The hotel items that guests ‘accidentally’ steal

HOTEL guests have different ideas about what can and can’t be taken away from their rooms when it’s time to check out.

While some smaller objects are up for debate, there are some guests who go far beyond what is acceptable and take things home that they really shouldn’t.

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Hotel experts have since revealed what is and isn’t fair game for hotel visitors to take home with them, including the expensive items that often “accidentally” go missing.

One of those is Mehmet Erdem, an associate professor of hotel operations and technology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

He knows all about what can and can’t leave the hotel with guests at the end of their stay.

He told Travel + Leisure that toiletries and stationery are fair game, as are slippers.

However, anything beyond that seems to be hotel property.

He said: “Toiletries, such as bar soap, shampoo, and disposable slippers, are okay to take.

“Also, remember that writing stationery does not have to be stationary (pun intended), so feel free to take pens, pencils, and note papers.

“Linens, such as towels, sheets, and pillowcases, are some of the big no-nos. Hairdryers and steam irons are among the items known to get ‘accidentally’ packed away when checking out.” 

Mehmet also said that some guests assume that books or magazines in their rooms are there for the taking, but they’re often not supposed to be removed.

Not everyone agrees with Mehmet’s assessment of the situation, however.

A woman revealed recently that she had an argument with her friend over whether or not guests can take hotel towels.

In a video on Tiktok, she accused her friend of stealing, while her friend saw no difference between taking slippers or towels home.

She said: “I was talking to my friend about when you go to a hotel, I always take slippers and then they said they take the slippers, the shower gels and the towels.

“I was like, ‘no, if you take the towels that’s theft, you’re actually stealing, you can’t take towels’.”

Although the public were divided on the issue, hotel experts are pretty much unanimously on her side.

Joanna McCreary, general manager for the W Hotel in Austin, Texas, told Reader’s Digest: “Sheets, towels, and other linens are definitely something you shouldn’t take from hotel rooms.”

Trip Savvy even claim that some hotels will automatically bill guests who take things that they shouldn’t, like dressing gowns and towels.

They said: “If you take something from your hotel room, you can expect an extra charge on your bill.”

Meanwhile, hotel guests always make this big mistake whenever they check out of their rooms.

And etiquette expert William Hanson revealed how to get discount hotel upgrades.

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