An Easy Turn-Down

When it comes to saying nighty-night to their treasured guests, local hotels fall into two bitterly divided camps: anti and pro-chocolate. Here’s what’s being set out on pillows and night stands around town.

Anti-Chocolate

Shutters on the Beach

Pocket booklet of bedtime stories

*

Ritz-Carlton Huntington

“We try to do something that is a little against the tradition of hotel amenities. It’s a talking point.”

--Klaus Mennekes, general manager

* Beverly Hills Hotel

Home-baked cookies, “Pink Palace Memories” (note cards featuring historical anecdotes), Evian and, for youngsters, a stuffed bear wearing a hotel T-shirt.

*

“It has been a custom in the industry to put chocolates for so many years. We know that in the morning, most chocolates go back.”

--Alberto del Hoyo, general manager

*

Hotel Sofitel Los Angeles

Long-stemmed red rose, Evian, card with weather forecast

“[The rose] is one of the French touches of our hotel company in North America. Chocolate is not healthy, and it’s pretty boring.”--Eric Buitenhuis, manager

*

Peninsula Beverly Hills

Evian

“Sixty to 70% of the body consists of water. Everyone loves water . . . You can’t go wrong with water. No one’s diet excludes water.”--Ali Kasikci, general manager

*

Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel

Absolutely nothing

“We do not put a mint or chocolate on the pillow because the chairman of the company [Isadore Sharp] thinks the worst thing you can do is give a person a chocolate before bedtime, for health and teeth reasons.”

--Peter O’Colmain, general manager

Pro-Chocolate

Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa

Milk chocolate squares, historical cards (featuring an aspect of hotel history)

“It’s a wonderful milk chocolate, quite tasty . . . I don’t eat too, too many because if I did, I’d be 400 pounds.”

--Ralph Grippo, general manager

*

Disneyland Hotel

Mickey Mouse milk chocolate coins

“I think when people come to the Disneyland

Hotel, they have an expectation that they will have a Disney experience. We are further enhancing the Disney brand essence.”

--Rod Schinnerer, general manager

*

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

Ghiradelli chocolate squares

“Some people use Godiva. We think Ghiradelli tastes very good. It’s sweeter than others.”

--Michael Slosser, managing director

*

Malibu Beach Inn

Chocolate-covered mint sticks

“We find ourselves a unique hotel on the beach, and we wanted to find a unique mint to reflect the uniqueness of our hotel.”

--Brent Smith, assistant general manager

*

Westin Bonaventure Hotel

Godiva chocolates