Inside the secret art of hotel towel twisting: Artist reveals how she makes fluffy crocodiles, frogs, dogs and tiny bunnies for guests

When you walk into your hotel room after a rough ride or a day of fun by the pool, you’ll likely be greeted with a stack of clean towels, neatly folded and ready for you.

Depending on where you stay, you may find that your hotel, cruise ship, or B&B has taken things a step further and produced the swan-shaped towel formation popular in honeymoon-friendly destinations.

You can giggle quietly at the design and even snap a quick photo to send to your friends back home.

However, if you’re exposed to some of the cute, creative designs curated by an expert towel artist, you may also want another towel to keep your new furry friend intact.

Monique Sheena Platon, originally from the Philippines, works as a cabin crew member on the Marella Discovery ship, which is part of Marella Cruises.

Monique spoke to the Daily Mail about her artistic work on board and gave a behind-the-scenes look at the secret art of towel-twisting on cruise ships.

Changes and turns: Monique, who has a very extensive portfolio, shares what goes behind the designs she creates

A romantic classic: The Swan is a romantic piece of the repertoire popular in honeymoon-friendly destinations.

He has been part of the team since 2019 and in seven years has built up quite a portfolio, with swans, rabbits and even crocodiles forming part of his regular terry repertoire.

Monique said: ‘I love making passengers smile; ‘They get happier every time they return to their room and see a new shape of towel.’

Naturally, over time, Monique had to master all the classics. For example, it can make swans that are ideal for honeymoons or romantic trips.

But he enjoys taking things a step further and doing things guests wouldn’t expect.

He says: ‘The best shapes are the ones you don’t see often.’

Passengers on the plane love his dog-shaped designs, as well as his crabs, mouse design and more complex designs.

Which is the hardest of all?

“Alligator,” Monique explains. ‘A lot of towels are needed; At least two hand towels and a bath mat. One person has to unroll the towels.

‘We save this for special occasions like birthdays.’

Perhaps most impressive is Monique’s speed. Longer, more complex designs, including the alligator, only take him three to five minutes if he’s working on his own.

Croc-n-roll: The intricate alligator design often surprises guests but is the most complicated to make.

No bunny can compare to you: Perhaps the cutest design is the little bunny, one of Monique’s fastest designs.

Small, fast designs can take as little as 15 seconds.

For example, a small bunny design or spider can be put together in just a few seconds.

While guests often have fun with her designs, some also like to have fun themselves.

Monique shares: ‘In terms of funny stories, sometimes it’s fun because guests guess the designs wrong.

‘For example, they think the dog is a penguin. Sometimes guests also like to play with us; someone puts shoes under the bed and covers it with a towel so it looks like there is someone hiding under the bed!

‘Or they even place towels to make it look like there’s someone in the toilet.’

Monique worked her way up the ranks, starting with a cleaning job to hone her skills and master her craft. You might think he has artistic training to create his towel designs, but actually it’s all in his hands.

Monique explains: ‘Visual learning is the best way to learn towel art. ‘I use YouTube videos to learn new designs.’

Step-by-step guide: Towel artist shares tips for creating your own designs, including visual learning

Smart Bear: The cute little bear is another work of the artist

Well! Spider design is one of the more unusual options

Indeed, today social media is full of tutorials on towel designs.

You can find everything folded swan One monkeyWhile guests love her ingenious designs, she wants to emphasize that it’s not impossible for people to recreate them at home.

Monique is happy to share her advice with budding towel artists.

He even shared an exclusive tutorial with the Daily Mail showing how to make his hit frog design.

If you’re willing to experiment, Monique recommends starting small with simple flannel designs before working your way through the tiers to reach her level of towel art.

The clip shows that you need a large towel for the body and a hand towel for the head.

Fold the large towel in half, then roll the towel tube towards the middle before folding it in half. It then shows how you pull the corners of the towel out to create the body of the frog.

The head involves folding the small towel into various triangles and then connecting the two pieces together to create the frog in under three minutes.

He explains: ‘We set our sights on it to make it look like a real frog.’

But rest assured, its shape is distinct enough even without the googly eyes.

Gone are the days when stylishly folded frog-shaped towels were reserved for your holiday.

Now you can enjoy them in the comfort of your home.