One of the first things many of us do when we settle into a hotel room is reach for the packaged bar of soap on the bathroom counter. These soaps are the single most-utilized amenity at hotel chains: 86% of guests who stay at a hotel for 1-2 nights use it, handily outranking other popular offerings like the in-room TV (84%), hair dryer (36%), and valet parking (28%).

Police are preparing to play a role in enforcing the detention of passengers in Covid quarantine hotels as the government scrambles to launch the stringent new system on 15 February. Government-contracted security guards are expected to be stationed on each floor of the hotels and by entrances and exits to ensure travellers do not leave for 10 days after their arrival.