A TRAVEL expert has uncovered the secrets of fancy hotel toiletries and revealed why you should never trust them.

Holidaymakers love to horde tiny bottles of high-end shampoos and lotions but you might not be getting what you think you’re paying for.

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Plenty of hotels sign exclusive agreements with luxury cosmetics brands to carry miniature versions of their signature products.

These can add a touch of class to an en suite, but bosses are keen not to give away too much for free.

And, according to travel whizz Jessica Sulima, they don’t.

Writing for Thrillist, she claimed that when it comes to hotel toiletries most of the value is in the name on the bottle.

Jessica said: “These days, it’s rare to find a generic, unheard-of brand lining your bathroom sink or shower caddy.

“As far as luxury hotels go, expect to find D.S. and Durga at The Carlyle, Bamford at The Palace Hotel, or Diptyque at the Ritz-Carlton.

“The trend is a win-win — the hotels get to amplify their prestige, and the cosmetic companies get to spread brand awareness.

“It was probably naive of me, however, to think that such products are exact replicas of what you can find in stores.

“In practice, hotels typically work with these brands to create custom formulations that reasonably approximate their product at scale.

“These samples are designed to be as close to the real deal as possible, and in a perfect world, guests wouldn’t be able to sniff out the substitute.”

Her suspicions were backed up by Anna Ableson, a professor at the Tisch Insitute of Hospitality at NYU.

The industry insider said: “Some hotel toiletries may look like retail name-brand products, but they’re often formulated and sourced differently to meet hospitality industry needs.

“This can cause variations in quality and composition compared to store-bought versions.”

And Ian Ginsburg, president of beauty brand C.O. Bigelow, added: “The north star is to do it exactly as it is.

“But it’s a balance of cost. Sometimes the cost is too much, so we’ll try to modify the fragrance.”

It comes after a Brit who has gone on more than 50 cruises revealed the one item he never leaves home without.

A WOMAN has shared her clever hack to make cheap espresso martinis at the airport.

The holidaymaker revealed how to whip up the boozy concoction using ingredients almost entirely brought from home in your bags.

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Alexis Olive, a tech worker who makes food and drink content on social media, shared her top tips for a little pick-me-up on an early morning flight.

In a video posted to her TikTok, which has amassed over nine million views, she broke down the creation of the drink step-by-step.

Traditionally, an espresso martini is made with vodka, coffee liqueur and, of course, espresso.

But since most departure lounges charge top-shelf prices at their cocktail bars, Alexis has to get creative.

All you need is a few miniatures and an airport coffee to get started.

First of all, go to a coffee shop and get an iced espresso.

If, like Alexis, you choose to get this from Starbucks, it can cost as little as £1.95.

She also added a pump of vanilla syrup, but this is optional if you like a little less sweetness.

Then just add in a miniature of Vodka and one of a coffee liqueur like Kahlua or Tia Maria.

Bailey’s is also a good substitute if you can’t get your hands on any of the latter.

Alexis explained : “I’ve even confirmed this with several TSA agents.

“The TSA says that alcohol can be stored in a passenger’s carry-on bag if the containers are 100ml or less.”

Once you’ve added your booze just give the coffee a good swirl and enjoy for less than £7.50 all told.

Alexis added: “My mom showed me this hack.

“Some people wouldn’t consider it an espresso martini.

“It has Irish cream instead of coffee liquor, but I think it’s just your preference.

“10/10 would recommend.”

A TINY fishing town in southern Spain could be mistaken for Mykonos at first glance. 

La Isleta del Moro in Almeria, Andalucia, often dubbed ‘Little Mykonos‘ has a population of no more than 200 people. 

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But its picturesque setting, small group of white houses, and crystal clear waters makes it comparable with Mykonos. 

Mykonos is often celebrated for its iconic white-washed buildings, stunning beaches, deep blue sea backdrop, and luxury tourism. 

With the island becoming so popular over the last few years, it’s now considered one of the most expensive Greek islands to visit. 

But holidaymakers looking for a cheaper alternative, might want to consider La Isleta del Moro. 

Its beach, Playa Isleta del Moro, is one of the biggest reasons why people visit. 

It has clear water, fine black sand, three small coves, and restaurants nearby. 

One visitor to the beach wrote on Tripadvisor: “The best beaches and coves in Spain.

“Warm and transparent waters, super friendly people, good food, and accessible prices.”

Another traveller who stayed in La Isleta del Moro recommended where to walk if you want the best views of the sea and town. 

He shared on the review website: “A gentle stroll up through the village streets will bring you to this well maintained mirador.

“It is very picturesque and offers panoramic views of the village and the bay and over to the mountains behind.”

There are several restaurants that overlook the beach and serve fresh seafood, such as La Caleta and Restaurante Hospedaje Terraza La Isleta. 

For those who want to explore the wider area, La Isleta del Moro is considered an ideal location to explore Cabo de Gata Natural Park. 

There are regular tours to book on to. The park’s attractions include the Lighthouse of Cabo de Gata, Sirens Cliffs, and the fishing villages of San Miguel and San Jose.

You can also go kayaking and snorkelling through the coves of the Natural Park, with some tours including kayaking through the volcanoes.

La Isleta del Moro’s quiet nature adds to its charm, and it’s natural landscapes and glimpse into authentic Spanish life mean it’s often considered a hidden gem.

With the average temperature in October 25C, it could be the perfect opportunity for Brits to catch some Autumn sun.

The best way to get to La Isleta del Moro is to fly to Almeria, which is a 40 minute drive away.

Flights with EasyJet from London Gatwick to Almeria in October start from £49.99.

A visitor to the town in August last year shared a tip on Tripadvisor: “The best time is in spring and autumn to see how the landscape changes with the help of water.”

