WWYD: Sounds trivial but theft of make up from hotel room

[EdinaMonsoon]

Long weekend break away in a hotel. En route to destination I bought a couple of new makeup products (specifically a CC Cream & skin illuminator). Both were premium products (each worth circa £50). This afternoon I noticed that approximately a fifth of the illuminator had gone. There’s no way I could have used that much. I have applied it twice since purchase and For reference, this product usually lasts me 18 months. Have come back from a night out to find that now half of the illuminator has gone and the CC cream is almost empty.

Since we have been out of the room, it’s clear that the cleaning team/turndown service has been in. So my only conclusion is that it was taken by them. On the face of it, it might seem petty but WIBU to raise it with the hotel? We’re talking about close to £75 of product being taken and the purchase was a rare treat for me.

You need to be very sure of your facts before accusing
Almost impossible to prove, particularly as use of product is so subjective.
But do you really think the staff have time to:

• riffle through your bottles/tubes of gunk,
• realise they are ridiculouslypriced expensive and therefore steal-able
• whip out a pot/container they keep for such cases
• try to decant just enough not to make you suspicious, but fail
• do it again the next day?

I don't think so

Michaela McAreavey- she was only 27 when she was murdered on her honeymoon.
She had gone back to get biscuits in their bedroom and must have stumbled on a robbery or something illicit going on there.
An only daughter.
So, so sad.
I had always wanted to to visit Mauritius on holiday for a big birthday or wedding anniversary as it sounded so luxurious and special but since that happened and because I believe there was some kind of cover up I wouldn't spend money going on holiday there - my little protest against the injustice meted out to Michaela and her heartbroken loved ones.

@VestibuleVirgin having worked in a hotel as housekeeping whilst a student you absolutely have time to do this. We used to work as a team of two which is for our safety (conference rooms full of business men and lone females in their hotel rooms) but also easier for 2 people to make a bed etc. That means one can be on the lookout whilst the other one steals. People are not usually in their hotel rooms for long periods meaning they are empty a lot. Riffle through? If the OP is like me it is just out on the counter and would take seconds to decant it.

I was at a make-up counter a few weeks ago and they decanted some eye primer into a little jar for me to try it. Easy enough to buy those tiny jars online and have them on your person for any opportunity that arises in a hotel room if you are in them all the time as part of your job. My uniform had pockets.

But how on earth would you know that the guest wasn’t on the take/mistaken/spilt items/ kids messed around and used it up?

It’s annoying but basically one person’s word against another.

I always put my cosmetics bag in the in-room safe each day along with my electronics, jewellery, and passport. I had a product mysteriously evaporate one time and I knew I wasn't imagining it. OP I feel your pain.

I've never had anything taken from a hotel and I haven't always used a safe so passports and money has been left lying around I don't think the housekeeping staff have enough time to be decanting make up into little pots There are other explanations.

I was wondering the same thing. The really annoying thing about those pumps is that you can’t tell how much is left.

Report it to the hotel. Get the receipts with you to point out those are new products.

It is likely that person is doing it with other rooms/guests too. Very stupid of them as well as it was bound to be noticed.

There really aren’t. Who else is using the product?
Housekeeping staff have plenty of time to steal stuff. Things are stolen from hotel rooms all the time. I’ve walked in on housekeeping using my expensive lotion on their arms.

I have walked in after housekeeping to find the air scented with my perfume that I hadn’t used on that holiday yet!

We were n holiday with friends who were convinced the steward had stolen £1000. They told the management. When they got home the money was in their suitcase. Personally I think you are being petty. Maybe the containers hadn’t been filled properly. Do you really want someone sacked over this?

I would know, but I'd give you the benefit of the doubt anyway and interrogate the staff. If the hotel treats you fairly, give them a good review, they deserve it. If they refuse to listen, say so in a review, but it's only fair to give them a chance to put it right.

If you are sure then I think it's fair enough to raise it but I would question whether the bottles were not full to start with. They are not always full to the top.

This is so common -I've had cosmetics taken twice and now put them away in my locked suitcase or in the safe when I go out. My niece had Calvin Klein underwear taken once. Basically, don't take anything valuable or sentimental away with you or be prepared to lock it all away anytime you go out.

It's a hard one. Makeup is expensive. I have had an expensive concealer stolen from a hotel room & a leave in hair treatment on another occasion. I actually lock my makeup in the safe now as it's annoying having to replace things. I think it's tempting because if it's a full makeup bag you aren't going to notice right away that one particular thing has been stolen, so it's far easier to get away with than a wallet or a passport, but yep, it will get stolen.

People forget
(a) how staggeringly expensive cosmetics can be
(b) how much constant focus there is on social media on premium brands
(c) how tempting it is when it’s right there in front of you and you already feel that the guests are rich arseholes.

White Lotus anyone?

On our honeymoon the man who was cleaning our room found my husband on the way to lunch to ask if he could purchase my husband's aftershave bottle from him! We kept it locked in the safe after that. Until then I'd never have thought to worry about toiletries etc.

I also used to work in a hotel and the room attendants did work in pairs as stated by a PP. To my knowledge we didn't have any thefts but it would in theory be perfectly easy to do, uniforms were combat trousers with lots of pockets and a massive trolley of supplies to hide things in!

However people used to leave all manner of things behind, full toiletries, clothes, shoes often with a note saying 'help yourself'. The rule then was that the items had to be kept aside for a month and if not claimed/asked for the housekeepers could take it home if they wished.
Anything like jewellery or cash was handed in to the manager to go in the safe.

The absolute cheek. Definitely complain. You can show them a receipt or bank statement to show when you purchased them to support your argument.

I would definitely complain. Ignore the people who say that there is another possible explanation. No, there isn't!

To clarify OP, I am not saying you are an arsehole! The post was aimed at people who have posted saying they can’t believe that the cleaner could possibly have stolen anything.

I'd think it was more likely that she used the same make up and hers was running out so she swapped it for your full one.

I have had new underwear (still with tags on) stolen from my hotel room
Most recently an expensive pair of tights again in the packaging - I was very annoyed as the hotel was in the middle of nowhere - it was a work conference thing and I had to hand wash another pair to wear the following day

Very unlikely a person on minimum wage cleaning hotel rooms would have a £50 primer as a standard makeup item.

That's crazy! Maybe people are selling these things on eBay or vinted if the skin tones don't match, not even just personal use. Awful.

OP I would complain, especially since you can prove they were new with the duty free receipt. Perhaps post online reviews too.

They were products she had purchased before so she would know the standard level