seeing, business meetings, bar-hopping or what have you, I want to slip into something that is not only comfortable, but fashionable. And luckily I'm not the only one concerned about this. Terry Trucco from the New York Times keeps us updated on what's hot and what not in the world of hotel bathrobes.

"The trend was to make robes thicker and thicker in pursuit of quality," said Joel Freyberg, hotel manager of the Gansevoort in New York. But guests, especially women, often complained. "When we were testing robes for the hotel, one woman said putting on make-up in a heavy terry robe was like doing free weights." The latest hotel and spa robes come in comfortable, draping fabrics like silk, cotton and, the current favorite, microfiber. Look for silk at luxury hotels in hot climates, like the Oriental in Bangkok and the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi. Microfiber, often with a lightweight terry lining, is the choice of properties like the Gansevoort, the Golden Door spas and Canoe Bay. "It's warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and the guests love it," Mr. Dobrowolski said.