Lost Luggage
 

Following check out I left my luggage with the concierge at a Hilton in London so I was not carrying it with me to a series of meetings. When I returned in the evening the bag could not be found. After examining the CCTV footage it became apparent that my distinctive metallic blue suitcase had been given to other guests collecting several bags on from the luggage store.

The hotel agreed that I should cancel a reservation in another London Hilton for the night and stay at my original hotel. They gave me a standard room and managed to find a charger for my laptop and phone - although no night clothes etc. At 1am I received a call that they had managed to contact the other guests who had my bag and would have it delivered to me by mid-afternoon that day. It has now arrived.

Has anyone else had this kind of experience? Should I expect compensation to the hotel who have clearly admitted liability for 18 hours without my case and a lot of stress particularly as amongst everything was in my case to lighten my load for the day - the sort of electrical gear I'd never send as checked baggage with an airline because it might be lost. You didn't expect bags at the hotel to be lost however!

I think it was luck that I got the bag back. Because of it's colour they could see it on CCTV and the guests leaving were distinctive.

So I'd be interested in views guys.

Thanks,

bmifly

Ah, yes...another "should I expect $/points from a travel provider after they've satisfactorily handled a goof-up" post.

Sure, it would be nice if they offer something, and a good GM would actively acknowledge the incident. You obviously travel a fair amount...stuff happens. You got your things back. Deal with the inevitable pitfalls of life on the road and move on.

How did somebody take your suitcase and not know it?

I am willing to be the bag check said something about them not being liable for your stuff. That would rule out any compensation.

Even if it didn't, they got your stuff back, so no, I don't think you should get anything. It's a risk you take when you hand your stuff over to people for storage, eventually it's gonna go missing.

Understand your sentiment there, but a harsh assessment of the OP's post and thoughts.

While baggage holding is generally a best efforts/no liability basis, when it does happen it can seriously inconvenience a pax and have negative impacts on a brand. This is where hotels do need to go above and beyond to make up for the inconvenience, but I think cash/points compensation is too much.

They re-accommodated you, arranged & secured return of your luggage, and did their best to ensure you could stay productive while inconvenienced. I think that's pretty good all things considered. The only thing they could have done beyond that is discounted/comp'd the room rate - but I wouldn't go asking for that because I think that would be a little rude, that's something they'd need to offer off their own bat.

If the baggage had not been returned or could not be found, that's when they should give due consideration to some form of compensation. A fair consideration of the inconvenience would have been least enough to get a couple of changes of clothes, some complimentary phone/fax use while you spoke to your travel insurer, but not much else.

you got a room, got to use chargers for your laptop & phone, you also got your luggage back the following day....i think everything turned out well for you....no need for any further compensation...

Just one reason my standard-issue black bag has giant strips of purple duct tape all over it with my name written on in big capital letters, and several distinctive items tied to the handle....not that this would always work, but it'd be harder for someone lacking my name to lift baggage out of the storage room or from the bag check, depending on the security protocol...

I could easily see it happening with a family group or a group of work colleagues traveling together. Everyone goes to get in the shuttle van or taxi, one person gives a couple of claim tickets to hotel staff, 7-8 bags are loaded by the staff on a cart and stacked in the luggage area of the vehicle and off you go! Of course I'd be looking for MY bag in the stack before leaving, but I wouldn't necessarily be paying attention to the other bags on the cart.

It sounds as though I need to consider carefully whether to leave any luggage with a hotel. Where there is a tag on the bag, and the bag is out of the norm (in terms of being metallic blue) the hotel is not following duty of care. In fact so distinctive is the case the concierge recalled giving it to the other guests which is why they tracked down the CCTV footage so quickly.

So, FlyerTalkers, have you lost your luggage in this way? With an airline there's semi-clear compensation but nothing in place for the hotel losing luggage. I'm not inclined to accept in a 5 star hotel that luggage can be given to the wrong guests - and yes recovered - but with no compensation. The hotel was reckless and, as I've said, did not follow duty of care.

bmifly

bmifly

The 'goof-up' was not satisfactorily handled. I was without my suitcase for 12 hours and for several did not think it would be recovered. There should have been no error in the first place. I'm not prepared to simply say 'Oh well, they gave the bag to the wrong guests, but more by chance than anything got it back in 12 hours.'

This is all the more the case as the hotel room rate was £350!

bmifly

Sounds like you may be the sort of guest that hotels are better off without. Your "thought" that it would never be recovered and the room rate are irrelevant. You asked for the views of forum participants, and they seem to be unanimously of the "no compensation due" perspective.

Mistakes happen, the hotel tried - and succeeded - to make it right, and you're still dissatisfied. Bummer for you.

I think that's a little harsh, personally.

But - this is just another occasion to reflect that trip insurance, covering this type of event, is never a bad idea. My understanding is that there are annual policies offered by some companies, so one may avoid the inconvenience of insuring on a per-trip basis.

IIRC the luggage claim tag(s) you given in exchange for your bag(s) state something to the effect that the property is not responsible for any damage or loss to those items left with baggage claim. Be glad they found your bag and were able to return it within a brief period of time. Anything else received is just icing on the cake.

don't get me wrong, i am not saying that you were not inconvenienced during this whole ordeal....but they gave you a free room, gave you chargers for your laptop/cell phone, informed you a few hours later that your bag had been found & most importantly, recovered it the next day in the afternoon....

i am very careful about leaving my luggage with a hotel after i have checked out....i wouldn't do it unless i absolutely have no other choice....

i have not lost my luggage in this manner but i have had some items missing from my bag at a property in la after i had left it with them during check out....this is the reason why i don't like leaving my bag with the property....

the most important thing here is that you got your bag back....there is no clear or semi clear compensation associated with a hotel losing your luggage....unfortunately that is the risk you take when you leave your bags with them....

I know, I'm so demanding in expecting the hotel to manage to keep hold of my luggage.

It sounds like you are just the sort of guest they want...;)

No, YOU are the guest hoteliers are all desperately waiting for!

And for that price I'd be furious too.