When I go to a conference, I always envision a time to relax and rejuvenate. More often, you find yourself mentally stimulated by physically exhausted. You're dragging around bags of stuff from the trade show, handouts you picked up at the sessions, plus your own works-in-progress. After several late nights and early mornings the wear and tear is starting to show.
So when a convention centre goes to some extra effort to add comforting touches, it is noticeable. The Westin Bayshore was practically flawless in this area. They had creative buffet and finger foods, things like mashed-potato bars (looks like ice cream but the sprinkles are cheese and bacon bits). They used coffee mugs and go-cups instead of weensie hotel coffee cups.
And the bathrooms had actual hand towels, rolled up in stacks, in addition to the paper dispensed kind. Plus this nice basket of hand cream and mouthwash. Just the thing for late in the day when you need a little pick-me-up.
Interestingly, there was lots of angst expressed about the environmental aspects of this, but we used the stuff anyway, and appreciated just that little bit of luxury.
