Stealing hotel towels? You may need to think again ...

I have never taken anything from a hotel room. Anyone that does is a low life. If you have to resort to that level of behaviour, you belong in back alley.

I prefer to call them SOUVENIRS. Back when I smoked, an ashtray with the hotel logo on it was a nice reminder of my visit. So were hand towels or facecloths with high end hotel logos. If their bath towels now cost them $8-9... such a low priced item isn't such a big deal when you consider their $150.-$175. per night rate. Better than having the hotel room EMPTY isn't it !! As far as the shampoos and other sundry items... they certainly get HUGE bulk discounts for those, especially those that don't have the hotel name on them... same thing with hotels that only serve Coke... but not Pepsi !! Major hotels chains reduce their per night cost by 10% if you book online... or if you're a senior, or military, or AAA member. So, for those that don;t fall into those categories... I say "fill 'er up" with as much as you can... you're paying for it anyway.

Drove down to Florida in March. OVERNIGHTED at 3 separate hotels run by the big chains. Basically... in at 6PM, out by 9AM... and back in the car for the next 9 hours. I was also travelling with my small dog, for which the chains charged me between $10.-20. per night. My dog did not soil their already dirty carpeting, nor did he chew on their cheap furniture. Did they check the room next morning for "damages" ? NO !!! Did I get any refund for my well-behaved travel companion ? NO !!! You're dammed right I took the little bars of soap and shampoo and conditioner and coffee pouches. I paid for them didn't I, whether I used them or not ??

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No Win No Fee Compensation Claim

There appear to be those among us that think stealing certain things from certain people is OK. I hope you get caught and charged as the criminals that you are.

So, if I take a half used little bottle of shampoo, I'm a thief?

Being in the business, I'd like to give a little more insight. Go ahead and take the bars of soap, the bottles of shampoo, shower caps and coffee packs. These are all items that we consider will be consumed and have all been costed into the daily price of your room. The towels, bed sheets, pillows, etc. have also been costed into the room rate, but because they are reusable, the full cost of a towels etc. is not added into the daily room rate. Generally, the better quality towels and linens used, the higher the theft rate. This will only help drive up the room rate.

I find it quite disturbing that the majority of people appear to think they have every right to steal from others. It makes me nervous about travelling because of the likelihood of being robbed...not by "the natives" or professional theives, but by my fellow- North American travellers. Stealing towels from a hotel and stealing the money in a store's till and stealing a truckload of children's toys donated to a charity for Christmas giving to kids in shelters (as happened this past year in Toronto) are exactly the same crime - the difference is only in degree, not in kind. In fact, it is precisely because so many of you think it's perfectly acceptable to steal from hotels and restaurants that you also feel it's acceptable to steal toys donated to charity for the underprivileged. You make me ashamed to be a member of this society. It's no wonder that so much of the world despises us. Be sur of one thing though: whether or not you believe in a specific deity, there are universal laws that govern human life, and like it or not, we reap what we sow. Making a lifetime career of stealing from others will only hurt you in the end.

I also find it disturbing that at least one of the persons posting on here seem to think that walking off with towels is justified simply because they pay so much money for the hotel room. While I often take the shampoo and similar items that I have used (since health regulations prohibit them from being used again) I have never taken a towel or similar item from a hotel room. This is stealing, there is no justification for doing this other than the desire to steal.

As one person stated, the bottles of shampoo, lotion, etc are included in your room cost and I have often received a couple extra from staff to take with me when I asked for them. Towels, other linen, and other items in the room however are not there for you to take, they are there for all guests. So Chip, I guess if I were to stay at your house you would not mind finding out that I took several of your items when I left. It is basically the same thing. Oh, and if all these items were not disappearing maybe rates would be a bit more reasonable, you never know.

I take all of the consumable personal items - everytime. Small soaps, mini shampoos, tiny conditioners, etc. They are just the right size for people who go to shelters and require these items etc. I fill a ziplock bag with the items my entire stay and I bring them back and I donate them to shelters when I get home. They are included in the room cost. I bring my items with me when I travel as I am not a fan of lavender butterfly fru-fru soap, so unless they give you an option of $5 off of the night rate for not supplying. I am paying. And since I am paying - its my right to take them. Why dont I just donate full sized ones at the shelter? Well, I have as well, but in general the size of the items makes them very convenient for those who need are nomadic by circumstance.

