What's the first thing you do when you walk into a hotel room? For me, it's flipping the bathroom light switch and scouting out the miniature toiletries.

Most hotel chains have been upgrading their amenities in recent years, so chances are you'll find some name brand or designer goodies in your bathroom. (I don't know about you, but getting in there and discovering generic "hotel brand" or private label crap is such a bummer. As is any hotel that still dispenses miniature bottles of Pert Plus.)

I know I'm going to sound like a total snob here, but I love staying at the Ritz Carlton just for the mini beauty goodies! They're from the Bvlgari white tea collection -- sooo lovely. I'll admit it, I stash them in my bag ASAP and eagerly await the re-stocking every day.

I once stayed at a conference center in Texas that supplied goodies from the Bath & Body Works aromatherapy collection in the cutest little Lilliputian bottles. Also a huge boon: any hotel that stocks your powder room with Molton Brown (try the Bryant Park Hotel in NYC).

A recent discovery was a set of CO Bigelow bath products at the Soho Grand. I immediately fell in love with the Lavender Peppermint Shower Gel. The scent is just gorgeous; it's somehow calming and refreshing at the same time, and it's herbal without being too harsh. And the apothecary-style packaging is just too cute.

Turns out you can pick up these mini Bigelow goodies for yourself without the hotel stay -- CO Bigelow offers 2 oz bottles of the Lavender Peppermint Shower Gel, as well as the matching shampoo, conditioner and body lotion, for $4 a pop. They're the perfect take-along for hotels that are still stuck in the dark days of Pert Plus and no-brand body lotion!