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.

Did you say you stayed in a 5 star hotel or did I misread?

😂

What’s it being a 5 star hotel have to do with it? Do you think only poor people steal?

It's not as if 5 star hotels or resorts are out of reach anymore

They aren't 'all that' special these days

In my opinion anyway

Losing 12 items when you only have 3 kids seems extreme. How many toys did you bring down to the pool each day with you? Even if they had a bucket, spade and inflatable each that’s still only 9 items. If you were taking down bags full of toys each day then I can understand it’s hard to keep track of them but then can’t see why you’re surprised things went missing. The obvious thing is to only let each child have one or two things at a time and then make them put them away before they get anything else out so you can keep an eye on everything. If you’re getting out everything then you will inevitably have other peoples toddlers wander off with things, I doubt anybody was intentionally stealing but if a toddler had hold of a toy the parents may have thought they were hotel toys if nobody tried to take it back from them and if their child really liked something parents may have decided to keep hold of it until the end of their holiday to try and avoid tantrums etc.

I think next time you need to take a bit more responsibility for your belongings by making sure things have names on, ensuring that you don’t get out more stuff than your kids can play with and making your older kids put things away when they’re done with them.

I think you may need to upgrade to a 6 star hotel if you want a custom "keeping track of guests' belongings service"

You really just need to keep an eye on your children's belongings or make sure your older children keep track of their own things. Don't take too many toys to the pool at once, and get them to put their toys away (in a bag) if they're not playing with them

Sorry OP. But your are being absolutely ridiculous.

Take responsibility for your things.

Don’t take anything expensive or sentimental around a kids swimming pool where there’ll be hundreds of kids and toys about. Kids see it as a free for all.

Staying in a 5* has no relevance what so ever.

If you spot a kid playing with one of your kids toys. Let them. Then when they’re finished simply go over to the parents and kindly ask for it back.

Were you this lackadaisical with your stuff when going through airport security?

Someone stole my daughters trainers at soft play once. The were lovely trainers.

You need to have an eye on stuff. Know your boundaries with how long you are prepared to let another child play with it and only take enough stuff out at a time that you can keep track of. We have a large family and have lost the odd bit here and there but not loads.

We have a small net bag full of cheap beach/pool stuff that we take on holiday with us (also to the sandpit in our local playground). It probably includes a few items that we've come home with by mistake but then we've lost a few! My DC will share with whoever is around and we usually (but not always) get things back. I think you've just got to take cheap stuff you don't mind losing unless you want to constantly be watching it and trying to keep track of it.

Just take a thick sharpie and write your name on everything

Small kids don't really have a concept of ownership. In their lives anything within reach is generally theirs to play with.
Parents, having lived through this, start to tune out always being the one to return items or police borrowing after several PE kits, coats, show and tell items etc have vanished from their possession.

If you just left your toys lying around, maybe other guests assumed they were there for all guests' use?

But people can be low-level dishonest in this way.

This,in spades.
And buckets.

I strongly doubt anyone is deliberately stealing your child's plastic bucket. Far more likely that there's a ton of plastic tat in the pool, they go to collect their stuff and leave, say 'Come on, DC, we're going back to the room now - where's your bucket, is it this one?' and DC who has been playing with every bucket in sight all day says yes, because they are three years old or something and don't actually have a clue whose it is and think it's theirs because they've been playing with it for an hour.

I appreciate that it's annoying, but I think you really do just need to keep more of an eye on your kids' stuff.

@Whatever00 but was it a five star soft play?

I have left inflatables at hotels before (3 - 4 star only though) but generally have approached a family and said we are off would your children like these?

God I'm glad I'm not staying at your hotel if you're leaving plastic shite all over the place without keeping an eye on it.

Sorry OP but I can't help but laugh at the amount of times you mentioned it was a 5 star. 😂

As you say, you lost 12 items, doesn't sound like they were stolen, just lost or left unclaimed. You'll know for next time just to keep an eye on your things.

We just got back from a 5* European holiday. Toys were left around the pool, kids all played and then returned them in the majority. It’s just what you do. If something is precious to you or your child then keep it by you, simple.

So on the last day, when you were 99% sure you saw someone taking a load of your stuff in their pram, where did you see them doing this? That's where your stuff was surely?

If your child takes something into the water to play with, they take it out again. Why are you seemingly just abandoning the stuff in the water? Obviously people are going to think it's fair game and snaffle it if it's seemingly abandoned.

Well now I know it's ok to steal or borrow for the duration of your holiday as long as you think it belongs to the hotel.

I not normally stingy, but yes two castle buckets went and the cost of a castle bucket at an 5 star all inclusive hotel is exorbitant. I couldn't stretch to a unicorn or crocodile inflatable if spent all my pennies on the holiday. I now know castle bucks are prime targets.

For those concerned about the lack of beach time, there was a strong rip tide and it was stoney . Honestly I will be complaining as I expect sand for a 5 star and calm waters. Lesson learned.

So you think 5 star means no dodgy people ! Really

5 start hotel doesn’t equal 5 star guests I’m afraid.