Brits take towels, toiletries & hangers from hotels…but don't admit it

Hoteliers and guests don't necessarily agree when it comes to what goes missing from hotel rooms, a new poll has found.

Almost three quarters (70%) of British travellers admit to taking something from a hotel before they check out, according to new TripBarometer Truth in Travel survey by online review site TripAdvisor, with toiletries and stationery the most commonly-pilfered items.

However, while three in five (59%) UK hoteliers say that their guests take at least something when they leave, the most commonly-reported stolen objects don't necessary tally with what travellers themselves admit to taking.

Just 5% of British travellers say they have ever taken towels from a hotel room, but one quarter of hoteliers say that they have had towels go missing following a guest's stay.

Similarly, 10% of hoteliers say that wardrobe hangers have gone missing, while 7% found that the batteries from a television remote had gone.

One hotelier taking part in the survey wrote: "Shampoo is one thing, but please stop taking the towels!"

Commenting on the results, TripAdvisor spokesperson James Kay said: "It seems some of us Brits are prone to stretching the bounds of what is a legitimate hotel freebie."

However, he said that other countries are just as bad, with USA hotels the most likely to report missing items such as coat hangers and towels.

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