Guest-room bath towels
500 GSM mid-tier; 550 – 600 GSM luxury, combed long-staple cotton.
Bath programmeHome/Fabrics & Weaves/Terry
Bath & Spa400 – 700 GSM
Terry.
Loop-pile cotton weave — the foundation of every hospitality bath programme.
What it is
Terry is a woven cotton fabric with uncut loops on one or both sides. The loops dramatically increase surface area, making terry the most absorbent mainstream towel construction. It is the base fabric for almost every bath towel, pool towel, and guest robe in modern hospitality.
How it’s made
Construction
Terry is woven on a dobby or cam loom with a third, slack pile warp that lifts free of the ground cloth to form loops. Pile density is set by loops per inch; pile height drives GSM. Double-pile terry has loops on both faces (the hotel standard), while single-pile terry has loops on only one face (cheaper, entry-grade lines).
Characteristics
What to expect in the hand
- High absorbency per gram
- Softens with each wash, to a point
- Heavier and slower-drying than flat-woven towels
- Loop snags show poor QC — watch for pulls
- Benefits dramatically from combed long-staple cotton
Where it shows up
Hospitality uses.
Pool towels
500 – 700 GSM with higher pile density for resort lines.
Spa & Wellness programmeSpa wraps
300 – 450 GSM lighter terry for treatment rooms.
Spa & Wellness programmeBath mats
Dense 800 – 1200 GSM terry with optional latex backing.
Bath programmeStrengths
- Most absorbent of common bath constructions
- Long service life with combed long-staple cotton
- Colour range holds up in hotel laundry
- Every Indian terry mill runs it — deepest supply base
Limitations
- Heavy — adds shipping cost and laundry energy use
- Long dry time versus waffle or microfibre
- Loops catch on rough jewellery and hook closures
Specifying terry?