Can You Take Hotel Robes?

Can You Take Hotel Robes
Whether it’s a miniature set of Molton Brown shampoo and conditioner, or a pair of comfy slippers; there are very few of us who have been able to resist the urge to slip something into our luggage upon checking out of a hotel. Confronted with the array of potential freebies, a sudden attack of kleptomania can hit even those of us equipped with the most well adjusted of moral compasses.

But where do you draw the line? What is theft, and what are hotel managers expecting you to pocket? Read on for expert advice on what you can and can’t steal. TOILETRIES Kicking off with the most obvious, the consensus is that toiletries are fair game. “The general rule of thumb is that if it can be reused then it can be taken,” says Hotels.com marketing manager, David Spasovic.

“Miniature toiletries, shower caps, combs, disposable razors and toothbrushes. These are all goodies that can be swiped.” Pier One Sydney Harbour Hotel’s general manager, Kim Mahaffy, agrees: “We expect guests to either use or to take consumable items, including soap.

But preferably not two dozen from the housekeeping cart!” TWO WORDS YOU WANT TO HEAR AT CHECK IN THE SECRET TO GETTING A HOTEL UPGRADE THE TRUTH ABOUT HOTEL SLIPPERS CONFESSIONS OF AN A-LISTERS’ HOTEL BUTLER ROBES AND SLIPPERS Long a staple of hotel thievery, the bathrobe is one of the most debated ‘can I steal this?’ items, but in general these are off limits and will be laundered and reused for the next guest.

Most hotels will also charge you if one does go missing. The slippers, however, are a different matter. “Slippers won’t be used again,” explains David. “So you may as well stash them away for you to use on your next flight – they’re ideal for wearing on a long haul.

Hold back on robe though.” STATIONERY Hotels brand these amenities in the hopes that you WILL take them.
Hotel-branded pens and writing pads are cheap to replace and are actually free advertising for the hotel, so these are fair game,” says David.
TOWELS AND LINEN Towels and bed linen also rank highly on the radars for would-be thieves.

According to the “Huffington Post”, the average hotel loses 10 to 20 per cent of its linens per month. While some properties now install electronic tags to help curb their losses, many savvy hoteliers are selling everything, including beds, linen and towels.

“We have all of our bedding for purchase,” says Four Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands general manager, Stephen Ferrino,” And many other hotels are doing the same.” HOW ABOUT THE REST? Shoehorns and sewing kits all sit in the ‘acceptable to steal’ camp, as do magazines – incidentally, research from Hotels.com has shown that magazines and books are some of the most nicked items in a room.

Bibles are also a perennial on the ‘most stolen’ lists, but seriously, if you’re hankering after a free bible, you should probably heed the ‘thou shalt not steal’ commandment. Similarly bizarre are light bulbs. According to a survey of 8,000 hotels by LateRooms.com, they are the second most stolen hotel room item.

Then there’s remote control batteries (yes, really), coat hangers and toilet rolls. “What’s built into the cost of the room varies from hotel to hotel,” says Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast, general manager, Mark Sexton. “However, as a general rule, bathroom toiletries, tea bags and coffee sachets, magazines and any welcome amenities are all acceptable to take within reason.” WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE If you find yourself thinking: ‘those curtains would go nicely in my spare room,’ stop and have a serious word with yourself.

“Sometimes guests can get carried away,” says Debra. “We’ve seen a picture frame removed from the wall, a docking station takenand it’s not just items from guest rooms. I’ve also seen a large carpet runner go astray and someone once tried to walk away with some furniture from the lobby.

The curtain-less window, the blank space on the wall where the plasma used to hang – the absence of these items will be noted and you will be held accountable. Remember, your credit card details are on file. CONSEQUENCES Nobody is going to bat an eyelid if you take a few soaps, but remember that constant incidences of theft can impact a property’s bottom line and while bigger chains may be able to absorb more of the cost, for smaller independents, the loss can really hurt.

This aside, hotels can, and will, put thieves on a barred list in their database, which – when dealing with a mammoth chain like Hilton – will prohibit you from checking into any of their properties worldwide. Then there’s the prospect of actual criminal charges.

Will I get charged if I take a robe from a hotel?

Consequences of Taking Hotel Property – If you take something from your hotel room, you can expect an extra charge on your bill. Robes and towels are so commonly stolen that many hotels now list the charge right on the hanger; they will automatically bill the credit card they have on file for the extra cost of replacing these items.

