Returning to your room at The Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa after dinner, you’ll find the usual trappings of turndown service—the lights dimmed, the duvet folded back, a piece of homemade chocolate waiting on the nightstand. But beside it sits something less expected: a cowboy poem.
Printed on a small card and left nightly for guests, the verses—sometimes written by local ranchers and poets, other times by famed Western writers who once passed through the region—might evoke wide-open ranges, stubborn self-reliance, or the mythic pull of the West.
“Storytelling has always been at the heart of the American West, and sharing a classic cowboy poem at turndown brings that heritage into the guest experience in a more personal way,” says Brandon Harrison, general manager of the property.
The Rusty Parrot, which started offering poems in 1990, isn’t alone in reimagining turndown service. Some hotels have incorporated locally inspired touches for years, but the idea has gained new traction—particularly among properties that have opened since the pandemic, when many brands began emphasizing hyperlocal experiences and partnerships with nearby makers. While the classic bedside chocolate still has its place, a select few hotels are now offering something more rooted in the destination, whether that’s local art, a small piece of regional storytelling, or a keepsake guests can tuck into their suitcase.
“Every night, we want turndown to feel like a discovery—one that helps our guests feel connected to where they are,” says Joel Lopez, who sources gifts—ranging from woven Ojo de Dios (God’s eye) to decorative calavera (skulls customarily used as Day of the Dead decorations)—for his guests as part of his role as director of housekeeping at Conrad Punta de Mita in Mexico, a property that opened in 2020. He added that he’s “always drawn to pieces that feel genuine and thoughtfully made and carry a connection to the people and traditions behind them.”
At some properties, turndown service has also become a way to put local artists’ work directly into guests’ hands, with hotels commissioning small pieces from nearby makers. At Violino d’Oro, which opened in 2023 in Venice, Italy, that approach draws on centuries of local craftsmanship. Many guests (including those in suites staying three-plus nights) receive small handmade items made using traditional Venetian glass techniques, including hand-blown Murano glass picture frames and bracelets made with prismatic Murrini glass beads.
