It's not just kissing swans anymore. Towel art has risen to a whole new level.

National Geographic

5 days ago

Towel folding evolved from origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. Photographs by David Brandon Geeting
As any traveler can attest to, it's the unique touches in hotel rooms and cruise cabins that make a trip that much more memorable. For both adults and children, there's nothing more uplifting than walking into your room to find a towel folded into the shape of a lovable animal. But how did the art form of origami make its way to the hospitality industry?
The history of origami is as complex as the intricately folded paper. Many scholars believe that the invention of paper in China, around 100 B.C.E., coincided with the first attempts at paper folding. It was the Japanese who made origami, originally known as orikata, a large part of their culture. Because paper was very expensive, the art form was mostly used for religious rituals by the wealthy, including wrapping offerings to the gods.
It wasn't until the Edo period (1603-1868) and the cost reduction of the washi paper that origami became more widespread. With the end of sakoku, the isolationist foreign policy, and the opening of trade, origami began seeing more foreign influence. Friedrich Froebel, the man responsible for kindergarten, used paper folding between 1851 and the 1920s to teach children mathematical knowledge. Butlers and housekeepers try to create towel art that is unique to a guest's stay.
The art form didn't stop at paper. As early as 1529, high courts of Europe folded linen and other fabrics for decoration. Today, the art of origami inspires advancements in fields like architecture, medicine, biology, and robotics. Some modern-day inventions that are in debt to origami engineering are the ability for rapid rebuilding of structures following natural disasters; and for creating a small, flexible tool that attaches to laparoscopes and endoscopes that can quickly expand and contract so that surgeons can clean the scope without having to remove it from the surgical site.
(Origami is revolutionizing technology, from medicine to space)
As for towel origami, according to Stefan Christoffersson, vice president of housekeeping and logistics at Carnival Cruise Line, it was first popularized by a lieutenant of the cabin in the 1980s, and as it gained popularity, became an official part of the cruise line's stay in 1991.
The popularity of towel art has maintained its appeal and Carnival even went as far as offering on-board classes for guests and publishing a book of 40 designs people could try at home. Royal Caribbean Cruises has also embraced towel art as an immersive activity for guests, offering classes and a how-to pamphlet.
The possibilities are seemingly endless, and websites like Pinterest and Youtube are proof that people are loving every creation and eager to learn the art form for themselves. Even today, towel folding is one of the anticipated highlights of cruise trips. Many major cruise lines and hotels train their housekeepers and butlers in the art of towel folding. Kids and adults alike look forward to seeing what towel animal will be waiting for them in their room.
Towel art has now migrated to land and has become a common sight in hotels with a large tourist population, like the Caribbean. Towel origami can be found at larger resorts, like Club Med and Beaches, to smaller hotels like the eco-friendly Black Rock Lodge in Belize. What originated as a show-stopping, elaborate housekeeping trick evolved into something even as small as the clam shell-shaped hand towel in the showers at the Cliff House on the rocky shores of Maine.
Towel art goes beyond aesthetics. For some resorts, it adds a more immersive experience for the guests. Felicia Allen-Myers, group manager of butler services at Beaches Resort, says that she once had hotel guests who saved each towel art creation throughout their stay, and by the end of the week, had a complete zoo. Carnival Cruise Line published a book on 40 different towel art designs people can try at home.
The art form has become so integral to guests' stays that Beaches Resort has included towel folding in their butler training. Allen-Myers says that the resort's butlers learn towel art techniques from a senior butler, and also do their own research on YouTube or Pinterest to generate ideas.
Most important, says Allen-Meyers, are the conversations that butlers have with their guests. 'We have to understand who the guest is before we can actually create solid art for them.'
Depending on the complexity of the design and the skill level, 'basic folds like a heart and swan can take five-to-10 minutes, but for other designs like the butterfly, octopus, dinosaur, or peacock, it may take 10-to-15 minutes—sometimes as much as 30 minutes to an hour,' says Allen-Meyers.
Christoffersson notes that while there isn't an official classroom for Carnival employees, 'if you're a housekeeping attendant, your next position would be state assistant, and when they're in the cabins learning with the state of attendants, they will teach them how to create the designs.' Towel folding designs
The earliest origami designs were butterfly figures used to decorate sake cups at special events like weddings, and of course, the well-known crane design. The crane holds a special role in Japanese culture as a national treasure and is considered the bird of happiness. What originated as a paper crane has now evolved into more diverse designs.
(Traditional Japanese crafts are at risk. Here's how travelers can help.)
Christoffersson agrees that the designs have become more ambitious. "We just launched for the Australian market, and we took the Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter down there, so the team decided to come up with kangaroo towel animals, even including the baby kangaroo in the pouch.'
For the 50th anniversary of the Carnival's creation, the staff wanted to create a towel macaw. 'We chose the macaw because it lives around 50 years, so they came up with the various different samples for it, and it turned out really nice.'
From cruises to hotels, travelers are excited to enter rooms to find anything from towel monkeys, elephants, kissing swans, and even towel people lounging on beds or even sitting on the toilet reading the newspaper.
According to Christoffersson, a false rumor began a few years ago that Carnival was putting an end to towel art in their guest cabins. The staff created a group of towel animals, all holding signs like 'we're not leaving.'
The towel animals have spoken, and they're not going anywhere. Megan Margulies, an author and journalist based outside of Boston, writes about health, motherhood, travel, and the natural world.