Maybe you stash a bar or two of hotel soap in your suitcase, or sneak a shower cap into your pocket. Sometimes, a pen might “accidentally” fall into a purse. But for guests at four- and five-star hotels, the stakes for room theft are even higher.
The more a guest pays for a room, the more emboldened they are to steal high-priced goods. In a survey of 1,157 hoteliers in Europe and Asia, hotel owners revealed the craziest things that have been swiped, according to a report by Wellness Heaven, a portal which reviews spa and luxury hotels in Europe and Asia.
Such as a grand piano.
Three unknown men in overalls had taken away the grand piano.
“Once I walked through the lobby, I noticed that something was missing, and soon after I learned that three unknown men in overalls had taken away the grand piano, and it never reappeared, of course,” said one hotelier from Italy, who had his instrument swiped.
In France, taxidermy was on a guest’s menu. “In a hotel in France, a guest was caught trying to steal a stuffed boar’s head. At a later date, he did receive this trophy: friends bought the precious piece from the hotel and gave it to him as a wedding gift,” the site notes.
Other items include “bathroom fixtures, the head of a rain shower, a hydromassage shower, a toilet seat, a drainpipe [and] even an entire sink.”
In Salzburg, Austria, fragrant pinewood sauna benches were nicked (the theft was noticed after another guest complained about having to relax standing up), and an entire stereo system in a German hotel’s spa disappeared overnight — and hotels in all areas have seen oil paintings and other artwork disappear.
High-end hotels that offer guests the use of tablet computers often find them missing — along with coffeemakers. And it’s not just coronavirus-crazed guests who make off with toilet paper — guests in four-star hotels usually leave with rolls of the stuff — even in healthy times.
But perhaps the surprising items to get lifted are mattresses.
“Expensive luxury mattresses (often worth several thousand euros) are not immune to disappear: the probability for their theft is 8.1 times higher in five-star hotels,” the site notes. A hotelier revealed that the bulky items are sometimes whisked away in the middle of the night using elevators that go directly to the underground parking.
Also interesting is what people steal by their nationality:
- German, British: These “hotel guests follow a rather boring theft behavior: In addition to towels and bathrobes, primarily cosmetics and toiletries are the focus.”
- Austrians: “Dishes and coffee machines appear high up in their theft ranking.”
- Americans: “Pillows and batteries appear as the prime objects of desire.”
- Italians: They “seem to prefer wine glasses as a hotel souvenir.”
- Swiss: “The hairdryer ranks high up in [their] ranking.
- Dutch: “Their favorites include light bulbs and toilet paper.”
- French: They “steal in a more spectacular manner. … [They are] attracted mainly to TV sets and remote controls.”
Paula Froelich is the founder and editor of the online travel magazine for women, A Broad Abroad. Instagram @pfro.