Having been a Hotel General Manager over the years the items in the room are for guest convenience on site. If you use the items perhaps the hotels should room check like they do for Mini Bars and charge you for usage? Would that make it better? Look. There has to be some give and take between hotel and guest. Some respect. A reality the offer of little goodies is for your convenience however if you do not want to use them leave them for the next guest. Turning everything into dollars and cents is what has destroyed business relationships. There is nothing personal left. It is all about the money. Yes. Maybe a hotel should charge you for using the bed. Like heck are they not just renting you a room. If you want to use the bed maybe they should charge extra? Let us all get back to some civility.

These are very mundane items that people steal. They must be very boring.

Just an additional comment since many, including me, are a bit off the track of the article which is about people who take things like towels and robes. These are larger ticket items and bear no resemblance to the personal use items (shampoo, soap, etc) that you find in the rooms for your use.

Just to restate, taking towels, robes, or other items in this category (including clock radios which have also been known to disappear) is theft. If you want one for a souvenier many of the higher end hotels sell them in their gift shops or you can purchase them through the front desk.

Don't make it a crime, do not place any of these items in the room, ask what the client needs upon checkin and charge for the use. Makes is fair, lots of places in the world do that.
If the towels or other items are gone like robes and linen, charge for it (except the soap and shampoo which they have to buy if they want any). People will only understand when they have to pay for the items and honesty will be the beneficiary.

@ Bernadette... i.e. "It's no wonder that so much of the world despises us". Wow... did you take your drama pill this morning ? LOL @ Hotelman... i.e. "Maybe a hotel should charge you for using the bed" Duh... it's called accomodations, which includes the BED ! You want to add an extra charge for using the water in the toilet, tub or sink now. Get real !! And if we don't use the sundry items i.e. soaps, shampoos... why should we leave them for the next guest ? So you can still charge the same rate and double, triple, quadruple your pleasure ? As for the generic cheapie white towels and bedsheets... no use in taking them, since they've already been used ad infinitum, washed and bleached and are about the same quality you get from the Walmart $2. bargain bin. Insofar as the mini-bar items are concerned... have ya ever seen the price for these little "conveniences". Who's stealing who here ?

@ G-Quake
You are right that if you use a bit of the shampoo, conditioner, etc., the hotel is required by health regulations to throw the rest away. Giving the remainder to clients of homeless shelters is an excellent use of them. If you belong to a religious group, it might be worth suggesting that fellow members do the same. For several years now, my church (which has food bank drives several times a year) also has toiletries drives, and the shelters tell us the hotel-sized items are the most useful. When I'm travelling by car (and therefore don't have to worry about luggage weight) I will sometimes ask the hotel manager if he'd be willing to sell me a bag of soap/shampoo at or near cost, explaining what it's for. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, and sometimes I've been given some free of charge. In those cases, the hotel has made the decision to contribute to a charity, which is commendable. But I would never steal a few from the housekeeping cart as I go by...that's just stealing, Chip, even if it's for a good cause.

@Chip - No, I do not tend to overdramatize. But I have lived and worked in over a dozen different countries, and there are depressing similarities in the way Americans, in particular, are regarded in different parts of the world. In Japan, most decent hotels provide yukatas (simple cotton robes) for guests to wear around the hotel property. There are always signs in English asking guests not to steal hotel towels and robes. I have never seen a similar sign in Japanese - there's no need, as no Japanese person would dream of acting in such a 'barbarian' way. (A commonly used term for American tourists - particularly tour groups of them - among Japanese hoteliers is "jomon-jin", which means 'barbarian'). I'm sorry that people like you keep that reputation alive and well.

I keep thiefing these things. And I'll keep taking all the cream cheese and Peanut butter from the "breakfast bar".

Maybe I missed this in the article but how does the chip work? If I stash some towels that have been 'microchipped' in my luggage, is there a towel detector in the hotel lobby as I leave the premises? Does an alarm go off...lights flash...security guards come running out, demanding to paw through my luggage? Am I hauled away in shame and handcuffs? I'd like to know, in case I ever feel the need to steal towels & linens that have been washed and sanitized to death.

stealing is stealing ,theft is theft, if you really need it iam almost certain that manager or staff are not going to demean you, asking is the best policy, and walking away with your head high and your dignity and self respect intact is worth it. Alot of people do this with children in there room, what do you teach them. Some people should give there head a shake , do unto others as others do to you. Hotels are there to make a profit, like any business is suppose to, they provide accomodation, it would really suck if you were to bring your own towel

@ Bernadette - So in Japan they make fun of American tourists... kinda like the way the rest of the world makes fun of Japanese tourists? I wouldn't go throwing "tourism" in with the "Everyone hates Americans and here's why..." arguments.

Not an American. No disrespect to the Japanese. Just an observation.