Robert Thrailkill, the General Manager of the Conrad Miami, once said: “A guest room should feel like a home away from home. If the guest enjoys something enough to want to take it home with them, they are welcome to do so, but at a charge. We give guests the option to purchase the items that they are fond of, with everything from the 700 thread count linens and mattresses to the Conrad Miami signature terrycloth and waffle robes.” In some countries, including Nigeria, hotel guests have faced jail time for stealing items such as towels.

Again, it’s best to be cautious and ask reception if you are unsure whether something is complimentary—especially when you are traveling in a foreign country and are unfamiliar with the laws.

How much does a hotel charge for a robe?

There’s now an even better reason to steal that hotel bathrobe Most hotel rooms are a blur, says Maxwell Young. But there is one part of his stay at the Hotel Palomar in Northwest Washington that he will always remember: the leopard- and zebra-print robes hanging in his room.

It was like I opened the closet and rays of sunshine poured out,” he said of the bathrobes, which he later raved about on Twitter. (“Snow may have put a crimp in our DC plans, but this zebra robe at @Kimpton Palomar Hotel is really lifting my mood.”) Young, who works in marketing, spent the rest of his business trip working in his animal print robes.

By checkout time, he’d made plans to buy a similar robe for a friend. As hotel chains look for new ways to attract younger travelers, bathrobes have become one more way to add pizazz to an otherwise predictable stay. Gone are the one-size-fits-all robes of earlier decades.

In their place: Seersucker, houndstooth and periwinkle blue, all perfectly suited for sharing on social media.
It’s no longer just about putting the hotel logo on a floppy, loosefitting white robe,” said Greg Eubanks, vice president of hospitality at Standard Textile, where robe sales to such companies as Marriott International and Hilton Hotels & Resorts have tripled in the past two years.

These days, he said, the company’s robes have sewn-in belts and pockets deep enough to hold smartphones. They’re slimmer, too, and tend to be shorter. “For years, we sold robes that were about operational efficiency,” Eubanks said. “These days, guests want to feel special — sexy, even — in their robes.” To that end, executives at Four Seasons Hotels spent three years fine-tuning the chain’s newest offerings, which are more tailored and less bulky than their predecessors.

They also have slimmer sleeves to make it easier for women to style their hair in their robes. (“We know customers are pleased because so many of our robes walk away,” one executive said.) Marriott, meanwhile, has replaced many of its white robes with charcoal gray versions that are shorter and have wider sleeves.

And at Hilton — where 18 percent of guests say that “lounging around in hotel robes all day” is their favorite part of being on vacation — lighter-weight resort robes have taken the place of plush terry. Perhaps the boldest bathrobes can be found in Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ 65 properties.

For 15 years, the San Francisco-based company has stocked its guests’ rooms with leopard-, giraffe- and zebra-print robes. Now it is going a step further, introducing a dozen new patterns and designs to its boutique properties, which include the Hotel George and Carlyle Hotel in Washington. The Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia, for example, now has Rocky Balboa-inspired hooded robes, while rooms at the Buchanan Hotel near San Francisco’s Japantown come with kimono-style robes.

In North Carolina and Georgia, guests are greeted with seersucker robes. Other hotels carry herringbone and pinstriped prints as well as robes with hoods and shawl collars. “As we developed more unique properties, we thought robes should become more interesting as well,” said Diana Martinez, Kimpton’s design director.

It seems like a small detail, but it makes a big impact for guests.” Finding the right bathrobes can, however, be a years-long challenge for hotels.
The pieces must be durable enough to withstand commercial washing and inexpensive enough to replace fairly frequently.
That means knitted fabrics like jersey and chenille, which can easily fall apart in the wash or stretch out on a hanger, are out, says Karen Faul, president of Monarch Cypress Hotel Division, which sells 250,000 hotel robes a year.

Can you keep the crown towers slippers?

NO: Linen & Towels – Curtains, pillows, sheets, robes. Keep those sticky fingers at bay around these items. Only when you are staying on a champagne budget do the robes become take-home tokens. The slippers, however, are yours to keep. Let sleeping towels lie.

Image: Getty) According to the Huffington Post, the average hotel loses 10 to 20 per cent of its linens per month.
Some hotels have actually started putting tiny tracking tags on their towels, robes and bedsheets, or offering the items for purchase like a hotel gift shop.
Also, they have your credit card on file and I’m guessing that well-used towel isn’t worth what they’re going to charge you.

Fluffy towels are hard to resist, but investing in some fabric softener back home should see you right.

Is it OK to take shampoo from hotel?

Top Free Items in Hotel Which Guests can Take Back Home Can You Take Hotel Robes It happens with most of us that despite not being a thief, we behave like kleptomaniac while being in a hotel. There is a wrong perception among us that if we have paid for the room, we are entitled to its contents. The instinct for gathering takes over us and we try putting things into our trolley.

