Hotels.com launches its annual Hotel Room Innsights Report*, uncovering surprising services and stories from more than 400 partner hotels worldwide. This year’s report reveals the astonishing items left behind by guests, wildest room service orders, hidden hotel perks and ‘out of this world’ services accommodating travelers today.
The report shows the most common forgotten items are dirty laundry, device chargers and makeup and toiletries, but this year’s innsights reveal a new list of forgotten items not for the faint-hearted.
- The priciest: Hotel staff found a Rolex, Birkin bag, and a $6 million watch.
- Pet peeves: A chick and pet lizard were found (and returned) after their owner checked out.
- Essentials only: Guests forgot two full-leg casts and 10% of hotels reported that guests left behind their dentures.
- The unexplainable: Items include a rice cooker, car tire, blender and construction pipes.
Despite efforts like ‘lost and found’ boxes, some hotel staff have gone to the extreme to reunite guests with their possessions. One hotel hero drove 100 miles to return a passport, another ran several blocks to deliver items before a cruise ship departed, and another took a shopping trip to replace a lost teddy bear for a young traveler and included a book detailing the bear’s adventures.
The most head-scratching requests include:
- An Evian-filled bathtub so a child can bathe in the purest water
- Customized allergen menu for their pet, i.e., gluten free, dairy free, etc.
- Burnt toast
- A caviar hot dog
- Fresh goat milk
- 4lbs of bananas
- A high five from a team member to ensure their room service request was read
Melanie Fish, vice president of Global Public Relations at Hotels.com said, “At Hotels.com we know hotels inside and out – it’s in our name. By asking hotels to reveal the secrets behind their most memorable stays, we discovered that these “innsights” have actually inspired services available to guests today. From guitar concierges to pet healers, hotels are catering to travelers’ unique demands, which may well become the norm. With the Hotels.com app, you can experience them all while earning rewards and enjoying exclusive perks at VIP Access properties.”
