To think it’s okay to take certain things from a hotel?

[TakeOrLeaveIt]

I’m curious to know what people think about taking items from hotels. For example, I know things like toiletries (shampoos, soaps) are often seen as fair game, but what about things like mugs and glasses? I’ve stayed at a few places recently, and I was tempted by some of the nicer bits. Obviously, I didn’t take anything major, but it’s got me thinking - where’s the line? Is it stealing or part of the hotel experience?

AIBU to think it’s harmless to take certain things? Or shouldn’t all stay behind?

What do you think?

I've a friend that takes away the surplus butter pats in foil you get given when you order something that needs buttering in a cafe , even from other people on the table.

Small/single person use toiletries and tea bags - all ok.

Anything else - stealing.

I came for the Ross comments and wasn't disappointed 😂

I do that but it's good for dieting as it's a measured portion 🙈

That’s slightly odd/ tight but there’s a chance they’d just get binned anyway if they’ve been out on plates so I wouldn’t say that’s stealing. My mum is a bit like this- she finds waste really difficult to tolerate- probably from growing up in the 50’s ( post war rationing)

Are you ok?? That is absolutely stealing!!

DP always takes the biscuits and they are usually broken by the time he gets home.
He loves a freebie mind you and it makes me laugh when he is proud of his biscuits lol

Fine to take anything that would be otherwise binned after your stay.

Otherwise it is straightforward, undeniable, theft and if you get a kick from it you need to reflect on if you are comfortable being that kind of person for the sake of a mug or tiny bottle of shampoo.

I've worked in a few hotels and I've never known anywhere refill the small bottles, it would be beyond messy, time consuming and you dont know if the remaining contents have been contaminated. You only have a small amount of time to do a room and you wouldn't believe the state some people leave them in. If the toiletries have moved or the wrappings are splashed then they are swiped straight into the bin (often unused), surfaces wiped and replacements quickly grabbed off the trolley.
One hotel I worked in had big refillable bottles in the bathrooms. I would never use from these unless they are tamper free (ie can't be opened), please take my advice on this!🤢
As for stealing - Yes, you wouldn't believe what people will steal.
Personally I will only take sample toiletries and an extra pastry at breakfast. I don't even bother with tea/chocolate sachets as they never taste like the ones I prefer.

Actually, the last hotel I stayed in had full size toiletries and a note saying that if they were taken, you'd be billed for them. Maybe that will get more common as people try to reduce plastic consumption. I do find the little bottles useful though for holidays and things.

The only thing I take from hotels is all the little sachets of coffee, tea and hot chocolate as my kids find having an individual sachet of hot chocolate exciting for some reason, and they are useful if you're going somewhere early in the morning that might not have coffee.

The disposable slippers are fine to take otherwise they go in the bin. Anything else, no! My Mum runs a B & B and the number of people who take the towels is shocking.

The line is whether something is reusable. Little bar of soap or bottle of shampoo, not reusable so you can take, same with tea bags, the mugs, towels, sheets, TV, etc. can all be reused so they stay. I can't believe this needs explaining!

I think it’s fine to take anything they expect you to use e.g. mini toiletries they will replace when you leave fine to take, shower caps fine to take. Filling up your own bottle of shampoo from their big bottle? Not okay. Mugs and glasses definitely not okay

Careful what you steal - they generally have your credit card details and have been known to charge

You wanted to take the glassware!! Jesus Christ. Turns out there are a lot of thieves on mumsnet lately.

How about sachets of e.g. sugar in cafes?

An aunt of dh was once shocked and mortified when the friend she was with took every last sachet of sugar, ketchup, etc. from their cafe table.
The aunt was absolutely as tight as they come (despite having plenty) so TBH I was glad to hear that she still had some standards! According to her, the friend wasn’t remotely hard up, either.

Good grief. Of course you don’t take things like mugs and glasses. It’s equivalent to pocketing all the cutlery when you eat in a restaurant.

The only things that are meant for you to take if you want them are things like mini toiletries, stationery, and the biscuits from the tea and coffee tray. Don’t take cups and glasses, robes, towels, pillows or anything else.

Never have,never would.

I used to take the mini shower gels etc for the kids residential / rugby tours.

Also the biscuits and hot chocolate sachets for my youngest as a gift because we went away and left him with granny. He's 18 now and i still do it. ❤️

People like you are the reason hotel charges keep going up for the rest of us! 🙄 You have no idea of the extra work you're also creating for housekeeping staff who work to crazy turnaround schedules, having to go and track down replacements, sometimes at opposite ends of large hotels from storage areas. If you invited someone to your house for the evening, I'm guessing you would be extremely pissed off if they left with their bag full of your belongings...but by your own standards that could just be 'part of the experience' 🤔🤔🤔 Stop being a CF immediately!!

I don't take tea bags, coffee sachets or coffee pods because they could be used by the next person. Housekeeping don't bin unused tea bags. Besides, there's barely enough provided anyway and rarely earl grey which I prefer. We usually take an extra supply.

I once stayed in a hotel while on a work trip. My room didn't have any pillows! Obviously just an oversight when the cleaners were sorting the room but I was young, not very assertive and we were so busy on the trip I didn't go down to reception and ask for pillows. I did grumble to my colleagues though and slept rather uncomfortably with no pillows. (Typing this now I feel an absolute wuss, it was a long time ago!)
Anyway a couple of days later our workplace had a phone call from the hotel demanding to know the name of the person who had stayed in room X (my room) as they had stolen the pillows. I was glad I had at least told my colleagues they were missing on arrival so they backed me up to my boss!

I kept the 'single use' slippers from a hotel as I had forgotten mine and was going on to stay with friends. I put them through the washing machine, in a net bag.. just in case!!.., when I got home and they came up brand new. So now they live in my suitcase and travel everywhere with me.
But apart from that I only take the biscuits.. use my own toiletries decanted into travel bottles.

Single use toiletries and tea/coffee/sugar sachets are all fair game IMO. Everything else is straight up stealing.

This must be a wealthy MN thing as I've never stayed anywhere nice enough to tempt me to take the toiletries, let alone the sugar packets.

My ex used to work away a lot and he always, without fail, brought towels home, he couldn't see anything wrong with it. One of the many many reasons I liked him a little bit less every single day