Which Countries STEAL From Hotel Rooms? Aren’t You Curious Who the Culprits Are?

A colleague of mine on a recent trip to Eastern Europe shared a story of a travel writer who got caught stealing a hotel sink from a hotel room on a press trip. No joke. Eight of us starred at her in disbelief saying “it can’t possibly be true.” She says she’ll send us the link so am waiting for the evidence. Apparently the same travel writer insisted on her hosts to pay for her excess baggage weight (with the hotel sink in her bag). How on earth did she think she could get away with this we all ponder as you might very well be doing as you read this?

The truth is that most travelers take things from hotel rooms….at the very minor level: tea bags, coffee, soap and shampoo. Most think that this is there for the taking just like the airline magazine is there for the taking, which it is btw.  Soap and shampoo kinda fall into that category, but a bathroom sink? Crikey – what on earth was she thinking? While that may be extreme, people have taken lesser obvious things such as gourmet coffee or chocolate, a plush robe or the slippers (so small, would anyone notice?), a pillow case? I’m thinking – most places don’t have pillow cases worth taking, even high end hotels and yet some travelers do and they do it again and again.

Apparently 35 per cent of global travelers take hotel amenities to their home according to a recent survey by Hotels.com. We don’t know the quality of it, but a survey is a survey so even if its slightly off,  it raises attention to the fact that it does exist and anyone reading this is likely thinking, oh shit, yeah, I took this or that from a hotel room once or twice.

According to the survey, a majority of hotel guests globally (65 per cent) say they’ve never pilfered an item from a hotel room – except toiletries, the Danes stand on top landing an 88 per cent honesty rating, touting that they have not pocketed a hotel amenity with Canadian Quebecers next in line at 81 per cent. The chart below is telling so take a look by country.

The Hotels.com Favorite Hotel Amenities Survey also revealed that free Wi-Fi is king when it comes to must-have hotel amenities. Isn’t it ironic that the cheapest hotels (rather motels) offer it for free whereas the five star resorts and hotels I’ve stayed at often want to charge a wopping $12 (low end) to $25 (high end) per day for the privilege. C’mon – get over it luxury properties. It’s a commodity. If Motel 6 can do it, surely you can too. The stats according to the survey. Bullets taken from the original source HotelNewsResource.com. 

• 34 percent say free Wi-Fi is the number one factor in choosing a hotel even on leisure stays.
• 56 percent of respondents said free Wi-Fi is their number one must-have when travelling for business.
• 66 percent indicated free Wi-Fi is the amenity they most wish would become standard at all hotels in 2013.
• 23 percent chose high-end coffee makers as their top modern in hotel room amenity.
• 43 percent said complimentary bottled water is the most appreciated simple amenity.
• Happy hours, wine tastings or any other time with free food and drinks is 42 percent of global travelers’ favourite newly offered hotel service amenity.
• 23 percent cite unlimited free food and beverages as their most missed comfort from home when travelling. 

The survey was conducted in January 2013, using a weighted average based on a sample size of more than 8,600 respondents across 28 countries/cities: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, USA.

Renee Blodgett

Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.

She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.

Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.

Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.