Oysterman

I want to get a little feedback on a situation. I spend about 200 nights in hotels between Marriott and Hilton on a yearly basis, knock on wood, I have never left anything behind of great value, I can miss a razor or toothbrush.

This past weekend, my wife and I checked out of a full service Marriott, and when we got home, she realized that she had left a few clothing items in the dresser drawer. Within 8 hours since we checked out, she called and spoke to someone in lost and found, (we will call you back in the am.) We wait a day, no reply, call Platinum line, they are no help. I call again to talk to housekeeping, and they claim they found nothing.

We know that she left the items in the room, but have a feeling that housekeeping either kept or tossed the items. Are we S.O.L.? Should I send a note knowing that housekeeping is instructed to bag and tag any items left behind in rooms? Any thoughts as to next steps would be greatly appreciated.

DJ_Iceman

U R SOL.

NJUPINTHEAIR

Fuhgeddabouit.

As it was said above, you are SOL.

Also, I find it a bit strange that someone who travels as much as you claim, that you think it likely that you would be able to retrieve same, especially since the hotel has denied knowledge of these items.

What do you expect management to do, compensate you for your error?

Be thankful that sometimes these stories end with the owner being reunited with their items, but yours did not. Move on.

JamesEaston

ROTFL. Have to assume the "NJ" in your nickname indicates from New Jersey !

To the OP - my guess is you are indeed SOL about getting the clothes back but I would escalate this to the GM at the hotel. We had an almost identical situation at a hotel where I happened to know the FOM. After what I'd guess was a long search and interview process with the staff we received word that they indeed had no idea where the things were. I "fugoddabouit" but a few days later 10,000 bonus points were added to my account as an apology. Big surprise since I didn't request any compensation, but they thought it appropriate. I'd contact the GRM, FOM or GM to discuss not only the theft of your things, but the way it's been handled so far and even if you don't see the return of your things, I suspect they will feel obligated to provide you with some compensation.

socrates

Note this is not directed at anyone but it is disturbing and offensive that folks automatically assume the missing items were stolen by the housekeeping team....I'm not saying it doesn't happen but it's extremely rare, just think about it - the hotel knows exactly what time the housekeeper entered the room and which specific housekeeper it is...if that person is stealing they most certainly will be caught, these people are extremely hard working, trying to ensure their families are taken care of....in my experience 90% of the times folks have come to me with a theft accusation against the housekeeper the guest later locates the items (sometimes they never even brought the items with them to the hotel in the first place)...I can count in my entire career the number of apologies offered....it's a very sad part of our society that folks immediately make such serious accusations

Now I'll get off my soapbox and respond to the OP - it's unfortunate that the hotel hasn't followed up with you after your first contact with them, I would encourage you to contact the GM and explain that you believe that items were left behind by mistake

DYKWIA

I've left things behind 3 times in a hotel I used to stay at Monday to Friday for over 2 year. These were things like iPhone/iPad chargers, so (fortunately) nothing too expensive to replace.

Each time I phoned, nothing had been found by housekeeping.

I guess everything gets put on eBay.

CJKatl

My friend, I think you may have made an assumption that isn't what people are actually thinking. Housekeeping might not have realized an important item was accidentally left behind versus unwanted and left to be discarded and not be owning up to, or maybe even remembering, discarding the item. I'd like to believe that most of us on this board do not think the housekeepers are stealing, and realize they are hard working people who aside from having personal integrity, know a $100 used iPad isn't worth losing a job over.

Personally, I would be disappointed if the hotel could not find the item left in a room, but the fault would, IMO, primarily be mine for leaving the item in the hotel to begin with. I have had luck with eyeglasses at a few hotels and a suit jacket at the LAX Airport FS. And, amazingly, I've been able to find many charger cords when I return to hotels, and sometimes, charger cords that I claimed to have left behind previously at hotels at which I'd never previously been!

Related Story a Little Off Topic: Over the summer, on a trip with my nieces and nephew, as we were driving to the Hoover Dam, my 16 yo nephew told me he left his wallet and laundry in the hotel room. We were planning on driving from the dam to LA, but after calling the hotel, we were now swinging back to LV to get his stuff, adding time to the drive. The SHS actually blocked the room, so whatever was in the room was still there. I read my nephew the riot act, using words like irresponsible, not thinking and disorganized. When we got back to LV, I dropped him and one sister at the hotel to retrieve the items and the other sister and I got gas. When we pulled back up to the hotel, I asked him if they still had his wallet and laundry. He said yes, "and they had your shoes, too!" Ouch!