But there is a difference between collecting and stealing.
You are not permitted to take everything kept in the room.
There is nothing wrong in taking the little bottles of toiletries home; despite how unlawful it may feel (although it’s frequent for people to call it “stealing”).
Your bill covers the cost of these free hotel items and hotels actually let the guests taking the toiletries home.

Those things remind the guests of the hotel along with advertising about it to others. These are some items that you can carry home from your hotel room.

Can I take pen from hotel room?

Stationery – Pens, pencils and notebooks – even magazines and newspapers are allowed to be taken home with you. Most magazines and newspapers are no use the next day so a hotel would just dispose of them at the end of the day. Keep ’em and use them as a keepsake from your trip!

What are you allowed to take from a hotel room?

4. Stationery – Hotels often provide commonly used stationery (pens, pencils, notepads, envelopes, letter-paper, and registers) with their logo on it. This is a subtle form of marketing and hence, guests are usually allowed to take these away. Magazines, however, should not be removed from the hotel room. You should return these to the rack or cupboard if they are provided in your room.

Do hotels keep condoms?

Condoms – It is never advertised and no hotel employee will bring it up, but almost every decent hotel has free condoms available upon request. If you’re caught without, don’t be afraid to call the front desk and ask them to send a few condoms to your room. The first time you do it may feel awkward, but in a pinch it’s a life-saver, in more ways than one. Positano, Italy | Alex Tihonovs/Shutterstock

Why do hotels skip the 13th floor?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Panel from an elevator in a residential apartment building in Shanghai, Floors 4, 13 and 14 are missing, because of the similarity between the pronunciation of the word “four” and “death” in Chinese. The thirteenth floor is a designation of a level of a multi-level building that is often omitted in countries where the number 13 is considered unlucky,

Omitting the 13th floor may take a variety of forms; the most common include denoting what would otherwise be considered the thirteenth floor as level 14, giving the thirteenth floor an alternate designation such as “12A” or “M” (the thirteenth letter of the Latin alphabet ), or closing the 13th floor to public occupancy or access (e.g., by designating it as a mechanical floor ).

Reasons for omitting a thirteenth floor include triskaidekaphobia on the part of the building’s owner or builder, or a desire by the building owner or landlord to prevent problems that may arise with superstitious tenants, occupants, or customers. In 2002, based on an internal review of records, Dilip Rangnekar of Otis Elevators estimated that 85% of the buildings with Otis brand elevators did not have a floor named the 13th floor.

Early tall-building designers, fearing a fire on the 13th floor, or fearing tenants’ superstitions about the rumor, decided to omit having a 13th floor listed on their elevator numbering. This practice became commonplace, and eventually found its way into American mainstream culture and building design.

Vancouver city planners have banned the practice of skipping 4s and 13s, since it could lead to mistakes by first responders, for example going to the wrong floor.

Why do girls wear robes?

A bathrobe is used mostly for privacy. Once called dressing gowns, the point of bathrobes is to cover your body during in-between times when you’re not in regular clothes, like after a shower or while choosing an outfit. Since they’re made of the same materials as towels, robes also help absorb water and keep you warm.

Why wear a robe after shower?

Which is better, a bathrobe or towel? – A robe is better than towel. A robe can be used to dry yourself after showering, and also to cover your body when you are in the bathroom. It is not only useful for drying after showering, but also for covering your body when you are in the bathroom because you don’t want to get cold from the cold air outside.

How long should you keep a robe?

Now that you know how to wash a bathrobe, you might be wondering how to know when yours is on its last leg. If you slip into a robe daily, you’ll probably get about two years out of it. But if you only wear it on weekend mornings, for instance, it might last you several years.

Does your robe have holes, tears or frays? Does it feel thinner or less absorbent than it used to? Does it have permanent stains or a funky smell even fresh out of the wash? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it’s probably time to spring for a new one. When you’re ready to upgrade, you’ll find lots of choice options at Parachute.

We’re talking light and fluffy cloud cotton, classic plush Turkish cotton, easy-breezy linen, textured waffle weave and jersey-knit organic cotton, Browse the bathrobe collection and see what stands out, or take our Robe Quiz to discover the right fabric for your taste and lifestyle.

Can hotels charge for stains?

Final word – So to summarize, most hotels will not charge you for stains that can be removed. If the linens have to be thrown out, some hotels will charge you but many will not if it looks like the damage came from normal use. However, if you caused substantial damage or the damage looks intentional then you should expect to be charged. Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo, He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider.