Who works in the hotel industry?

[zitiqueen]

My H just got back from a boy trip to Florida; they left some bottled water and some beer in the room when they left. What happens to that stuff? Obviously the housekeeping staff knows when people are checking out; do they get to keep it, or are they required by law to throw that stuff out? Does it all go to one place and the staff gets their pick? They were staying at a Hilton Grand Vacations.

I imagine all kinds of stuff gets left behind, on purpose or accidentally. What happens to the hair dryers or clothes or books or whatever? Donated? Thrown away?

[nsuhomer]

I used to work at an upscale boutique hotel in NYC. We held in lost and found for a bit. Most stuff got tossed eventually. Some things (like mobile phone chargers) were saved to loan out to guests that forgot theirs. Things like water and beer were immediately chucked.

[zitiqueen]

The food/drinks have to be tossed even if they've never been opened? I'm thinking of like canned beer or a bag of chips, things where it's obvious it's never been opened.

[mich1]

UGH! I left my very expensive and best fitting dress slacks at a hotel in MN. I called the next day and they didn't have them.....dammit!

This being said, when I would go to a research meeting, me and my roommate would pick up soda and/or water for the 5 days we were there. We just left the unopened water and soda for anyone who wanted it, figuring housekeeping would snag it. Oh well.....

[mich1]

I know in a lot of hotels in Turkey, you can leave your books and they become a library for other hotel guests. I've borrowed and left books all over the place!

[lilibet]

Someone I know just worked as housekeeping at a hotel (like Fairfield Inn level though) and posted one day on fb "thanks to whoever left this beer in their room, it's great!" I guess someone had left a few bottles and she took them home. Not sure if that's normal or not though.

[stellas]

Remember the poster who took a photo of all the stuff they were oh so nicely giving to the housekeeping staff? Lmao.

[janegold]

I left some of my favorite workout gear in a hotel in LA en route to Asia and I didn't realize it until we got back a few weeks later. They still had it and mailed it back to me. I was so happy they kept even sweaty workout clothes in the lost and found.

[vicky]

Apr 26, 2015 14:01:39 GMT -5 stellas said:

Remember the poster who took a photo of all the stuff they were oh so nicely giving to the housekeeping staff? Lmao.

Hahah that was meeee

[Deleted]

I worked at a few hotels (housekeeping) and the policy was different for each hotel. At the upscale hotel, if no one called by the end of the day for closed liquor, we could keep it. Water and stuff like that was dumped out and bottles recycled. At the other hotel I worked at, all booze was kept in the lost and found for 3 months, then there was a draw and like 5 people were picked. The stash was split between the 5 winners. I can't remember what happened to the non alcoholic stuff.

[vicky]

Oh. And I left more beer and wine in Boston.

[Deleted]

Apr 26, 2015 13:42:33 GMT -5 nursecramer said:

I wonder this about the soaps, shampoos, lotions, etc. at the places that leave you new ones every single day. If I leave them and they're unopened, they get reused for someone else, right? Or do they just trash them?

Yes, they get reused.

[Deleted]

Apr 26, 2015 14:15:29 GMT -5 Queen Dick, Hibernating Bear said:

Apr 26, 2015 14:13:24 GMT -5 @ygmg said:

Yes, they get reused.

Do you have any idea how much those items cost? Obviously the hotel buys in bulk but is the little soap 2 cents or more like 10 cents? I always wondered this.

The cheapo white soaps are roughly 2-3 cents. The higher end stuff is obviously a bit more expensive.

[Deleted]

Apr 26, 2015 13:40:12 GMT -5 mich1 said:

UGH! I left my very expensive and best fitting dress slacks at a hotel in MN. I called the next day and they didn't have them.....dammit!

This being said, when I would go to a research meeting, me and my roommate would pick up soda and/or water for the 5 days we were there. We just left the unopened water and soda for anyone who wanted it, figuring housekeeping would snag it. Oh well.....

This happened to me with an expensive sweater. housekeeping and a front desk clerk couldn't find it. I *knew* I had left it on a chair - packed in a hurry. When I called back to speak with a manager to complain, the manager located it and shipped it to me.

[redheadk]

I've offered bottled water to the bellhop when he comes to collect our luggage. At Disney, we had an entire unopened case leftover. He was very happy to get it cold from the fridge and said that they are always happy to accept cold drinks for their mini fridge .

[bornbaker]

At our hotel booze, food, etc is thrown out.

