5 star holiday resort would your kids toys to get taken

[pinkhipposgoswimming]

We've never been on holiday before since having the DC. I have a 2, a 3 and a 5 year old, and after much saving we went away for half term to a nice sunny country and stayed in a 5 star all inclusive. Took a few toys with us and purchased beach buckets in various shops at extortionate prices.

Toddlers mainly liked taking things into the pool. But so many things went missing. At the end of each day the pools were all cleared, stuff fished out and the various inflatables and toys are piled up in one area of forgotten stuff. Only on one occasion did something turn up. On the last day I saw someone put a load of what I was 99% sure was our stuff in their pushchair. The thing is it was one of the sets of things purchased there so I couldn't be sure. Should I have challenged them ? Do people in 5 stars hotels steal children's pool toys deliberately? We lost 12 items in a week.

Is it just stuff being misplaced or borrowed? I can't stop other children playing with my DC's toys and with 3 to keep and eye on in a pool its impossible to manage that. Just as my DC played with others stuff.

But you are saying that people are actively choosing to steal kids toys when in all likelihood they aren't it's accidental.

If one parent packs the pool bag in the room and leaves out the bucket and spade then the other parent tidies up at the pool and sees what they think is their bucket and spade they'll obviously put it with their stuff.

Also you seem adamant they were stolen rather than you misplacing them? Are you certain they were stolen or are you just assuming the worst in other families? I don’t think the 5* has anything to do with it.

I bloody love MN 😬🙄
I did try to keep track of things and 3 DC.
I knew what my DC had taken to the pool each day.
I didn't leave the stuff there all day, all week.
Believe it or not not everyone spoke English.

Ah well. It’s a pain but just write it off and next time book somewhere with your own pool. It’s the way forward.

People can pick up stuff and not realise it's not theirs or the kids can pick up stuff thinking it's theirs. With kids especially, they will have the same things but still will go and play with another kids toy. All the plastic tat are similar stuff with similar colours and they are same thing. I normally buy them on holiday and pick up everything after each time we've used the pool or beach and on the last day, leave the toys that I don't want to take with me at the kids club. Last year I left some toys with a local family who had a son similar age to my son and they drove to the resort from their city and had space in the car. So I left the toy aeroplane and some plastic cars as I didn't want them to take space in the suitcase.

I just don't understand this at all.

Generic pool toys - inflatables, goggles, flippers etc - just get used then taken back to your room or put on/under your lounger with a towel chucked over. One toy at a time.

If another kid starts playing with our ball or something (holiday or uk!) I generally give them a couple of minutes grace then ask them nicely for it back.

Losing 12 items is madness and sounds like you had a big pile of stuff you just didn't keep an eye on. That's on you.

@MassiveSalad22 maybe like a p.p. suggested some accidentally taken by mistake. We did loose one item in the sea, but I wasn't including that. We only went out to the beach one time. Otherwise just by the children's pool.

Yes but not quite like that. We went away last week too, Same issue with my 2 year old. I tried my best to keep on top of it. Taking 1 toy at a time. If someone picked it up I would say to my kid, this little boy has your watering can is it ok to share, make sure you get it back. Then most parents knew who it belonged to and gave it back.

people shouldn’t be taking anything that isn’t there’s but it’s a nightmare and you have to be really in it to make sure you get it all back.

You'll know for next time at least.

Christ alive!! Please tell me where you stayed OP so I make sure never to set foot anywhere near it.

just the thought of Screaming kids in a pool with inflatables is giving me the heebie jeebies😞

All inflatables should be banned!
you need to look after your own kids and their stuff!

Yes i just keep track of what we took down that day, and once my DD had finished playing with something i would go and get it and bring it back over to the sun lounger. I didn't let her take everything to kids pool as i would have lost track. If other kids wanted to play witg our stuff then the parents asked and that was fine as then they would make sure it was brought back.

People probably thought it was all leftover stuff if you never made it clear it was yours

Ok so you can’t be too mad by people taking things by mistake then. That’s not malicious or anything. Don’t let it ruin the memories of your holiday!

I'd imagine if there are toys piled up at the side of the pool, a lot of people would assume they were communal. I think I probably would anyway, but I'd put them back when we were finished with them.

Take a sharpie next time and write your name on stuff in big black permanent letters. Buy/take minimal toys to begin with and get your children in the habit of returning stuff to your bag when done instead of putting it down and leaving it in the sandpit or whatever where naturally other kids will pick it up. When you get up to go for lunch or whatever go and ask for things back if you see people using them, don’t just leave them there while you go.

Yes, just like occasionally people nick kids school uniform and nice coats they also nick toys. But more often in the kind of scenario you describe stuff just gets mixed up, they think stuff is just communal/belongs to the hotel etc. I can’t imagine many people can be bothered skulking around the pool looking for cheap plastic to steal that they then have to cart around/pack.

A lot of the time people leave their stuff in the pool on the last day for other people to enjoy as they don't have room in suitcases to take it home.

You're expected to take them back to your room each day/keep on your balcony. As otherwise people think they're available to take.

eh? its the norm to leave unwanted beach toys for other children to enjoy when you leave, if you have ve left them lying around then thats an assumpsion most people would make?

Now you know, you’re responsible to look after your own stuff. Tell others it’s your stuff and yes take it from toddlers because it’s your stuff. When you leave you gather and take your own stuff.

What does being 5 star have anything to do with it? You keep saying it, but I can’t see the relevance?

@TheWayoftheLeaf but if something is left for others to use, does that mean you should then take it home yourself ? I don't think so. Inflatables May blow away or puncture of course.

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I just got back from a 3 star resort and nothing got nicked. I don’t see what the star rating has to do with anything.

Do people in 5 stars hotels steal children's pool toys deliberately?

Yes it is a well known scam. People pay £1000s to stay in a 5 star resort because they know they can recoup the costs from all the buckets and spades they will have access to.

But we didn’t leave anything out at the end of the day, because that would be ridiculous.

Well you let a child take the toy and watched them leave with it. Even five star hotels don’t have a ‘watch Amy’s toys’ facility. It’s your responsibility to take care of your items whether it’s a premier inn or the poshest hotel in the world.

If, for instance, my kids play with their toys in the pool, they then bring it back to our sunbed with them.

If you leave it around people assume that they've been left there by holiday makers who have gone home!

@JemimaTiggywinkle I'm checking Facebook marketplace for my buckets now 😂