While many hoteliers may recognize the ADA Cosmetics name for their properties’ shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, lotion and other products, they may not realize all that ADA Cosmetics offers. “We specifically cater to a hotel’s operational needs,” said Annie Steighner, vice president, business development and partnerships at ADA Cosmetics. The company designs products to allow hotels to be more efficient all while considering the sustainability.
Steighner has been in the hospitality business her entire career, starting in the food and beverage department before moving to sales and then hotel procurement. “I’ve always had a desire to solve problems, whether that was in my early days serving tables to finding solutions for challenges in the hotel supply chain,” she said.
Some of Steighner’s favorite work moments were her years in five-star luxury hotel operations. “The orchestra that is the operations team … running operations day-to-day is nothing short of a daily miracle,” she reminisced. That operations experience led her to procurement.
“Over the years working in procurement, I’ve dealt with hundreds of suppliers—but none made an impression quite like ADA Cosmetics,” she continued. “Their commitment to tackling the real-world challenges of hotel amenities—whether it’s hygiene, sustainability, or the drive to innovate—truly stood out. I was also drawn to the fact that ADA is part of the BWT Group (Best Water Technology), a company that remains proudly family owned. The sense of purpose to minimize plastic waste and transportation and long-term stewardship shared by both ADA Cosmetics and BWT really spoke to me—it just felt like the right fit.”
Sustainable and Hygienic
The industry has a distinct need for sustainable and hygienic approach to the guest experience in the guestroom, according to the company. “We’re the only wet amenities company that have designed a mono material, fully recyclable pump focused on the industry’s efforts to limit single use plastics,” she said. “We're exceeding expectations of operators and brands. The Refillution solution is helping operators save labor costs day in and day out and allowing the guestroom attendants to focus on guest experience first and foremost.”
Refillution—the automated refill system is designed to modernize sustainability, hygiene and efficiency in hotel cosmetics. The solution enables hotels to refill cosmetic dispensers safely and quickly, reducing plastic waste by up to 95 percent and lowering operational costs.
ADA Cosmetics’ entire product portfolio is Cradle-to-Cradle silver certified and just recently received a gold medal from Ecovadis. The company has also partnered with companies like Green Key Global and Forbes Travel Guide. “All in all, we use the best materials in our packaging and liquids possible we have a wide range of options to suit any hotels’ needs, all while focusing on the skin care competencies of the high-quality ingredients in our products,” Steighner said.
ADA Cosmetics has been officially selected as a Preferred Vendor by Green Key Global, marking a major milestone in the brand’s sustainability journey. The recognition positions ADA as a trusted supplier for hotels committed to eco-conscious operations—offering audit-ready, environmentally-responsible amenities that align with Green Key’s rigorous sustainability standards.
Green Key Global’s Preferred Vendor Program identifies suppliers whose products support the certification needs of sustainable properties. By choosing a preferred vendor like ADA Cosmetics, hotels can simplify compliance, add credibility to their sustainability credentials, and deliver an exceptional guest experience through certified, eco-conscious amenities.
Industry Compliance
ADA Cosmetics’ regulatory and CSR team is fully dedicated to ensuring ADA stays ahead of the curve when it comes to compliance and certifications. “As a company rooted in Germany, we adhere to and in many cases surpass some of the most rigorous EU standards for hotel cosmetics, while also meeting a range of regional certifications that reflect our expertise in skincare,” Steighner said. “Our diverse product portfolio includes items proudly certified by globally respected organizations such as Nordic Swan, COSMOS and The Vegan Society—guaranteeing the quality, safety and sustainability our clients and their guests expect.”
ADA cosmetics began manufacturing its own cosmetics in 1982. Now its high-tech production facilities allow the company to seamlessly manufacture millions of products each year to the very highest standards. “Consistently monitored, audited and meeting ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 standards, our high-speed and highly automated process is state-of-the-art in every aspect, with exceptional quality assured,” Steighner continued.
Clicking with Clients
ADA Cosmetics works side-by-side with hoteliers, general managers, rooms directors, housekeeping managers and others to identify the current needs of the hotel in the wet amenities space. “How can we elevate their operations?” Steighner asks them regularly. The company aims to give the hotel staff more minutes in their day to focus on other high-touch guest satisfaction areas, drive the bottom-line savings and elevate their guest experience with sustainable wet and dry amenities. The company also has tailored solutions for kid’s programming and sensitive skin programming as well.
The company’s ADA Atelier program is focused on helping hotel operators and hotel brands design a customized solution where they get to pick the scent, the design and the materials of packaging to fully develop their own bespoke line of wet amenities products to elevate guest experience. “With the lowest minimum order quantity in the industry were able to offer this personalized tailored solution for as little as one hotel or as large as any global brand,” Steighner said.
This article was originally published in the May edition of Hotel Management magazine. Subscribe here.