Other items (like clothing, jewelry etc) is logged and then after a period of time its thrown out or staff can take it home.

However, when something is found they can see who stayed in the room. So if it's a wedding ring, computer, or something that may be of importance we have contacted the guest.

[agnes]

I've wondered this too.

I left my makeup bag in Praugue with new makeup, condoms and shit. I was really bummed. I've left a book in Morongo. Sunglasses case in San Francisco. But never food, at least that I know of.

[amberlyrose]

We had a log and safe for anything that wasn't food or drinks. Not sure about food..

[sent]

I left behind a pricey purse and a very nice laptop in the safe at a swanky hotel once. I called the hotel as soon as I realized it a few hours later. They called back and claimed there was nothing in the safe.  Ok sure, I know I put them in there and very few people had access to the room after I left it so this isn't adding up.

We were still in the area so the next day we went back to the hotel and asked again. A nicely dressed woman came out with my stuff and muttered something about the items being found in a locker where they weren't supposed to be and protocol was not followed when the safe was opened.   The fact that it was a holiday the day we checked out and there was barely any staff or managers around may had something to do with it.

[FrozenSunshine]

I was told by a hotel manager once, it's considered left behind/forgotten unless you state otherwise. So anytime we have unopened wine/snacks, I leave it next to the tip for the housekeeper stating to please share this with coworkers, take home to family or follow company policy.

[zitiqueen]

Apr 26, 2015 18:29:41 GMT -5 bornbaker said:

At our hotel booze, food, etc is thrown out.

Even if it has clearly never been opened?

[Deleted]

At all of the hotels I have worked at - anything not food or beverage left in the room is ticketed and locked in the lost and found. After holding the items for one year from the date they were left, the items are placed out for employees and they can take those things if they want them.


For food and beverage, if it is open they are tossed. If the bottles/bags of food are not opened, the housekeepers usually take those.

[lilafowler]

My BFF is a hotel manager. He said the staff get psyched when they find booze/food. They're not supposed to take it but he knows it happens-he's told me before about talking to them about eating "guest food" that people leave behind. Lol

[Deleted]

Apr 27, 2015 8:08:53 GMT -5 lilafowler said:

My BFF is a hotel manager. He said the staff get psyched when they find booze/food. They're not supposed to take it but he knows it happens-he's told me before about talking to them about eating "guest food" that people leave behind. Lol

Oh yeah. Half drank bottle of liquor? Not tossed, I am sure!

[bornbaker]

Apr 27, 2015 6:26:41 GMT -5 zitiqueen said:

Apr 26, 2015 18:29:41 GMT -5 bornbaker said:

At our hotel booze, food, etc is thrown out.

Even if it has clearly never been opened?

Yes. 

Especially with alcohol. We have a very strict employee alcohol policy, we also cannot keep/sell/distribute items the hotel has not personally purchased via liquor license and hotel policy. We're owned by an insurance company, so they're all over us for weird stuff. 

[zitiqueen]

Apr 27, 2015 10:57:14 GMT -5 bornbaker said:

Apr 27, 2015 6:26:41 GMT -5 zitiqueen said:

Even if it has clearly never been opened?

Yes. 

Especially with alcohol. We have a very strict employee alcohol policy, we also cannot keep/sell/distribute items the hotel has not personally purchased via liquor license and hotel policy. We're owned by an insurance company, so they're all over us for weird stuff. 

Your neighbors, I assume? Gotcha. 

[deanlicker78]

It's up to our housekeepers. If they want what's left behind, food and drink wise, they keep it. Otherwise it gets tossed.

Personal belongings left behind get put in lost and found for a couple of weeks and then if anyone wants it they can have it. Everything else we donate.

[messykitchen]

Years ago for my brothers wedding my then bf and I stayed at the Ritz with the wedding party. When we checked out he left his wallet (containing like two bucks and a joint) behind in the room.

They mailed it back to us, joint and 2 bucks intact, before we had even gotten home to call and ask.

That's my only experience with leaving stuff behind lol

[marina007]

I cleaned hotel rooms at a comfort inn when I was in high school. Opened stuff got tossed, unopened drinks/snacks were claimed by cleaning staff and all other forgotten items were kept in lost and found for 2 weeks. Usually hotel would contact the guest of they hAd left anything in the room and mail it to them free of charge. But I remember bringing like 4 different brands of beer to parties in high school
Bc I had gotten random bottles from the hotel rooms.