This blog is "janhit mein jaari". There is not a thin line but a BIG CLEAR line between stealing from a hotel room and what all you can rightfully take.
Vaise, we all can relate to this particular piece of writing because, at some point in time, we all have taken some or the other thing from our hotel rooms. Ab please jyada sophisticated mat pretend karna ok.
There has been a recent incident of an Indian family caught stealing the hotel room stuff and the video went viral. This is a matter of shame for the whole nation. And this is something which induced me to write this particular blog.
Free items you can take home:
Shampoo
Soaps
Dental Kit
Mouthwash
Earbuds
Shower Caps
Conditioner
Razor
Moisturizer
Dry-cleaning/laundry bags
Coffee, creamers, tea bags & sugar packets
Paper & Pens
Newspapers
Water Bottles
Shoe Shine cloths or sponges
Sewing kits
Complimentary fruits and snacks
Slippers - Well, at most places, these are disposable. It's safe to take them. (During my Thailand visit, at almost every hotel, slippers were re-usable and it was clearly mentioned that you can't take them)
(Now some hotels keep toiletries as shampoos and body wash in big bottles and they keep on re-filling it. Certainly, you can't take them home)
Your hotel bill covers the cost of the items mentioned above. These are basically free souvenirs and are provided to you to make your stay easy and comfortable. Taking them home is not at all "stealing".
Items in hotel room minibar are not free!
They are not free! haha. Minibars are full of chocolates, cold-drinks, (beers & vodka sometimes), water bottles, etc. These items are chargeable and you will see a small menu with the prices and all.
Items that you can't take home:
Plants / pots
Towels
Hair Dryers
Lamps
Tv
Tv Remotes
Alarm Clock
Radio
Coffee Maker
Bedspreads
Blankets
Comforters
Pillows
Cushions
Curtains
Bulbs
Hangers
Mugs
Crockery
Card keys and "Do Not Disturb" signs
Books
Umbrellas
Ashtrays
Telephone
Batteries from TV Remote
Iron
Dustbins
Microwave
Mini Fridge
Safe
Paintings
Mirrors
Bathrobes:
Well, they still have that benefit of doubt. Decently priced hotels provide them as a part of your room and launder them and re-use it for another guest when you check out. In case of an upscale property, People usually tend to assume that they are complementary gifts and are used as a promotional item. In India, in case if there is some VIP guest of some celebrity or a "Hashtag Instagram Influencer" is checking in, they may also get a personalized monogrammed bathrobe which definitely they can take along. But more or less, for mango people, it's NOT free.
According to an international daily, taking towels, coffee mugs and robes (and other few items) is a crime and if hotels inform police about it, you can be jailed and also, you can even get banned from booking a room in that hotel ever.
I am not too sure about any such law in India though (if anyone of you knows about it, do mention in the comments section)
If you liked something in the hotel room and felt like taking it home, Do ask the hotel staff politely about it.Like a coffee mug or the bathtub ducky. In most of the cases, they will say yes or ask for a certain purchase price for such items.
Just FYI, some hotels also have attached electronic tags to their linens and other items which they can easily trace during check out.
I tried to cover all the details about items you can take from the hotel room and in case I missed anything, feel free to share.
I hope you like this blog. You can follow me on Instagram for regular updates of my trips and events. Also, don't forget to share your feedback about this blog in the Comments Section. See you in the next one! XOXO