VickiSoCal

I've had only good experiences with left items, minor and major. I left my laptop at a hotel in August. They shipped it to another hotel for me.

joshua362

My guess is that in the rush to clean-up a room, a lot of "nominal" items, including clothes, just simply get thrown out rather than entering the established lost and found routine.

I once left a very small but unique GPS charger (maybe $15 to replace but not going to be found at the local Best Buy) at a REN where I travel regularly. Never thought I would see it again but for kicks I asked when checking in a few weeks later. Late on a Sunday night, an impeccably dressed security man came to my room with the charger in a sealed baggie with a large 3 part form describing the item & every minute detail of who, where & how it was found. I was floored (and also surprised they didn't try to contact me after undergoing such an effort), had to sign for it, get a copy and tipped appropriately.

So imagine if they had to do this for every article of clothing left behind!

Another time, I left a large textbook filled with years of notes, study aids and highlighting behind when I was studying to be a pilot. I discovered my goof within an hour and called the hotel. They were very apologetic as it was found by the maid but immediately thrown down the incinerator being an old downtown Boston hotel. They mailed me money to buy another book but of course that could not really replace it.

Traveler beware. I consider myself relatively fortunate over the years given the crap I lug around. I have also lost 3 $250 iPods in the last few years, but those have been on planes....

Eujeanie

Do you think housekeeping opens all the drawers?

I think the next people in the room opened the drawer, saw the clothes, and either said "ewww, someone's germy clothes" and tossed them, or said "ohhh, someone lovely designer clothes that are exactly my size".

Often1

Why presume that cleaners stole the stuff? Just because they are likely poor? May well be that they don't even check the drawers of a less than high-end property. But, the next guest may have seen the stuff and likely tossed it or kept it.

Either way this is 100% OP's fault and 0% the property's. Unless OP has evidence against a hotel employee, forget it. And even then, forget it.

SkiAdcock

To the OP. Ultimately you are responsible for your items, whether clothing or otherwise.

Some properties have policies in place where they record every item left behind in a room & keep it for a set period of time. Others might not have as tight a system.

I do think you can reach out to the GM and ask how they handle things left behind, and also express your dismay that it took more than 1 phone call by you to get an answer re: the missing items. I also wouldn't automatically assume housekeeping stole the items.

Cheers.

orca15

Ditto.

bitburgr

I once left my electric razor in my bathroom. Out in plain sight. Housekeeping would have had to have seen it.

I called the next morning...nothing.
I was actually at the hotel the next week...nothing.
Giving it up for lost, I tried calling again a few weeks later...still nothing.

I chalked it up to being my own fault and moved on, but I have a hard time understanding how housekeeping / lost-and-found didn't have it.

lskohn

Been there, done that. I've also had good results when calling about left-behind items within 12 hours after departure, but I think there are some obvious ways to maximize success:

1. Have a name label on anything that will hold one - all those Humane Society name-and-address labels are a godsend for this! I've even left a battery-and-charger plugged in at an airport mailed back to me by a random stranger (Yes it was DSM and they are real nice there )

2. Tell the story not just to housekeeping but front desk and/or security and/or GM's office - the more people who know, the more likely an effort will be made and the more difficult it is for an employee to have casual (as opposed to committed) sticky fingers. Those who are systematic thieves are unlikely to be deterred, but others may be.

3. When you call, ask nicely and winningly, for the same reason as #2. You may get someone to care. Make it clear you expect to pay for shipping, "using the card already on file."

4. Don't wait for staff to call you back...without being a pest, be proactive, give them an hour, and call.

5. Recognize that the loss may be due to next guest, not hotel staff. Depending on what the item is, you might actually call the room number and see if you reach someone, and ask them to check - & if it's there, to give it to the front desk manager. (I've never tried that, I admit)

I think clothing's a tough one...not enough obvious value to trigger empathy from staff to do more than throw it away or pocket it, perhaps.