Here’s another place in Spain that has been compared to Santorini.

Don’t want to leave the UK? We’ve found a lido which people say is “more like Greece”.

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A CRUISE veteran has revealed the one item he always packs that most people forget to take with them.

Bradley Jones has gone on every trip from a weekend jaunt to a nine-month round-the-world expedition and has found a gadget that saves him money and effort wherever he goes.

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Bradley, from Wales, has gone on so many cruises that many operators have awarded him “elite” status, granting him a range of extra perks.

But for all the luxuries he can enjoy on his travels, his one must-have is much simpler.

When packing for a trip, his top priority is to make sure a particular gizmo is always in his bag.

He told LadBible: “My biggest tip for cruisers is when it comes to cruising as a couple of family is always take a universal plug adapter.

“In a cabin you’ve quite limited some times, especially on an inside cabin.

“And you’ve got to charge the phones, the kid’s iPads, my hair dryer, straighteners.

“Some of these companies, such as Princess or Cunard, some of them are American.

“When people catch these ships in Southampton they automatically think they’re British so they take British plugs.

“Last time we cruised there was a British couple who said ‘I didn’t even think, I thought there would be normal British plugs‘.

“That little thing is huge, people need that.”

The adapters can be found with UK three-prong or USB input ports connecting to an adjustable set of plugs that can match multiple sockets.

Some can be used on all 15 sockets across the world, while others offer 3-in-1, 4-in-1 or 5-in-1 options.

They can be picked up online, in electronics shops or in supermarkets.

On Amazon, the most popular example is on offer for £14.999 with £4.49 delivery.

It comes after another experienced holidaymaker shared seven must-have items for trips to holiday parks.

JET2 is set to launch five new summer flights from the UK’s “best airport”, bumping up their total number of destinations to 57.

The affordable carrier will be able to whisk you off to holiday favourites like the Canaries, Morocco and Turkey.

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The airline has announced its lineup for the summer of 2026, much to the delight of holidaymakers.

Its “expanded programme” will see 18.6 million seats on sale, an increase of 700,000 on next year’s lineup.

A whopping 57 destinations across Jet 2’s 12 airport partners will mean 450 routes are available, 14 of which will be exclusive to the Leeds-based firm.

Scattered throughout the schedule are 22 brand new summer routes.

And five of these will run from the airport recently voted the UK’s best.

Travellers heading to Newcastle Airport will now be able to head off to Agadir and Marrakech in Morocco, Preveza in Greece and the twin Iberian hotspots of Barcelona and Porto.

In addition to those, passengers will be able to take advantage of new routes from Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Stansted and the East Midlands.

Altogether, over 1,700 flights will depart weekly across the network during peak periods.

To cope with the extra demand, Jet 2 has expanded its fleet to 136, with new Airbus A321neo planes coming to Stansted and Glasgow.

The company estimates that these are 20% more fuel efficient and 50% quieter than their predecessors.

Holidaymakers can book the new flights as part of a package through Jet2Holidays, Jet2Villas or Jet2CityBreaks.

Packages are all ATOL-protected and start from a deposit of £60 per person.

CEO Steve Heapy said: “Customers are telling us they want to book ahead and secure that all-important holiday, so they can have the best choice of hotels, rooms and dates.

“We have responded to the strong demand from holidaymakers wanting to lock in their getaways, by putting our biggest and best Summer programme on sale for 2026, earlier than ever before.  

“Our Summer 26 programme represents a huge expansion with more seats and routes on sale, meaning holidaymakers have never had so much choice and flexibility.

“As well as offering customers and independent travel agents a greater selection of flights and holidays to choose from, our enormous Summer 26 programme allows them to book in advance and get a date in their diary now.

“While we may be announcing our biggest Summer 26 programme to date, we are not done yet and will be revealing even more good news about our 2026 operations very soon.

“Our Summer 26 programme promises to be our best yet, and we have every confidence it will be a huge success.”

A TINY English island has a hotel that you can only visit at certain times of the day.

Located on a tidal island, Burgh Island Hotel is cut off twice a day by the tide – although the times can vary. 

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Tides at Burgh Island change daily and can vary based on the weather conditions and tide height. 

But the tide meets and parts roughly every six hours. 

For example, on Friday 13th September, high tide was at 1:02 am and 13:53 pm, while low tide was at 7:27am and 8:34pm.

You can check the tide times on the Devon Tides website.

When it’s low tide, visitors can reach the island by foot. During high tide, there’s the Burgh Island Sea Tractor – a hydraulics tractor that’s able to drive through the sea. 

Members of the public can catch a ride on the tractor to the island from Bigbury-on-Sea and it costs £2 each way. 

Hotel guests, who the sea tractor is primarily used for, do not have to pay to ride it. 

The tractor operates 24 hours a day, Monday through to Saturday and Sunday, so hotel guests who don’t fancy walking during low tide can still hitch a ride. 

Despite the unusual way of getting there, some very famous people are said to have stayed there.

Noel Coward, Winston Churchill, and The Beatles have all enjoyed a stay at the 3* star hotel in times gone by. 

Burgh Island itself is a popular destination for tourists who want to enjoy its views and wildlife, as well as its golden sand beach for swimming, sunbathing, and fishing. 

Day visitors are welcome, with a visit to the Pilchard Inn pub recommended for lunch or dinner (reservations are required). 

There are also vineyards on Burgh Island, such as Sandridge Barton, which offers tours, tasting and wine shopping. 

The island also plays host to regular events, including murder mysteries, island artist experiences, a Christmas and New Year party and a summer ball. 

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The cost to stay at Burgh Island Hotel varies depending on the dates and offers available. 

A one-night stay for two adults on October 10, 2024, starts at £427.99, including taxes and fees. 

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